November 2006 - 22

2006 Holiday Gift Guide

pays heed to Marty Bergen's rule of 20 but adds the requirement that a one-level opener should have two quick
tricks, too).
The attraction of this format for the target group is the
brevity of presentation and that it can give the feeling that
progress is being made. The downside is if the booklet is
held onto too long, it becomes a prop that replaces thinking about the game. If that balance can be met, this format
can help those in the early stages of their bridge careers.
Published by and available from Cassell, London, at
www.orionbooks.co.uk .

the last section, for it is always good to have opinions on
whether or not someone finds a particular convention useful - and there are a few that get the thumbs down.
Overall this is an easy-to-read book that has a lot to
offer, despite the fact that some of the material on deception is less fresh than other parts of the text and that 'x' is
used for small cards in hand diagrams.
Published by and available from Master Point Press,
331 Douglas Ave., Toronto ON M5M 1H2 (see
www.masterpointpress.com), and bridge supply houses.

I Love This Game

Things Your Bridge
Teacher Won't Tell You

By Sabine Auken
$19.95
Softcover
207 pages
Rating: A
Reviewed by Brent Manley

by Dan Romm
$16.95
Softcover
160 pages
Rating: B
Reviewed by Tim Bourke

Secrets
The promotional material on the back of "Things Your
Bridge Teacher Won't Tell You" by Dan Romm says of
the author that "Mostly he plays for money; he plays with
and against world champions, and is a consistent winner.
The way he accomplishes this, the art of treating bridge
as a four-person competition, not as a one- or two-person
mathematical exercise, is the subject of this book. Psychology, deception, and misdirection are among a host of
(legal!) tactics that the reader can learn to use himself, on
the way to winning more often."
Whether he conveys how he does this successfully will
be a matter of opinion, but there is a lot to like about this
eclectic collection of essays on all facets of the game.
They are organized under the general categories of
"What Makes an Expert? - The 5 Dimensions," "Tips,"
"Bidding Conventions (The Good and the Bad)."
The first has superb advice under the headings of "Planning," "Technique," "Adaptability" and "Judgement" but
is less successful in the section on "Psychology," even
though the jewel of the book is in the latter section:
"If your partner makes an error (as we all do occasionally, even the best), note it on your card for discussion
after the session, preferably over a beer. Do not even so
much as mention it at the table. If your partner voluntarily
apologizes, smile sweetly and say, 'No problem.' One
bad board will not cost you an event, but acting like a
wounded animal will cost you many."
There is much good advice in each of nine "Tips" that
follow. Perhaps my favorite is "Patience is a Virtue,"
which can be extrapolated to cover many situations in
these overly active bidding times. The same can be said of
22

Star power
German star Sabine Auken long ago established herself
as one of the world's best players, and her record in international competition speaks for itself. She also happens
to be a great ambassador for the game and is the kind of
champion to be emulated.
With her new book, an account of Germany's victory in
the 2001 Venice Cup, Auken now demonstrates a flair for
writing.
Although there are numerous stories from past tournaments and her many experiences as a bridge player, the
book is not an autobiography. As it happens, that doesn't
matter at all. For starters, there is plenty of discussion
about the wide variety of people Auken has encountered
in her tournament travels, interesting reading to be sure.
Even better, with the assistance of Mark Horton, editor
of England's Bridge magazine, Auken has put together a
riveting account of Germany's rally in the final set against
France in the Venice Cup in Paris, won by Auken's team
on the next-to-last deal.
There is also some very useful discussion of the strong
club system Auken and partner Daniela von Arnim play,
including the mini 1NT opener. Her description of the
carding agreements they employ would be helpful to any
serious partnership, and there are numerous insights into
how a world champion player thinks. It's great stuff.
There were only 16 deals in the last set of the 2001
Venice Cup, but the book includes dozens of others from
Auken's long career (she and von Arnim have been playing together for 20 years).
I Love This Game was selected this year by the International Bridge Press Association as book of the year. It is a
well-deserved honor, and the book is highly recommended
Bridge Bulletin

http://www.masterpointpress.com http://www.orionbooks.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2006