All titles available from Master Point Press

If Miss Marple’s village had boasted a bridge club, it might have been very like the one in Pemberton, the North Ontario setting for this Canadian mystery novel. The story unfolds at the slow pace of life in a small rural town, and whether there even was a murder is part of the mystery. The game of bridge is closely interwoven with the lives of the people in Pemberton -- we meet the characters partly through bridge columns from the local paper, and in many cases, get to see how their personae at the bridge table differ from those in their everyday lives. The ‘deadly endplay’ of the title relates to a deal that comes up in a club game, and also refers to how the murder -- if it was a murder -- was committed.

Art Fraser, the bridge-playing detective who made his debut in Takeout Double, has left Buffalo and moved his new family to Florida, where he is setting up as a private investigator. However, he's soon called back North to Boston, where a robbery at the ACBL Fall Nationals has left one man dead and a whole lot of money missing. The local homicide cops aren't overjoyed to have Fraser involved, but they're also struggling to understand the ins and outs of the bridge tournament world. The two camps work out an uneasy arrangement as the mystery deepens... Reviews of Double Elimination, the previous Art Fraser book: "You can if you so wish read the book in a day. Indeed, if you enjoy it as much as I did, I suspect that is exactly what you will do." - Julian Pottage "A thoroughly enjoyable mystery." - The National Post "A delightful whodunit — a page-turner from beginning to end." - The Bridge World.

A mysterious illness… two dead bridge players… what’s going on at Kensington College? On the surface, Kensington is a typical small U.S. college (although its President certainly considers it superior to most). But when two players collapse and die during a duplicate bridge game at the Faculty Club, it soon becomes clear that there is more going on at Kensington than meets the eye. It falls to Detective Christina DiLongo, from the local P.D., to solve a case that is a far cry from the usual petty crime in the area – a mystery that inevitably leads her to a close scrutiny of the bridge club and its members. But would anyone really commit murder over a bridge game?

Short and full of practical examples, each book in the 'Bridge Technique Series' takes the reader through the most important aspects of card-play technique at bridge. Where appropriate, play is examined from the point of view both of declarer and defenders. Full of quizzes and chapter reviews, these award-winning books will also reinforce the bridge concepts you learn. At this price, what bridge player could stand not to have all twelve?

• Intermediate

Test your deceptive play! This book is designed to accompany Deceptive Card Play, Book 5 in the Bridge Technique series. Why should you want to polish your technique in the area of deception? There are two very good reasons: first, give your opponents a chance to wrong and they will often take it! The second reason is that opportunities to use deception, either as declarer or defender, will arise on nearly every deal of every bridge session you play. So the rewards to be gained are considerable. The basic principles of deceptive play are straightforward, but applying them is not always so easy. Rest assured that some serious challenges await you in these pages!

This Interactive CD-ROM Edition is based on the bestselling book, Declarer Play at Bridge, that was named 2013 Book of the Year by the American Bridge Teachers' Association. Using a series of problem hands, two of the world's best bridge teachers explain how to go about making a plan as declarer, using a simple step-by-step process. This educational and interactive software product presents the material in a mode that allows you to proceed through the material at your own pace. The animated diagrams make following the play a snap — and you can repeat an example as many times as you like! System requirements: PC or Mac running in Windows mode (Mac computers must have a Windows partition available).

• Novice

Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand, by the same author team, was named the 2010 Book of the Year by the American Bridge Teachers’ Association.  Building on the success of that title, this book gives near-beginners a chance to practice the principles on which sound declarer play is based: count your winners, count your losers, make a plan. This is not just a series of problem hands, however.  Each section contains a brief introduction of its topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable. CD-Rom now available.

• Beginner
• Novice
• Award Winner

In 2003, Julian Pottage’s ‘Play or Defend?’ was the IBPA Book of the Year. An unusual problem format, it gave the reader all four hands and challenged them to analyze the deal and decide whether they wanted to play or defend. This sequel comprises 72 problems, presented in the same unique fashion, and will appeal to the same readership.

