Tips and tricks
In brief
Take your time at the first trick, count the cards, ruff in the short hand, look for an eight-card fit, and never improvise a convention: most lost deals come down to one of these points.
Think before playing to the first trick from dummy
The first trick is where you have the most choices. Counting your winners or losers before playing the first card from dummy avoids most lost contracts.
To go further: The declarer's plan
Count the cards in a suit
Thirteen cards per suit: by noting how many each opponent has followed with, you know when a small card has become a winner.
To go further: Establishing a suit
Draw trumps... at the right time
Generally, you draw the opponents' trumps early, to avoid ruffs. But if dummy needs to ruff losers, you keep your trumps for those ruffs.
To go further: Ruffing in dummy
Ruff in the short hand
Ruffing with the hand that has more trumps gains no extra trick. Useful ruffs are made in the short hand, usually dummy.
To go further: Ruffing in dummy
Avoid leading low from an ace against a suit contract
Leading a low card from A-x-x against a suit contract can give declarer's king a trick that it would never have won otherwise.
To go further: The opening lead
Look for an eight-card fit first
An eight-card major suit between the two hands is often the best denomination. A partner who opened a five-card major promises five: three cards are enough to support it.
To go further: Responding to the opening bid
Don't improvise a convention
A Stayman or a transfer that your partner doesn't know leads to an absurd contract. Agree on your conventions before the game, and play natural if in doubt.
To go further: Stayman and transfers
Check the vulnerability
A vulnerable undertrick costs twice as much, but a vulnerable game earns 500 instead of 300. It changes the right choice, especially for competitive bidding.
To go further: Vulnerability