Larry Neil Cohen (born April 14, 1959) is an American bridge player, writer and teacher. He is best known as an advocate for the "Law of Total Tricks" as a guide in the bidding. He has won a World Bridge Championship, 25 North American Bridge Championships (NABC) events including the Vanderbilt, two Spingolds, two Reisingers, three Life Master Pairs, and four Blue Ribbon Pairs, and he is a two-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs cash prize tournament.
Cohen's most important work on "the Law" was To Bid or Not to Bid: The LAW of Total Tricks, published in 1992. It was the best-selling bridge book of the 1990s with more than 90,000 copies sold in six different languages and its sequel Following the Law was another bridge best seller. He is known for long-term expert partnerships with Marty Bergen, Ron Gerard, and David Berkowitz, but announced his retirement from high-level competition in 2009 to devote more time to writing and teaching the game. However, he has, on occasion, played in high-level competition thereafter.
Cohen was born in New York City. He learned to play bridge at age six with his grandparents and brother Paul Cohen, started playing duplicate at age 14, and began playing in tournaments at age 15. He became an American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Life Master at age 17.
He now makes a living as a bridge teacher, often on cruise ships and as a guest speaker/teacher at country clubs and bridge clubs across the United States and around the world. In March 2020 he and his team successfully transitioned into live webinars. He writes monthly columns titled The Real Deal and Bidding Basics, in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin. An extensive list of bridge articles and information can be found on his website and in his regular newsletters. He currently resides with his wife, Maria Eugenia, in Delray Beach, Florida.
Contents
Bridge accomplishments
Honors
ACBL Hall of Fame, 2020
Sidney H. Lazard Jr. Sportsmanship Award 2003
Awards
ACBL Named in Top 52 Most Influential People of Bridge 2013
ACBL Honorary Member of the Year 2011
ACBL Sportsman of the Year 2003
ITES Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 2003 (Winning Journalist)
ACBL Player of the Year 2002
Romex Award (Best Bid Hand of the Year) 1995, 2000
Precision Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1996
ABTA Winner of seven+ Book/Software of the Year Awards
Wins
World Bridge Championship (1)
d'Orsi Trophy - World Senior Team Championship 2025
North American Bridge Championships (25)
Grand National Teams (3) 1994, 2007, 2008
Blue Ribbon Pairs (4) 1981, 1983, 1988, 1995
Keohane North American Swiss Teams (1) 1999
Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (3) 1984, 1991, 2007
Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 2002
Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1983
Reisinger (2) 1985, 1991
Silodor Open Pairs (3) 2004, 2006, 2009
Spingold (2) 1981, 1984
Vanderbilt (1) 2005
Wernher Open Pairs (1) 1996
von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (3) 1987, 1988, 1996
United States Bridge Championships (2)
Open Team Trials (1) 2000
Senior Team Trials (1) 2025
Other notable wins:
Buffett Cup (1) 2006
Cavendish Invitational Teams (2) 1988, 1994
Pan American Open Teams (1) 1992
Runners-up
World Open Pairs (1) 1998
North American Bridge Championships (22)
North American Pairs (2) 1980, 1984
Grand National Teams (1) 1991
Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1996
Keohane North American Swiss Teams (1) 2006
Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1990, 2008
Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 1994
Nail Life Master Open Pairs (3) 1986, 1991, 2002
Reisinger (3) 2002, 2004, 2007
Silodor Open Pairs (2) 1979, 2002
Spingold (2) 1983, 2009
Vanderbilt (4) 1990, 1993, 1998, 2004
United States Bridge Championships (4)
Open Team Trials (4) 1985, 1998, 2002, 2008
Other notable 2nd places:
Cavendish Invitational Teams (2) 1986, 2000
Goldman Pairs (1) 1991
Selected works
Books
Larry Teaches Modern Bidding Vol. I, II, and III (Self-Published 2020) ABTA Award Winner
On The Other Hand Co-written with David Bird (2019) ABTA Award Winner
On The Other Hand - Defense Co-written with David Bird (2020) ABTA Award Winner
Tricks of the Trade (2018) ABTA Award Winner
Larry Teaches Declarer Play at Suit Contracts (Self-Published March 2017)
Larry Teaches Declarer Play at Notrump (Self-Published April 2016)
Larry Teaches Defense (Self-Published March 2015)
Larry Teaches Opening Leads (Self-Published October 2014) ABTA Award Winner
Larry Teaches Doubles and Redoubles (Self-Published October 2013)
Larry Teaches 2/1 Game Force (Self-Published April 2012)
My Favorite 52 (Toronto: Master Point Press, 2009)
Larry Cohen's Bidding Challenge (Toronto: Master Point Press, 2002) OCLC 48533856
Introduction to the Law (Devyn Press, 1997)
Bridge Below the Belt, Cohen and Liz Davis (Boca Raton, FL: Natco, 1997) OCLC 37682710
Following the LAW: The Total Tricks Sequel (Little Falls, NJ: Natco Press, 1995; (c) 1994) OCLC 34135078