Blum on Bridge Bergen's Points Schmoints
	I'm embarrassed. It's been over two years since Marty Bergen authored the bridge book of the year for 1996 and I've just gotten around to review it. "Points Schmoint" is just about the easiest to read approach to the game I've ever read. Chock-full of information for every player regardless of skill level, it reveals secrets that are simple and easy to understand. Even the print is large, enabling the reader to easily scan the book's 200 pages. Early on, Bergen stresses the fact that distribution of the cards is far more important than the amount of points held in your hand. For an opening bid, for example, he applies the "Rule of 20." It's simple and easy to comprehend for even the novice. The rule applies when in first or second seat. Count your high card points and add to that the number of cards you hold in your two longest suits. If that number totals 20 or more you have the prerequisites for an opening bid. That's it. No more, no less. Everybody wants examples. OK, here are a couple of Bergen's. You hold AQJ865-void-972-K754, 10hcps. Add 6 plus 4, the length of each of your two longest suits arriving at a total of 20. Open the bidding 1 spade. Holding KJ5-A875-Q75-Q64, 12hcps, add 4 plus 3 the length of your two longest suits. The total is only 19. Pass. One more hand that most of Bergen's students passed but he points out should be opened is KQ54-A873-6-K1064. There are 12hcps. Add 4 plus 4, the length of the two longest suits for a total of 20. Follow the "Rule of 20" and life becomes much easier when you have to make a decision to open the hand. Later in the chapter he deftly explains the "Rule of 15," a barometer to help determine whether or not to open borderline hands in fourth seat. Again he makes it simple by the short statement, "Fourth hand should open if his hcps. Plus the number of his spades totals 15 or more." Holding AJ74-K7-K942-1063 add your 11 hcps to your four spades and you will arrive at the total of 15, enough to open the bidding 1 diamond. Bergen also explains why spades in particular is the suit to be factored into the equation. Bergen devotes an informative, concise chapter on no-trump openings and Stayman responses. He puts special emphasis on the fact that if you have the hcps for an opening no-trump that the hand be opened no-trump regardless of whether or not you hold a five-card major suit as long as the hand is relatively balanced. His reasoning becomes obvious as he indicates how comfortable it becomes to rebid after partner's first response. Many of you know that Bergen is the co-author with Larry Cohen of the classic, "The Law of Total Tricks." Even if you are among those who have not read that book you will find Bergen writes a short synopsis of "the law" and how it works in "Points Schmoints." He writes that in competitive bidding situations, trumps are everything. If you open 1 spade and a partner raises you, know that between the two hands you hold at least eight spades, five in your hand and three in your partner's. If your sides total trump are equal to the number of tricks needed to be taken, you may bid to that level. In this case your eight trump equal eight tricks. Thus, you bid to the two level, but must pass if the opponent's compete to the three level. He states that many of you have applied the "law" without even knowing it such as when you as a responder hold K9865-7-96543-84 and after your partner opens 1 spade, you raise the auction to 4 spades. Between the two of you are 10 spades which equal 10 tricks or exactly the amount you should bid with the hand described. In only four pages, Bergen's summary of the "law" is sufficient to give anyone a clear understanding of it. Fairly early in Marty's book he teaches the reader methods to handle misfits such as when one partner holds a long suit and the other has another suit equally as long. His statement "When you sense a misfit, stop bidding ASAP" is followed by several guidelines, such as trying to avoid no-trump contracts when you have a singleton or void and stating that good no-trump contracts require more than stoppers, that they must also contain a source of tricks. (Stoppers may prevent sudden death, but they will not ensure long life.) Interspersed throughout are pithy sayings by numerous authors such as "It is a miracle to me that, in all the literature of bridge, there is not a single chapter on 'how to pass,'" by Eli Culbertson. Another, by Alfred Sheinwold, is "One advantage of bad bidding is that you get practice at playing atrocious contracts." Bergen also relates true stories from the bridge world to emphasize important learning situations. Other chapters short but straight to the point include "sock it to 'em preempts" including an educational, humorous story, another on The Rule of 11 and one describing how to properly play no-trump hands. In this chapter he cautions declarers who prematurely grab their tricks. Marty's dry humor extends to the title of one chapter called "The Defense Never Rests." To place an order call (800) 386-7432 and either Marty or his lovely wife, Cheryl, will mail you a personally autographed copy of "Points Schmoints." The price is $19.95 and they pay the postage. It's my full conviction you will thoroughly enjoy it. Again it's become one of my all-time favorites. Hey, Marty even includes a colorful red-and-black pen with his work that really writes.