Download the catalogAll titles available from Master Point Press
Below is a complete list of all titles from Master Point Press
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Bachelor Bridge
Originally published in 1994, this book of humorous bridge stories met with widespread acclaim as one of the funniest to be published in a long time. Now updated and with new material added, the book chronicles the amorous (mis)adventures of Jack O'Hearts, which somehow always seem to involve interesting and amusing bridge hands. "Definitely in the don't miss category." - ACBL Bulletin "Highly enteratining." - The Bridge World
David Bird (Southampton, UK) is the world's most prolific bridge writer, with 150 bridge books to his name. Known for the clarity of his writing and explanations, he has won the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year Award a record nine times. His celebrated humorous fiction series, featuring the cantankerous Abbot, has run for over 45 years.
Back Through the Pack
'Life's tough being an ace.' On everyone's list of all-time favorite bridge books is Right Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman Hart. Published just after the end of World War II, the book presents 52 tales using exquisite deals, one for each of the cards in the deck. Now, decades later, Julian Pottage has collected 104 deals - two for each card in the pack. He presents each story through the eyes of the cards, paying homage to Darvas and Hart. Keeping the intermediate bridge player in mind, Pottage takes extra care to have the cards educate while entertaining the reader. "The deals are excellent and the setting pleasantly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland." - David Bird
Wales) is best known as a bridge problem constructor, and his many awards include IBPA Book of the Year. His most recent book for MPP was <em>Defend or Declare?</em>
Barbara Seagram's Beginning Bridge
It doesn't matter whether you know a heart from a spade right now - by the time you finish this book you'll be able to enjoy a social game of bridge with your friends. Barbara Seagram's 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know continues to be a bestselling book year after year, and her books on the game have more than 250,000 copies in print in four languages. This new book, for complete beginners, is based on the material that Barbara uses in her own classes to introduce hundreds of new players to the game every year. Every aspect of the game of bridge is covered - bidding, declarer play, defensive cardplay and scoring - with user-friendly tips, stories and quizzes to help you have fun while you learn. As well, Karen Lampert's cartoons will bring a smile to your face and help you remember key points as you work through the lessons. Use this book on your own or with three friends - it works equally well both ways. And at the end of it, you'll be able to play the most popular card game the world over. Now available in Spanish! Please contact Lorett Rodríguez Schaefer at her email lorett@telefonica.net if you are interested in ordering a Spanish version of Beginning Bridge.
Linda Lee (Toronto, Canada) is a retired project management executive who now spends much of her time playing bridge and writing about the game. A multiple Canadian champion who has represented her country several times at the world level, her blog <a href="http://linda.bridgeblogging.com">http://linda.bridgeblogging.com</a> is one of the most popular bridge blogs on the net. Her books range from beginner texts to a revised and updated edition of Clyde Love's classic <em>Bridge Squeezes Complete</em>.
Barbara Seagram's Beginning Bridge Playing Cards
Specially coded cards to accompany the 40 practice deals in Beginning Bridge. An invaluable aid for teachers, whether or not you are using this book as your text. Eligible for standard teacher discounts like our book titles. Other teacher support material Copies of these deals with teaching notes, plus extra practice for bidding and play and other support material, are available for free download from www.teachbridge.com
Linda Lee (Toronto, Canada) is a retired project management executive who now spends much of her time playing bridge and writing about the game. A multiple Canadian champion who has represented her country several times at the world level, her blog <a href="http://linda.bridgeblogging.com">http://linda.bridgeblogging.com</a> is one of the most popular bridge blogs on the net. Her books range from beginner texts to a revised and updated edition of Clyde Love's classic <em>Bridge Squeezes Complete</em>.
Barbara's Bridge Tips
Whether you have been playing for a while or you're not very experienced, this book will help you to move your game up to the next level. The tips cover all aspects of bridge - bidding, play and defense. Advice and examples are drawn from material Barbara Seagram has developed for her students over the last twenty years - it's like having your own personal bridge coach sitting beside you! Winner of the 2021 ABTA Book of the Year Award, Intermediate Category Reviews Seagram is a master of effectively communicating bridge ideas. Her casual approach makes it seem as if you're having a conversation with a longtime friend. - ACBL Bulletin For those out there who are planning to buy just one book to help them, I doubt if there is a better one on the market. - David Bird Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise, Barbara Seagram's thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide, "Barbara's Bridge Tips" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Bridge gaming collections. - Midwest Book Review
Barbara Seagram (Toronto, Canada) ran one of the largest and most successful bridge clubs and bridge schools in N. America. After selling the club in 2007, she now concentrates solely on teaching and organizing her popular bridge cruises. An ABTA Master Teacher, Barbara has been involved in many of MPP's most successful titles, most notably 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. With more than 200,000 copies in print in English alone, this book is the bestselling bridge title since Charles Goren was writing in the 1950s. It has been translated into Japanese, French, Danish and German.
Becoming a Bridge Expert
A compendium of advice for the improving player from one of North America's best-known bridge teachers and writers. Each tip is bite-sized - 3-4 pages in length - so the reader can dip in briefly and still take away an important idea. As well as the usual sections on bidding, play and defense, the author includes much advice on the psychological aspects of the game, including how to be a good partner.
Frank Stewart is one of the most distinguished bridge writers and journalists in North America, with over twenty books to his credit. A major contributor to the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge and a regular writer for the ACBL Bulletin, he is perhaps best-known today as the author of the nationally-syndicated 'Daily Bridge Club' daily newspaper column. He lives in Fayette, Alabama.
Better Declarer Play - Placing the Cards
The second book in Danny Roth’s intermediate-level series on declarer play, this book covers topics that, once mastered, will bring any intermediate player an immediate improvement in their scores. Topics include: placing the cards missing one honor, missing two honors, missing three honors, inferences from the defense and second-degree assumption. This book is designed to help you to get a more accurate picture of the unseen hands and thus avoid ‘wild guessing’; or, at least, improve your chances of avoiding unnecessary mistakes.As always, the author’s clear exposition of his points is followed by a collection of quiz problems where the reader can test their understanding of this new-found knowledge.
Danny Roth, of London, England, is a professional bridge teacher and writer with more than twenty books to his credit. His most recent MPP offering, 'How Good is Your Bridge' won the Best Book for Intermediate Students Award in 2008 from the American Bridge Teachers Association.
Better Signalling Now
DO BETTER ON DEFENSE! Defense is the hardest aspect of bridge, in part because the defenders have less information to work with than the declarer does. That's why it is so important for them to communicate, and why a solid understanding of basic signalling methods is critical. The first edition of this book was published many years ago, under the title Step by Step Signalling. It was reissued in 2002 in a new version, Better Signalling Now, incorporating suggestions from Tim Bourke and former world champion Sandra Landy, and reached an even wider audience. In its newest edition, the author has added a discussion of some of the signalling methods popular among today's experts, and discusses how much of an improvement, if any, they offer over standard methods. As before, practical examples abound, and every chapter includes hands from the world's finest players.
MARK HORTON (UK) travels the world writing about bridge. Editor of BeBridge magazine and of the Daily Bulletins at World and European Championships, he is also the author of nine previous MPP titles.
Bid More, Play More, Enjoy More, Win More: Expanded and Updated
This expanded and updated second edition includes: two-overone as a game force, competitive bidding strategies, passed hand responding, harpening your tools, winning against experts and details of the author’s favorite Aspro Two openings. Expand your Bridge Horizons Adoption of the bridge advice and strategies presented in this book into your game will result in you bidding more, declaring more, winning more, and enjoying your bridge more. The author’s advice is to always evaluate your hand, and to show your “shape before strength”. Better contracts and better bridge will be your reward. The book is best employed as a constant companion. It provides individual advice, partnership strategies, and system recommendations that are consistent and holistic. Enjoy!
MATTHEW THOMSON is a former member of the Australian Bridge Team, and has been a finalist in both the Olympiad and the World Bridge Teams. A bridge professional and teacher, he lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife, Cathryn, and with "Chubba", his Welsh Terrier.
Bid More, Play More, Enjoy More, Win More: First Edition
Expand your Bridge Horizons Adoption of the bridge advice and strategies presented in this book into your game will result in you bidding more, declaring more, winning more, and enjoying your bridge more. The author's advice is to always evaluate your hand, and to show your "shape before strength". Better contracts and better bridge will be your reward. The book is best employed as a constant companion. It provides individual advice, partnership strategies, and system recommendations that are consistent and holistic. Enjoy!
MATTHEW THOMSON is a former member of the Australian Bridge Team, and has been a finalist in both the Olympiad and the World Bridge Teams. A bridge professional and teacher, he lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife, Cathryn, and with "Chubba", his Welsh Terrier.
