For newcomers, the first time in the "open" game can be intimidating. Going up against more experienced players and unfamiliar methods is a challenge. That said, the surest way to improve one's game is to play with, and against, better players.

There is not an instant formula to bridge success. There are some general rules such as "second hand low," "third hand high," "cover an honor with an honor," and "rule of 20." Just like spelling, however, there are as many exceptions as rules but it is a place to start. If I were to offer just one suggestion for improvement it could be summed up in one word --- counting.

There is no way to be a consistent winner if you don't count successfully. Counting does not just refer to the Work 4-3-2-1 high card formula, it applies to distribution as well. You need to keep track of the cards remaining in each suit, on offense and defense, and the cards remaining in your opponent's hands (and partner's on defense). It takes some practice; try starting with one particular suit or one of your opponent's cards. When you get the hang of it, add the remaining suits, and before you know it, counting will become a habit.

It is important to be familiar with basics of bidding and play, as well as bridge etiquette. These basics include common conventions such as weak 2s, Negative Doubles, Jacoby Transfers etc. that are found on the ACBL "Yellow Card." The Yellow Card is an ACBL agreed upon set of standard conventions. Knowing these conventions is convenient when starting a partnership, and is also vital when facing opponents who play them so you understand how to defend against them. Write-ups on many of these conventions are available at the club, local tournaments, and also online. It is not necessary to play every convention on the yellow card, nor should someone attempt to learn them all at once. Start with 1 of the conventions, and if it sounds helpful, try it out. After a few sessions, you can decide whether to continue playing it, and when it becomes second nature for both partners, you can decide whether to adopt additional conventions.

Basics also apply to standard requirements for various bids during the auction. A 1NT opener has a prescribed range (say 15-17), for instance, but 1 of a suit does not. What constitutes an opening bid? An overcall? A takeout double? You can ask 100 different players and get 100 different answers, but below is a table of what is considered the norm:

Action	Description
Opening 1 bid (suit)	2+ defensive tricks, 12+ HCP
Overcall, 1 level (suit)	5+ suit length, 1.5+ defensive tricks, 8+ HCP
Overcall, 1 level (NT)	Balanced hand, 15-18 HCP, 1.5+ stoppers
Overcall, 2 level (suit)	6+ cards (or good 5 card suit), 2+ defensive tricks, 12+ HCP
Takeout Double	a)2+ defensive tricks, support for other 3 suits (3+ cards), 12+ HCP b) Very strong hand, may or may not have own suit
Opening Preempt	Rule of 2/3: expect to go down no more than 3 tricks Vul (4 Not Vul), if partner has no tricks

It is also important to know standard carding methods. Here are a few examples: spot (low) card leads are (typically) 4th best, leading the top cards of sequences, such as J from JT9, and leading the highest from touching honors, such as K from KQ. These are just a few suggestions, and is by no means a complete list. There are numerous carding conventions, just like bidding conventions, but before venturing into complex carding methods, it is important to have a solid foundation of standard methods.

Bridge is a game of continual advancement; even the best players in the world have room to improve. The good news is: there is an abundance of resources available, with many fine bridge web sites in addition to private instruction and bridge books. Check out the Bridge Links section for some of my favorites. Good luck and I hope you come to enjoy the game as much as I do.