• Intermediate
• Advanced

Julian Pottage worked on a number of books with the late Terence Reese, and this one pays homage to a man who was arguably the best bridge writer of his time. One of Reese's classics, Play these hands with me, pioneered the 'over-the-shoulder' style of bridge writing. What that book did for declarer play, the present one does for defense: readers can follow the thinking of an expert player, stopping at critical points in the deal to make their own decisions about how to continue.

• Intermediate
• Advanced

Just the facts, ma’am. The basics of defense at bridge in eight short, clearly explained lessons, with lots of practical examples. Topics include opening leads, signaling, second- and third-hand play, and discards. Download PBN files for Practice Hands from Defending at Bridge: A First Course for free!

• Beginner
• Award Winner

Test your defensive play! This book is designed to accompany Planning in Defense, Book 11 in the Bridge Technique series. Why should you want to polish your defensive technique? There are two very good reasons. The first is that it is the hardest aspect of the game. Even expert defenders have to work on every deal. The more practice you have, the better you will get. The second reason is that in every bridge session you play, you will be a defender roughly twice as often as you will be declarer. So the rewards to be gained are considerable. The basic principles of defensive play are straightforward, but applying them is not always so easy. Rest assured that some serious challenges await you in these pages!

Test your defensive play! This book is designed to accompany Planning in Defense, Book 11 in the Bridge Technique series. Defending a bridge contract is not an easy business. No part of the game requires more attention, hard work, and clear thinking. Is it worth the effort? Certainly, if you like to win as often as possible and want to acquire a reputation as a tough player to face. Remember, if bridge were an easy game to play, it would not have such a huge world-wide following. The basic principles of defending suit contracts are straightforward, but applying them is not always so easy. Rest assured that some serious challenges await you in these pages!

A unique way to study defense In their previous book together, On the Other Hand, David Bird and Larry Cohen presented cardplay instruction in a novel way. 100 pairs of deals were shown - one described by David and the other by Larry. The deals looked similar (in some cases very similar) but an entirely different line of play was necessary to make each of the contracts. The book was well received and won the American Bridge Teachers' Association 'Book of the Year' award. This follow-up volume uses exactly the same approach, but addresses defense rather than declarer play. Only by clearly understanding the defensive techniques involved will you be able to defeat such contracts when you encounter them at the table. Reviews A solid follow-up to 'On the Other Hand'. As usual with these veteran writers, the material and presentation are top-notch. - The Bridge World

• Intermediate
• Award Winner

Defensive Carding & Opening Leads The Winning Bridge Conventions Series An Honors eBook Bridge students quickly discover that basic bidding will only get them so far. To improve it is necessary to master a certain number of bidding conventions, and be prepared both to play them and to play against them. Each of the books in this series covers a number of useful conventions, explaining them carefully along with numerous examples and quizzes to help the reader understand what is being learned. Included in this ebook: Opening Leads Attitude Count Suit Preference Rule of Eleven Present Count 3rd Hand Play 2nd Hand Play Logic/Communication/Intuition Review Hands More titles in the Winning Bridge Conventions Series Competitive Doubles Conventions after a Notrump Opening Conventions after a Major Suit Opening Competitive Bidding Conventions Useful with Strong Hands Conventions Useful with 2/1 Slam Bidding Conventions

• Beginner
• Novice

Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand, by the same author team, was named the 2010 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 defensive play is based, from the opening lead on. This is not just a series of problem hands, however. Each section contains a brief introduction of its topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable. CD-Rom now available.

• Beginner
• Intermediate

This Interactive CD-ROM is based on a best-selling book. Its companion volume, Declarer Play at Bridge: a Quizbook was named 2013 Book of the Year by the American Bridge Teachers' Association. Two of the world's best bridge teachers give you the chance to learn and practice defensive play, giving you advice and feedback every step of the way. Animated diagrams make following the play a snap – and you can repeat an example as many times as you like! System requirements: PC or Mac running in Windows mode (Mac computers must have a Windows partition available).

