If you’re a recent newcomer to the game of bridge, then there are certain mistakes you might be more likely to make. While players with considerable experience have learned their way around these snags, beginners might still stumble over them from time to time.

When I first started playing Just Declare, my scores came up negative. Negative! I had to pause and read several bridge books just to figure out why.  It was a beginner’s mistake, and something that I’ve grown from – but with experience and playing more games.

Beginner’s mistakes can happen to anyone. But if you’re learning bridge right now, you can eliminate some of these common “mistakes” pretty easily.

Here are 4 novice mistakes (that could lose your bridge game).

1. Playing by maxims alone

Bridge maxims are fun to learn, and easy to repeat. They also seem like a great idea for new players to memorize and apply.

Are maxims always practical when you’re playing bridge? Well, experience says no.
Hands are random, and maxims establish “rules” that can limit your play in situations with a real player. Opponents will know the same bridge maxims, but their experience has a thousand-and-one ways to counter them.

Playing by maxims?

It’s more important to consider your cards.

2. Bidding, but badly…

Bidding is the bit of contract bridge that takes longer to learn. This isn’t true for every player, but it was true when I learned – and might be true for other players reading this sentence.

If you’re new to bidding, practice. Bidding trainers, bridge puzzles, and resources specifically about bidding are recommended. Bots like GIB are great for bridge practice, too.

If your bids make little to no sense, it’s a sign that you might be very new to the bridge table.

3. Clickbait cards

Read at least an introduction to bridge before heading to online bridge games with real players. Play against at least a handful of bots before moving forward to actual, live bridge

Complete beginners will sometimes click cards at random. If you don’t know what you’re doing yet, what could be easier than this?

It’s frustrating for anyone who isn’t the random novice. You do not want the “random novice” to apply to your account.

Want to practice and see what clicking random cards will do?

That’s what bridge games against bots are for.

(It’s where clicking at random cards won’t anger real-life players with a game to enjoy.) 

4. Lost in conversation

The online bridge chat window is a feature exclusive to online bridge. It’s a feature that tempts users during the game – and sometimes too much – to get involved in conversations during bridge.

Don’t get stuck on the chat window. Professionals certainly don’t, but newer players very well might.

Conversation is fun, but too much conversation is distracting (and might point you out as an amateur at the online table). Talking is for before, intervals, or after. The game itself? That’s meant to be played.