Inspired by the the classic Hitchcock thriller, ‘THE 39 STEPS’, ‘THE 35 STEPS’ is a GRAPHIC BRIDGE CHEAT SHEET, a VISI-GUIDE to basic bidding of Standard 15-17 Strong No Trump, 5 Card Majors or Acol 12-14 Weak No Trump, 4 Card Majors, Contract Bridge. It is a summarised guide only, and as such does not replace text books or teachers, but is to be used as an adjunct to them. We highly recommend Paul Marston’s INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE and THE LANGUAGE OF BIDDING as your very first two bridge books, available as both Standard and Acol. But every time you sit at your bridge table, go to your fridge, work at your desk, use your computer mouse pad or place mat, there it is – your LAMINATED COPY of ‘THE 35 STEPS’ right in front of you, all supplied together with the new INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
As a POWERFUL VISUAL IMAGE in FULL COLOUR on one SINGLE PAGE, this graphic bridge cheat sheet SUMMARISES THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF CONTRACT BRIDGE AT FIRST SIGHTING for both Duplicate and social bridge, Paul Marston having described it as “VERY SMART” and having displayed it on the wall of Sydney’s Grand Slam Bridge Centre, Paul also posted it on the home page of the Grand Slam Bridge Centre website. Clubs are now using the big Polycarbonate Bridge Club Boards of which Cairns Club President, Ken Miller, says,“A WONDERFUL, INGENIOUS BRIDGE AID FOR BEGINNERS.” There is a lot to ‘THE 35 STEPS’: The graphic bridge cheat sheet displays high card, distributional and total points, opening bids, overcalls, takeout doubles, doubles, redoubles, responder’s most common first bids, forcing bids, change of suit, short hand, game invitation, Transfers, Stayman, Blackwood, Gerber, trick, game, slam, status, bonus and penalty points and colourful playing tips. But most of all it shows the COMBINED PARTNERSHIP TOTAL PLUS OPENER’S REBID POINTS for each of the existing 35 steps in the 7 ascending levels of Contract Bridge, ALLOWING MOST BIDS TO BE CALCULATED, thus making the graphic bridge cheat sheet not only a helpful TEACHING AID, but an AIDE-MEMOIRE for intermediate players, for that occasional ‘blonde’ or ‘senior moment.’
Affordable at just $10 for the small A5 size, there is a type and size of this graphic bridge cheat sheet for everyone. A 20% discount applies to all orders over $120 made by clubs or teachers. But this excludes the large Polycarbonate Club Boards, supplied at cost as an incentive. An assorted club package is also available. ‘The 35 Steps’ comes as A5, A4 and A3 size laminates and A5, A4, and A3 size laminated fridge magnets, computer mouse pads and small or large Polycarbonate Bridge Club Boards such as 1200 mm x 900 mm as used by the Cairns Bridge Club. But any size will be MADE TO MEASURE – BUILT FOR PLEASURE!