• Beginner
• Intermediate

Short and full of practical examples, each book in the 'Bridge Technique Series' takes the reader through the most important aspects of card-play technique at bridge. Where appropriate, play is examined from the point of view both of declarer and defenders. Full of quizzes and chapter reviews, these award-winning books will also reinforce the bridge concepts you learn. At this price, what bridge player could stand not to have all twelve?

The author begins this thorough discussion of a neglected but vital topic by examining the real purpose of defensive signalling, and the basic kinds of signals that are available. He goes on to recommend a comprehensive set of signalling agreements, and analyzes more complex situations in the light of these agreements. Most of the chapters are followed by a quiz, and the answer to each signalling problem includes a full 52-card diagram to demonstrate the effectiveness of the recommended signal. The book finishes with a chapter that looks at the signalling methods of eight world-class pairs, with examples of their methods in action. A book any player who is looking to improve will want to read.

• Intermediate
• Advanced

Regarded as one of the best ever written on the topic of signaling, this book will help you defend better regardless of your experience or skill level. It explains several ways to describe your holding which are commonly used by experts but not generally known. It compares new methods with old, including the pros and cons of upside-down versus standard signaling. It explains how to draw inferences, not only from partner's signals, but also from what he fails to do. Even if you are an expert and think there is nothing about defensive signals you don't already know, you will probably see a few situations you haven't thought about and discover how other experts handle them. Originally published in 1995, this book has been unavailable for more than 20 years.

• Intermediate

Second edition, revised and updated. Twenty years ago, Kantar set about distilling his bridge wisdom into a trilogy of books for the intermediate player, one each on Bidding, Play and Defense.  Each consisted of several hundred short Tips, and the author believes that any reader who absorbs even a fraction of them will improve his or her game by at least 25%. The Tips in this book have been completely revised and updated by the author in the light of modern bidding, and a number of new tips have been added.

• Intermediate

O’Connor established himself as a leading author for beginning players with his first book, A First Book of Bridge Problems, which won the American Bridge Teachers’ Association Book of the Year award in 2012. Now he addresses the hardest aspect of cardplay: defense. After carefully explaining the basic concepts, he takes the reader through forty problems, using an ‘over the shoulder’ style, and explaining every play as it is made. Beginners typically have more trouble with defense than any other part of the game, and this book will go a long way towards removing their unease.

• Beginner
• Novice

Just about every bridge player over forty has read Victor Mollo’s Bridge in the Menagerie, a book that is on any list of the all-time top ten on the game. Towards the end of his life, Mollo continued to write stories about the same well-loved characters (the Hideous Hog, the Rueful Rabbit, Oscar the Owl, and the rest), but they appeared in various magazines around the world, and if you weren’t a subscriber, you didn’t get to read them. This is the second MPP collection of these lost Menagerie gems, collected for the first time in book form (following The Hog Takes to Precision in 2011).  Victor Mollo is everyone’s favorite bridge humorist, and a genuinely new book from him will be greeted as something to be treasured.    Illustrations by bridge cartoonist Bill Buttle add to the fun.

Many books have been written on falsecards and other deceptive plays at the bridge table. However, there is very little help available for the player who wants to learn how to recognize when the opponents are trying something sneaky, and what can be done in terms of counter-measures. This book fills that gap – readers will learn the most common situations where deceptive play by the opposition may occur, and the most effective ways to nullify the threat.

• Intermediate
• Advanced

Double Dummy Bridge Problems from 2005 to 2022 with Full Solutions This is the first of two volumes forming a sequel to the author’s A Compendium of Double Dummy Problems (Master Point Press, 2021), containing 134 double dummy problems, ranging from ‘very easy’ to ‘moderate’ in difficulty. The collection is derived from the monthly series of problems that have been presented at the author’s website for competitive solving. It features as many as 24 different composers, several of whom made their first appearance at this website. The format follows that of the Compendium, with solutions being given in full. Difficulty ratings are based on suggestions from successful solvers, ranging from 1 to 4. Volume II will cover the more difficult problems rated 5 to 8 (fiendish).

• Intermediate