Hi,

Bridge is a game that grows. In all my life I have never played a session of bridge that did not include something new and different. I suspect that even after all these years, my experiences have just begun to scratch the surface of this game.

The BridgeClues site will help you encounter and deal with many of the problems that players meet at the table. Sadly, the space and time we have does not cover all of the things a bridge player needs to know. To this end I offer a web site that has a number of bridge books and software programs that will add to what we can show on our BridgeClues site.

Here is a list of recommended items. The descriptions here are brief. Be aware that these products are aimed at players with some experience. There are some wonderful materials that are aimed at newer players but those are not listed here.

If you see something that interests you, a fuller description can be found on my personal web site which can be reached at

www.michaelslawrence.com

This site covers information on

Books
Software
Bridge Articles
Bridge Cruises

Books
How to Read Your Opponents' Cards
What you should be thinking about when you play the dummy.

How to Play Card Combinations
A look at some common card combinations and how you should play them given your needs and the bidding.

Falsecards
How to fool your opponents and not to fool your partner.

Opening Leads
Getting off to the best lead is the most single important moment in defense. What to lead. What not to lead. Should you lead an ace? What if they have bid your best suit? Lots to think about in this book.

Dynamic Defense
What does a defender think about? How do defenders cooperate with each other? Special things that a defender must learn to defend efficiently.

Judgment at Bridge
Lots of things that bridge players need to know. How to avoid common errors.

Hand Evaluation
My most difficult book ever. What makes a hand go up in value? What makes a hand go down in value? What are the warning signs?

The Two Over One System
The most popular system in the US.

The Complete Book on Overcalls
What do you need to overcall? Do you really need a terrific suit? When should you stay out of the bidding?

The Complete Book on Balancing
Balancing. The black sheep of the world of bidding. The opponents stop bidding. Should you let them have it or should you try for a contract of your own?

Takeout Doubles
The most important convention of all times. The Takeout Double is misunderstood by many, which is a shame because it is a wonderful convention when properly used.

Passed Hand Bidding
Your side opens in third or fourth seat. Do you know which bids are forcing now? Do you know the Drury Convention? Do you know about the semi-forcing 1NT bid? This book is dry but very important.

Contested Auctions
All kinds of conventions to use when the opponents get into your bidding. Technical, but still a good book to have.

D.O.N.T.
Bidding when they open a strong notrump. You do not have to sit quietly nor should you sit quietly when they open 1NT. D.O.N.T. shows you a way to bid and upset their bidding.

Partnership Understandings
An excellent booklet that offers many questions that a new partnership needs to answer before they sit down at the table.

Play a Swiss Teams of Four with Mike Lawrence
Just a fun book. You sit at my shoulder as I play in a Swiss Teams event. There is a lot of material in this book and some real hints on how to win.

Play Bridge with Mike Lawrence
Another fun book. In this one I am playing in a pairs tournament against all kinds of opponents. It lets you listen in on how to think when you are playing matchpoints. Lots of fun and facts in this book.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

The bridge world agrees that these programs are the best way to learn to play bridge. Note that most of these are available for the Macintosh too.

Counting at Bridge
One hundred hands that you can play yourself with Mike Lawrence sitting at your side and asking questions that you can work out as you go along.
Available for the PC and for Macintosh

Private Bridge Lessons, Volume One
One hundred hands showing various important dummy play techniques. If endplays or squeezes or crossruffs have eluded you in the past, this is the best way to learn these and other techniques.
Available for the PC and for Macintosh

Private Bridge Lessons, Volume Two
This program gives you one hundred hands showing dummy play techniques. The hands and materials are totally different from Volume One.
Available for the PC and for Macintosh

Defense
In fact, you will defend twice as many hands as you will declare. Yet many players spend all their time trying to learn to play a hand with little effort given to being a better defender. This software gives you one hundred hands, all looking at defensive problems of the sort that you will run into at the table.
Available for the PC and for Macintosh

The Two Over One System
The complete Two Over One System with game forcing two level responses and the forcing 1NT bid in response to a major. Detailed examples of all aspects of this system, plus how to use it when the opponents compete.
Available for the PC and for Macintosh

Conventions
If you ever get the urge to learn how a convention should really be played, this is the way to do it. 1600 or so pages showing many of the most popular conventions. Examples of how they works and quiz hands to let you practice.
Available for the PC Only

WANT INFORMATION?

If you would like to be on my email list, please send an email to Mike Lawrence at and I will send you updates on all bridge materials as they become available. If you would like to order directly from Mike.

If you would like to read more about any of these items or if you wish to order some of them, my web site will let you do both.

www.michaelslawrence.com