I'd open this hand 1 Spade because I have 12 or 13 points and 5 spades

Bridge/Cards: I must be getting old... I've started playing bridge.

Bridge is a fabulous trick-taking card game with a steep learning curve. I especially love the bidding portion of the game where you're describing your hand to your partner using cues (e.g. opening 2 Clubs means "I have a stellar hand, partner; please don't pass!"). I'm a regular at the Madison Bridge Meetup; join us on Thursdays from 5:30-7:30 pm!  I've also started playing online.

The book The Card Turner by Louis Sacher is a sweet novel and you can learn how to play bridge while reading it!

I like other card games, too, and some board games.

I read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge (Madison library) and am starting to read the newer Learn to Play Bridge Like a Boss (Madison library), both by by H. Anthony Medley. The first was an excellent book and I follow it closely. These conventions follow modern Standard American bidding, plus most elements from Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC).

Bridge Bidding Conventions

If you don't know how to evaluate your hand for High Card Points (HCP, e.g., 4 points for Ace, 3 for King, 2 for Queen, 1 for Jack) and length/shortness points, read this article first (it gives 5 points for void instead of the more common 3 points). 

Here are my bidding conventions (with links to more info), but first, the key. The "less common conventions" don't come up very often.

Key:

COMMON CONVENTIONS:

LESS COMMON CONVENTIONS:

Intermediate-level 2C responses

Intermediate-level Blackwood

I was learning the 0314 version of Blackwood. This bid (4NT) asks how many "key" cards -- aces and the King of trump -- you have. If you have 0 or 3, respond 5C. If you have 1 or 4, respond 5D. If you have 2 but don't have the Queen of trump, respond 5H. If you have 2 and you have the Queen of trump, respond 5S. 

The next round is trickier. 

As I said, I was learning this. I'll be switching to 1430, so need to rewrite the above.

NOTES:

If you bid/play differently, please let me know... I'm somewhat flexible. I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism.