Bridge Tips

If you are feeling down or have something on your mind have a game of bridge the concentration needed will give your mind a complete break from your troubles for a couple of hours and you really will feel the benefit.

If you make a pre-emptive bid, remember you have told your partner everything they need to know about your hand, and unless they make a forcing bid, you do not need to tell them twice!

Opener’s REBID describes his hand  ie. Whether he is Balanced/Unbalanced,  Weak ( 12-15 ) or Strong  ( 16- 19 )

Bridge can be a fickle game, sometimes you can do well against good opponents and badly against weaker players, through no fault of your own. It works both ways. The important thing is to use your mental energy on the deal, not on the pesky opps. Worrying about the opposition can affect your focus and be damaging to your scores. Don’t let it!

If you are not vulnerable, it pays to bid to the three-level over the opposition’s two-level bid with only an eight-card fit. Going one off will be a good score. You will almost always score well.

“Play the cards and not the people” meaning that, if your opponents are known to be strong players, it doesn’t necessarily mean to say that you’re going to get poor results against them on that round …but you might if you psyche yourself into it, like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just play your usual game, concentrate on the cards and forget who they are.

As soon as dummy goes down PLAN YOUR PLAY (i.e. before you play to the first trick).   If you don’t you may pick the wrong card and the contract will be down. 

When you’re defending, look at dummy to help tell you what to do.

When the opposition have bid 1NT, which is passed out, keep a count of the high cards declarer plays. This will allow you to deduce what cards your partner holds.

and I have 13+ points

I should immediately think, ‘GAME on’!