Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand

Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand is a foundational guide for beginner and intermediate bridge players written by Barbara Seagram and David Bird and published in 2009. The book received the American Bridge Teachers Association Book of the Year award in 2010. The text provides instruction on essential declarer play techniques in contract bridge, including suit establishment, finessing, and managing entries. Through clear explanations and examples, readers learn how to develop strategic plans for both no trump and suit contracts. The authors present a structured approach to hand analysis and counting that helps players evaluate their options at the table. The success of this book led to a sequel, Planning the Play - The Next Level, which won its own ABTA award in 2018. This work stands as a core teaching text in bridge literature, offering players the fundamental tools needed to improve their game through systematic planning and technique development.

Readers describe this bridge textbook as clear and methodical, focusing on foundations of hand planning through examples. Multiple reviewers note it helps beginners transition from basic card play to intermediate strategy. Liked: - Step-by-step breakdowns of each hand - Practice exercises after each chapter - Focus on both declarer and defender play - Simple language without bridge jargon - Builds systematically from basic to complex concepts Disliked: - Some found early chapters too basic - A few readers wanted more advanced techniques - Limited coverage of competitive bidding Ratings: Amazon: 4.6/5 (298 reviews) Goodreads: 4.3/5 (47 reviews) Notable reviews: "Finally helped me understand hand planning in a logical way" - Amazon reviewer "Good for self-study but could use more challenging examples" - Goodreads review "Best bridge book for advancing from beginner to intermediate" - Bridge Forum member

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🎭 Barbara Seagram has taught bridge to over 50,000 students and runs one of North America's largest bridge schools in Toronto. 🏆 David Bird holds the world record for bridge-related books authored, with over 130 titles to his name. 🌟 The "entry management" techniques taught in this book were revolutionary when first published, making complex bridge concepts accessible to average players. 📚 The book's success led to a companion volume "Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand in Defense," which won the 2012 ABTA Book of the Year award. 🎮 The principles taught in this book have been incorporated into several bridge-playing computer programs, helping to develop AI that can effectively play bridge.