The ability to count is the most underrated of the skills that new players should work to acquire. Learning to count can help you avoid countless mistakes. When counting becomes so automatic that you don't even have to think about it, you are on your way as a bridge player.

You are already counting by adding up your HCP to determine whether you should open the bidding. You are counting HCP to decide if your hand is strong enough to bid at the two level over your partner's opening one-bid. You have already started learning to count in your handling of trumps.

When you and your partner have an eight-card trump fit, you have learned to observe the opponents when you are pulling their trumps as you play the contract. You know that if you have four trumps in your hand and four trumps in dummy, and both opponents follow to the first two rounds of the suit, there is only one trump outstanding.

You also know that the trump suit in this case is divided 3-2. If one opponent shows out on the second round of trumps, you know that the suit is divided 4-1.

Counting High-Card Points

Whenever you are a defender and dummy comes down, add your HCP to the HCP in dummy. In each case, the bidding has done 1NT by South, 3NT by North. Your partner has made the opening lead and the dummy has hit the table. Your partner's lead is the ♠ 10.

What do you know about this deal? South opened 1NT, showing 15–17 HCP. The dummy has an ace, king, queen, and a jack. That's 10 HCP. That's at least 25 HCP between the two hands, maybe 27. You have 7 HCP, leaving your partner with how many? Well, 25 plus 7 equals 32, which means your partner could have as many as 8 HCP. She might have only 6 HCP, though. You can't be certain right away.

You may ask how this could be useful to you? Your partner has led the ♠ 10, probably the highest card he has in the suit. That means the declarer has the ♠ KQJ. The declarer wins with the jack and cashes the ♣ AKQ, dropping your partner's jack, and continues with a club to the 10 (you throw a heart) in dummy. The declarer then plays a low heart from dummy. You play low and the declarer wins the queen. A heart comes back to dummy's jack and you win the ace.

Let's take stock here. What have you seen so far? The declarer showed up with the ♠ KQJ, the ♣ AKQ, and the ♥ Q. That's 17 HCP right there. She doesn't have another face card in her hand. What does that mean for you? Look at the diamonds. You have counted the declarer's points and know that she cannot have even the jack in that suit, so your partner is marked with the ace and the jack.

You play a low diamond over to your partner's known ace, and he returns the jack, trapping dummy's queen. The contract is down. If you had not been counting, you might have been afraid to lead away from your king, thinking it would allow the declarer to get a trick with the queen she might not get on her own.