Duplicate Bridge is a fun and yet challenging card game, the world's best mind sport.

Let me be your newcomer guide and mentor. Learn from my mistakes/experiences.

I still remember my first game: I just walked into a bridge club without a partner, not knowing anyone in the hall, where thirty tables were set up for the afternoon game. I knew how to play bridge, but not in the Duplicate style. I was apprehensive, understandably nervous, and a little intimidated.

"A Handy Bridge Player's Guide to Duplicate" is just what the director ordered, whether you are an aspiring student taking lessons, a contract bridge player (like me) who wants to try this different bridge game format, or a former player wanting to return to the game after several years' absence who would benefit from a refresher course.

This book is a wonderful resource to help better prepare the reader for the experience of club play.

This handy guide presents the basic information needed to learn and master the Duplicate game formats, environments, and bidding, playing and scoring procedures.

Learn about bridge etiquette, zero-tolerance and play-nice programs; the different game formats, equipment, and useful how-to procedures-fill in a convention card; making a call using a bidding box; make an opening lead; arrange, inspect, and count tricks; prevent partner's revoke; make a claim or concession; understand BridgeMate; total-point and master-point scoring systems and so much more.

For the more experienced players, there is a separate chapter for interesting Topics; Comparable Bids, Psychic Bidding and bidding and playing techniques (Principle of Fast Arrival, Principle of Restricted Choice, Principle of the Transferred King, and the Rule of 15).

Frequently referred to Bridge rules and Laws are clearly explained. This knowledge will empower you to confidently make a Director's call when an infraction occurs to your advantage.

There is so much to absorb along your journey that you will read and reread this resource book. These are informative chapters on Awards and Rank Requirements, The National Grading Scheme, Online Bridge and Youth Bridge to keep up your interest.

A special feature of the book permits the reader to get a glimpse of how the game is played in "Twin Bridge Clubs", Stamford Lincolnshire UK and Mississauga Oakville Community Bridge Club in Ontario Canada. You will learn the principal differences of the games and will quickly be able to adapt to the English British Union (EBU) and the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) game styles.

A Handy Bridge Player's Guide To Duplicate was written with humour and contains over 110 colourful images/illustrations enabling learning Bridge procedures most informative and enjoyable. For example, "A pass out is not a bridge player who has consumed too much alcohol, nor a stamped concert ticket to allow in/out privileges. A pass out hand occurs when the Dealer's pass is followed by three more consecutive passes".

Extensive Appendices simplifies the learning process with the forms, charts and pertinent articles right at your fingertips.

I wish I had this Handy Guide when I started playing. Lucky you, now you do! While reading this book, my main goal was to keep you smiling and hearing you say,

"I didn't know that...That will be useful"!