My Best Pieces of Bridge Advice

Most of these are from listening closely to the conversations of good players.
A few are from personal observation.

1. When partner makes a takeout double, the last thing they want to hear from you is a jump in clubs.
   
   
2. All strange bids are forcing (in other words, if you are confused by your partner's last bid, do not pass; you are risking more if you are wrong than if you bid and bidding is wrong).
   
   
3. Support with support -- raise your partner at the earliest possible opportunity. Raising helps your partnership's subsequent bidding while forcing the opponents to come in at a more dangerous level.
   
   
4. If you have 5-5 or 6-4 distribution, and your partner gives you a raise, bid game, pretty much no matter what your point-count. These games always have some play.
   
   
5. Don't forget to double. If the bidding proves it is "your hand," you must double the opponents if they outbid you. In this situation, you are doubling on the combined holdings of the partnership -- you do not need to see a sure set in your hand alone.
   
   
6. Another great source of potential good scores is minor-suit slams. A wonderful agreement is that if you take out partner's 3 NT to 4 of a previously bid minor, you are making a slam try in the minor, and if partner then bids 4 NT, this is negative, to play. This way you can suggest a minor-suit slam without worrying the wheels will come off the auction (as it would if 4 NT over 4 of your minor has to be Blackwood).
   
   
7. In a competitive auction, when your right-hand opponent bids and your previous bidding has already completely described your hand, you should pass. Partner still has a bid coming, and now knows exactly what you have, which is a great position: you have turned the opponents' interference to your advantage.
   
   
8. Bell's Law: Never let them play in 2 Hearts.
   
   
9. Don't be impatient. Nobody pointed a gun at your head and forced you to jump three levels to bid Blackwood. Maybe you can learn more about partner's hand and make a more intelligent decision if you go slowly.
   
   

1. Delay taking finesses as long as possible.
   
   
2. When you can, always lead up to your honors from the other hand.
   
   
3. Counting your winners is better than counting your losers.
   
   
4. Get in the habit of unblocking spot cards in trumps or side-suits to keep the position flexible. You never know when later in the hand you may need to be in your hand or dummy -- might as well retain the option of winning that later round of a suit in either hand; it's usually free.
   
   
5. When calling cards from dummy, play the top of adjoining-rank cards (A from AK(Q).., Q from QJ..) Once you get used to this, you will find it easier to remember what cards have been played, and inexperienced defenders may find it more difficult to recall which cards in dummy are high.
   
   

1. Signal with the clearest, most extreme spot card you can afford.
   
   
2. When discarding on a long suit, prioritize the information you want to give partner. Make sure the first discard conveys the most important point; don't discard randomly.
   
   
3. When you need to take time, take time. Don't get sucked in by a fast declarer's tempo.
   
   
4. As the partner of the opening leader, always hesitate before playing to trick one to examine the hand as a whole.
   
   
5. When discarding, always keep parity with dummy's side four-card suit. If you hold four cards in that suit, and your best card is higher than dummy's lowest card of that suit, you must keep all four cards, even if it seems ridiculous to grittily keep anything from 8 5 3 2, you must never discard from this unless dummy pitches one card first. You must keep "parity," or equal length, with dummy -- you have to guard the fourth round since partner can't.
   
   This is in practice the only 100% rule I know of in bridge -- when I have violated it, it has always cost a trick and when I am declarer and defenders have violated it, it has always cost them a trick.
   
   
6. Choose an opening lead that requires the least from partner in terms of high-card strength for it to be a success. Low from KJx is an excellent lead that never occurs to many people.
   
   
7. Leading trump from x x x x against a 4-4 fit has worked well in my experience.
   
   
8. When in doubt, lead the unbid suit. Don't try to be a genius on opening lead.