I~ BOOKS ~I
One of the more intriguing presentations of bidding theory in many years is Larry Cohen' s
first book: "To Bid or Not to Bid; The LA W of Total Tricks" (available from
...).
This is not a new idea. Some 25 years ago, The Bridge World published an article by
Jean-Rene Vemes, setting forth the theory that if each side played in its longest trump
fit, the total number of tricks available to both sides would be equal to the total number
of trumps held by the two pairs. Most experts gave short shrift to Vemes' idea.
Cohen has revived this concept with great clarity of expression, and the numerous examples
he cites from actual play leave liltle doubt that the Law of Total Tricks does work and
should govern your decisions in a competitive auction. The basic premise is that "the
Total Number of Tricks available on any deal is equal to the Total Number of Trumps."
Neither high cards held by each side, nor distribution, affect the total, because if one
side can take 10 tricks in an eight -card fit, the other will be able to collect only six
tricks in their eight-card fit!
Is the Law etched in stone? Hardly. The author mentions a number of factors, from
secondary honors in the opposing suit (which are more valuable on defense than offense) to
double fits and freak hands that can skew the total trick count by as many as four tricks!
Nevertheless, in the everyday wars in the trenches for a partscore, experience has shown
that the Law of Total Tricks is a reliable guideline. Those battles are usually waged
between two sides of roughly equal strength, and that is when the Law is most accurate.
With two eight-card fits dueling with each other, the three-level belongs to the enemy!
Eight tricks are the probable limit for both sides, so if you are destined to take nine in
your trump suit, the opponents are going down two in theirs! Many players make matchpoint
doubles without knowing why; the Law is the answer.
Cohen presents lots of sage ideas. Two that are easy to understand and have widespread
application are: "Bid up to the level equal to the combined number of trumps held by
your side;" and "Try not to let the opponents play at a level equal to their
number of trumps." Sound advice, based solidly on mathematics, and tables appear
throughout the book illustrating the favorable gain vs. loss expectation for the various
competitive actions he proposes. The benefits of bidding up to the three-level with nine
trumps, or the four-level with ten trumps, even when outgunned in high cards, and of
refusing to sellout to an opposing eight-card fit at the two-level are among the easiest
to demonstrate.
This review does not do justice to the full scope of Larry Cohen' s work, for many of his
other suggestions are breathtaking, but not without merit. The major championships he has
won using a bidding system built on the principle of the Law of Total Tricks, is further
evidence that this is not some harebrained theory that can be dismissed lightly. A worthy
addition to any serious bridge player's library , but do not expect to master the Law in
one sitting. Cohen offers much food for thought and it needs to be digested slowly.
~...
Thomas M. Smith
November 1992