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Repeating a suit strongly suggests six cards. Indeed if you (i) do not play reverses as showing extra values and (ii) always open or rebid notrumps with a 5332 shape (yes – even with a five-card major – the modern style and much recommended by your columnist), then repeating a suit GUARANTEES six cards.

What’s the most difficult skill to master in the play of the cards? To a beginner, it may be a finesse. More experienced players might answer that it’s executing endplays or coups or squeezes.

In this one article, I wish to provide ‘universal’ information on learning how to get better at bridge. Sure, you can take many lessons and read many books. A good memory is useful, but it is not the key ingredient to improving your bridge game.

It is a known fact that some are able to multi-task and some just cannot. We are not going to suggest which gender can and which cannot but we all know. BUT at the bridge table, no-one should multi-task!

Sacrificing means bidding over the opponents, expecting to fail. You hope that either you will be cheaper than the opposing making (game) contract; or your opponents bid one more and go down.

Bridge and its players lost one of their most ardent fans — and I lost the woman who taught me this great game — when Cathy Smith, 64, of Wood River IL died in February, 1997. 

Cathy was an ACBL member for over 30 years, but had few opportunities to play competitively.

Many people have asked for my reaction to the 2004 Mike Lawrence & Anders Wirgren book called I Fought the LAW. This book was written many years after I wrote To Bid or Not to Bid (the 1992 bestseller on the LAW of Total Tricks).

If I ask a student how he plans to make a hand, the first answer I always get is “I’m going to crossruff.” There is something joyous about a crossruff that excites the average bridge player! Contrary to popular opinion, however, the true crossruff occurs relatively seldom.

Many , many inferences at the bridge table are predicated on inaction. The negative inference. “If West had ‘A’, he would have done ‘B’. He did not do ‘B’, therefore he does not have ‘A'”.

By Karen Walker Courtesy of Karen’s Bridge Library: kwbridge.com When you’re declarer Don’t play to the first trick too quickly. Force yourself to stop and think when dummy comes down. Concentrate on the opening lead …