If you are still a bridge neophyte making your way up the ranks, congratulations on starting the journey – and welcome to the wonder of online bridge. Advanced and developing players could apply the same advice to teaching bridge to others.

What advice?

Don’t overcomplicate bridge.

Bridge is complex, but not complicated. Thousands of new players have snagged on the idea that bridge is difficult to learn, or that it might take months (and months) to know the very basics.

By a show of hands, how many readers have heard that bridge Is hard?

It can be discouraging to hear this at any point. From a learner’s perspective, it makes bridge look like the notorious “difficult subjects” at school. It can make it look like bridge is overwhelming from the first second. The idea that bridge is hard to learn makes it seem out of reach for players who could have been natural.

Does the idea of overcomplicated bridge seem familiar to you – as a new player, as a parent, or as a teacher?

Here’s a closer look at 3 ways to overcomplicate your bridge game (and how to stop doing it).

1. Beginning with advanced lessons

If you’re new to the game of bridge (or if you haven’t played in a considerable time), lessons can bring you up to speed on tricks, trumps, and how bridge has changed.

Where can things get too complicated?

Beginning with advanced lessons, either online or through a teacher. It’s tempting to run ahead with enthusiasm when learning a fresh skill, but sometimes can mess with your pace.

If things seem overwhelming, go back to the very basics.

2. Taking the conventional route

Bridge has conventions, and there are more than it would take several articles to list. But new and returning bridge players need to remember that it’s not necessary to learn all of the conventions to be a great player.

Conventions take time, just like learning anything else. It should be a section-by-section process, and at no point feel like you’re being beaten with the Tome Of Bridge Conventions.

Choose a single convention and focus on learning it before you move on.

3. Reading ALL the bridge books

At the first sight of a guitar, I decided that it was time to learn absolutely everything I could. Online I went, and found every guitar book that I could scrape together.

While sitting in front of an eventual collection of about fifteen books, I realized that I was getting ahead of myself. Just a little.

Skip ahead years later, and I would do the exact same thing when I learned more about bridge.

Choose a handful of recommended bridge books. Move on to the next ones if some appear complicated in parts.

But don’t try to read all of them at once.

It’s just as tempting as skipping over to the advanced lessons, but might just halt your progress.Have you found ways to make your bridge journey an easier, less rocky road?