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook
Declarer Play at Bridge: a Quizbook, by the same author team, was named the 2013 Book of the Year by the American Bridge Teachers’ Association. Building on the success of that title, this book gives the near-beginner a chance to practice the principles on which sound bidding is based, from the opening bid onward. This is not just a series of problems, however. Each section contains a brief introduction to its topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable.
David Bird (Southampton, UK) is the world's most prolific bridge writer, with 150 bridge books to his name. Known for the clarity of his writing and explanations, he has won the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year Award a record nine times. His celebrated humorous fiction series, featuring the cantankerous Abbot, has run for over 45 years.
Breaking the Bridge Rules: First Hand Play
Rules are made to be broken, and bridge is no exception. The the first of a planned four-book series on cardplay, this book deals with situations where the player who is on lead — defender or declarer, at the start of the deal or in the middle — needs to do something that involves ostensibly 'breaking the rules'. Not, obviously, the rules of bridge itself, but the well-tried adages that every player is taught — the rules of thumb that work in a lot of cases. Knowing when to break those rules is one of the marks of an expert player.
Born in the UK, Barry Rigal now lives in New York with his wife, US international Sue Picus. A prolific writer for bridge magazines around the world, he is perhaps best-known as the VuGraph commentator at World and European championships.
Bridge and the Romantics
It is June 1822. Percy Shelley is planning a new bridge book. It will feature the most dazzling, difficult deals ever published, the bridge of the gods… But before he leaves on his ill-fated trip to Livorno, Shelley only has time to send his publisher a short ‘Declarer Play Problems’ pamphlet. Nick Smith, however, has unearthed a series of hitherto unchronicled episodes in the poet’s life, which demonstrate where the deals first arose, and what actually happened at the table in each case. Historically accurate and beautifully illustrated, this is a book for fans of classic literature as well as bridge players.
Nick Smith (Oxford, UK)is a Grand Master and England international as well as the author of numerous novels and plays. Among his books are Bridge Literature, More Bridge Literature, Bridge and the Romantics and, with Julian Pottage, Bridge Behind Bars.
Bridge at the Breakfast Table
Former Canadian champion Paul Thurston writes a daily bridge column in the National Post, one of Canada's two national newspapers. This is a collection of some of his best and most interesting articles — tips, oddities, and just plain interesting deals and stories. The perfect book for those long summer evenings at the cottage!
Paul Thurston, who lives in South Ontario, Canada, divides his time between golf and bridge. He is the bridge columnist for Canada's National Post newspaper, and has been teaching and writing about bridge for many years. A former national champion, he has represented Canada in world competition both as a player and captain.
Bridge at the Edge
An in-depth ‘over-the-shoulder’ look at top-level bridge. While describing almost 200 deals that he played in World and European Championships, one of the world’s best players, Boye Brogeland, discusses bidding and cardplay, as well as his approach to the mental side of the game. A fascinating glimpse into the thought processes of a champion bridge player, as well as a look at state-of-the-art bidding methods, some of which are described here for the first time.
David Bird (Southampton, UK) is the world's most prolific bridge writer, with 150 bridge books to his name. Known for the clarity of his writing and explanations, he has won the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year Award a record nine times. His celebrated humorous fiction series, featuring the cantankerous Abbot, has run for over 45 years.
Bridge at the Enigma Club
Foreword by Chip MartelRobert Tischman is just looking for a game of bridge, but when a mysterious woman persuades him to partner her in a two-session event at the Engima Club, he gets much more than that. This is a book that can be enjoyed on several levels: 1) as a fun read with lots of great bridge deals; 2) as a glimpse of what the game might be like if technology were applied to it with more imagination; 3) as an exposition of the author's ideas on encrypted bidding and encrypted signals — bids and plays where, in full compliance with the Laws of Bridge, partners can exchange information that cannot be deciphered by their opponents. Consumer warning: these methods, though fascinating and ingenious, are illegal in many bridge jurisdictions.
Peter Winkler, inventor of cryptological methods for the game of bridge, is also the author of two books of mathematical puzzles, a number of compositions for ragtime piano, and almost 150 research papers on mathematics and the theory of computing. He is a professor of mathematics and computer science at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH.
Bridge at the Top
Co-winner of the 2022 International Bridge Press Association Book of the Year award. In the course of her Bridge: A MindSport for All research project, sociologist Dr. Samantha Punch has been able to interview many of the world's top bridge personalities. The topics of these conversations were wide-ranging, and included the dynamics at the table, challenges, motivations, emotions, partnerships, teammates, skill development and gender issues. As a bonus, each subject offers their favorite bridge tip. Top players, coaches and even sponsors talk frankly about what life in the top echelons of bridge is all about -- and give the reader a revealing glimpse of what it is really like "behind the screens".
