Bridge players sometimes play their game by rules that extend beyond the basic Rules of Bridge. There’s the Rule of 7, the Rule of 9 and the Rule of 11.
What about the Rule of 5?
That is, which 5 bridge books would you take to a desert island if you were going to be stuck there for, well, really damn long?
It might be clear from the above that I’ve seen the movie Cast Away again, and this is one of the questions that happened to come up. Let’s assume that you go adrift. Let’s assume that your basic survival needs are covered. Let’s also assume that you’re left with a card deck and your choice of bridge books. Which ones would you choose?
Every bridge player might have a different answer to this question.
Here’s mine. (What’s yours?)
#1: The Official ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge
The Official ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge contains entries for bridge rules, bridge personalities, bridge events, bridge websites and other generalized bridge trivia questions. It’s still one of the most all-encompassing references about the game out there.
It’s perfect for a comprehensive reference, and if I were to be stuck on a desert island with no internet connection, this is the book that I’d be picking up for most of my appropriate questions.
#2: The Laws of Duplicate Bridge
It would be a nightmare to be stuck on a desert island with a lack of reference to the rules; if you were wondering about how to set up the table or what to do with a bridge chat, you’d have to use creativity instead of an actual reference – and, well, that’s closer to the plot of Lord of the Flies.
We don’t turn into hooligans (or make up rules on the fly) because the rules of bridge have already been written by other people.
So, make sure The Laws of Duplicate Bridge travels to the theoretical island with you.
#3: 5 Weeks to Winning Bridge
When stuck on an island, I would safely assume that – if there were any other people – nobody would know a thing about the game of bridge. For this, there’s 5 Weeks to Winning Bridge, one of the single best books I’ve ever owned for learning about the game for the first time.
I happen to have a serious sentimental attachment to this very book; but even away from this fact, it could be great for being passed around the island for any newcomers to bridge.
#4: 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know
Bridge conventions are going to be difficult to explain; after a while stuck on a desert island, I would assume they would eventually become hard to remember, too. For this, I’d probably add 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know to the mix of books accompanying the theoretical island stay.
#5: Bridge for Dummies
I’m sure the “for Dummies” series has been set up in such a way that it can teach anyone almost anything; that’s the whole point. From early programming manuals through to books on music theory, there’s an appropriate For Dummies volume for each of them – and actually, the bridge version (by Kantar) turns out to be really good.