To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks

by Larry Cohen

To bid or not to bid -- the perennial dilemma in competitive auctions. The easy answer to the question lies in the correct use of the Law of Total Tricks. The LAW has been part of bridge literature since the 1950s, but it was in this book that Larry Cohen brought it to the attention of the majority of bridge players. Still the most lucid explanation of the LAW ever published, this is a book that every bridge player needs to own, to read, to re-read, and to study in order to improve their results.

Genres: Games, Reference

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Rob Preece · Rating 5 out of 5]

In bridge, it's critical not to sell out to the opponents to cheaply--to make them compete to a level where they feel uncomfortable. The only way to do this, however, is to bid at higher levels yourself, sometimes setting yourself up for a substantial penalty. In To Bid or Not to Bid, bridge master Larry Cohen outlines rules to allow the player to determine whether to take the chance and push higher, pass quietly, or pull out a damaging penalty double. With dozens of examples from top-flight tournament play, Cohen lets us see where following the "Law" paid off... and where failing to follow it resulted in big problems, sometimes including the loss of championships. This book is relatively easy to read--it's suitable for just about anyone who plays duplicate bridge.

[Erik Eason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our game immediately improved

My partner and I play in 1500 MP match-point club play. As less experienced players, our goal is “not last” and 40% score. After reading this book we were astounded that we won the next match with a 67% score and with 29 pairs playing. Now we fully believe this was an anomaly, but the unexpected result gives me confidence that we will be more routinely making it to the middle of the pack instead of the bottom, and then gradually rising with experience both in general and with “the Law” itself.

[Philip William · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are serious about understanding the theory of bidding in contract bridge you should add this book to your library.

The 'Law' can be simply stated but it has a number of knock on effect. A number of other authors will refer to this 'Law' but I know of no other attempt to be as comprehensive.

[Jógvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is vital reading for any serious Bridge player. After reading this book, you'll know how to compete for low-level contracts and improve your results in competitions. Need I say more to justify the 5 stars? :)

[Melanie Appelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if u r into competitive bridge!

[Marco Reale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for modern bidding. However I felt sometimes the discussions were too long.

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should help my bidding. Will my partners believe the Law? Couldn't follow all of it, but what I did follow I thought very helpful.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly feel as thought I've become a better player by reading this!