Samantha Punch (UK) is a professor of sociology at the University of Stirling. A Scottish international bridge player, she is the driving force behind the 'Keep Bridge Alive' campaign, now renamed Bridge: A MindSport for All.
Bridge Behind Bars
“There was a loud metallic thud as the outside door closed behind Timothy Newman. So this is my new home then, he thought. Prison. Clink. The slammer. Prison is no place for an ordinary, law-abiding, middle-class guy like me, he reflected. Not even Great Yarborough Prison.” But it turns out that prison life in Great Yarborough has a silver lining for Tim — bridge. An expert player, he finds that his ability earns him unlooked-for respect amongst his fellow-prisoners, many of whom pass their ‘time’ at the card table. This is a bridge novel filled with unusual characters and great deals -- and a bridge game that gives new meaning to the term 'cut-throat'!
Wales) is best known as a bridge problem constructor, and his many awards include IBPA Book of the Year. His most recent book for MPP was <em>Defend or Declare?</em>
Bridge Bidding Tips
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN FROM THIS BOOK: Which conventions are more useful than others When to use point count and when to use loser count The opening bid rule of 22 When to overcall and when to pass How to be bold when balancing Rules for jump bids in your suit Types of doubles and when to stand for partners’ double Converting from Standard American to 2/1 system Slam bidding; when to ask for controls and when to cue bid Defenses against NT openings; when to bid and when to pass.
FRED PARKER was born in Hungary. He survived the Nazis, escaped from the communists and made a career in the United States as an executive in Hi-Tech electronics manufacturing. His lifelong interest in bridge led him to his second career as a bridge writer and player.
Bridge Cardplay: An Easy Guide - 1. Finessing
Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this first book, on Finessing, are: Leading towards high cards Repeating a finesse Leading the right card for a finesse Double finesses Other types of finesse Deals with multiple finesses
Marc Smith (Southampton, UK) is the author, with Barbara Seagram, of the world's best-selling bridge book in the past sixty years, 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. He has written many other bridge books and played successfully in several international championships. He is a popular online bridge teacher, conducting many classes at all levels of play.
Bridge Cardplay: An Easy Guide - 10. Playing Safely
Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this tenth book, on Playing Safely, are: Playing a single suit correctly Single-suit safety plays Surviving bad breaks Avoiding ruffs and promotions Seeking extra chances Safety plays at matchpoints
Marc Smith (Southampton, UK) is the author, with Barbara Seagram, of the world's best-selling bridge book in the past sixty years, 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. He has written many other bridge books and played successfully in several international championships. He is a popular online bridge teacher, conducting many classes at all levels of play.
Bridge Cardplay: An Easy Guide - 2. Ruffing Losers
Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this second book, on Ruffing Losers, are: Ruffing in the short-trump hand Should I draw trumps before the ruff? Preparing for the ruff Should I ruff high or low? When is it wrong to ruff? Planning the necessary ruffs
Marc Smith (Southampton, UK) is the author, with Barbara Seagram, of the world's best-selling bridge book in the past sixty years, 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. He has written many other bridge books and played successfully in several international championships. He is a popular online bridge teacher, conducting many classes at all levels of play.
Bridge Cardplay: An Easy Guide - 3. Discarding Losers
Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this third book, on Discarding Losers, are: Discarding to reduce the loser total Should I draw trumps immediately? Establishing discards Loser on loser play Combining different chances Planning the necessary discards
Marc Smith (Southampton, UK) is the author, with Barbara Seagram, of the world's best-selling bridge book in the past sixty years, 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. He has written many other bridge books and played successfully in several international championships. He is a popular online bridge teacher, conducting many classes at all levels of play.
Bridge Cardplay: An Easy Guide - 4. Drawing Trumps
Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this third book, on Drawing Trumps, are: Drawing trumps immediately When you need to take ruffs When you need to take discards Establishing a suit before drawing trumps Techniques when drawing trumps Using entries in the trump suit
Marc Smith (Southampton, UK) is the author, with Barbara Seagram, of the world's best-selling bridge book in the past sixty years, 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. He has written many other bridge books and played successfully in several international championships. He is a popular online bridge teacher, conducting many classes at all levels of play.
