Larry’s Law

MARCEL WINKEL

---

Marcel Winkel is a Dutch bridge player, teacher, and author. He won the silver medal at the 2008 European Champions’ Cup in Amsterdam and has written five bridge books. He is also a recurring contributor to digital bridge magazines and online community platforms. He is the co-owner of IMP Bridge Magazine and International IMP.

Everyone knows the Law of Total Tricks by now. First described in 1966 by the Frenchman Jean René Vernes in his book Bridge Moderne de la Défense, and later summarized in a 1969 Bridge World article, which brought the concept to English-speaking players.

But it was American bridge expert Larry Cohen who truly launched “the Law” into mainstream competitive bidding through his books To Bid or Not to Bid (1992) and Following the Law (1994). This law is a delightful tool when the auction gets competitive. These books are still available, for instance via bridgewinners.

Larry Cohen isn’t just a world-class bridge player — he’s the rare combination of genius, teacher, and guy who will gently roast your bidding choices while smiling warmly. He’s one of the most influential figures in modern bridge, and he’s done it with a mix of brilliance, clarity, and a sense of humor that makes even a doubled down-one vulnerable not feel as an absolute bottom. Learned bridge at age 6 (because why waste time on toys when you can learn Stayman?) Larry became a Life Master at 17: While most teenagers were learning to drive, Larry was learning to win at bridge. And he learned that particularly well, he won 25 North American Championships (yes, twenty-five), a Word Championship and is a Two-time Cavendish winner (the toughest pairs event on earth).

Besides his fondness for applying the Law, when the opponents stay quiet during the bidding, Larry has another favorite bid he loves to pull out of his sleeve. This is the case whenever a slam-sparkle appears on the horizon — you know, that moment when bridge players suddenly sit up straighter and start pretending they always planned to bid this high.

Take Larry’s hand from the five-board BAM on IntoBridge.com, where he played as the celebrity of the day: ︎ K J 7 ︎ A Q J 7 ︎ K Q 5 3 ︎ A 4.

Partner opens first seat with a 15–17 NT, and Larry is staring at a cool 20 points. The odds that partner stretched a “pretty 14” into a 1NT opener are far better than that he’s sitting on a full 17. Venturing into a grand slam while possibly missing an ace is hardly a recipe for happiness or a win during BAM.

A practical bidder shrugs and simply places 6NT on the table.

But not Larry. You can almost hear the gears turning: “To bid the grand or not to bid the grand?” He postpones committing to the final contract just a little longer by using Stayman:

Want to know what Larry bid and how this story ends? Then take a look at board 1 in the video below.