[Hanoi5]

Are there any exercises to improve one's visualization? The idea is to be able to 'look' at the cards without having to see them, can this 'skill' be exercised by reading bridge only, can some other thing be done? How about a non-bridge related exercise?

[Phil]

Have a friend give you an interesting defense or play problem and don't write it down. Just keep the two hands in your mind and simultaneously follow and reconstruct the two hidden hands.

I've suggested this here before, but visualization starts before the bidding ends. If you do not have any more meaningful decisions as a defender fold up your cards and start thinking about the unseen hands before dummy appears.

[phil_20686]

Doing Double Dummy problems really helps. There used to be a library of them on BBO, but not sure how to find them in the web version.

[SteveMoe]

Bridge Master 2000 (see levels 4 and 5) helps hone visualization skills by causing you to interpret the known data and issues as declarer.

Krystof Martens does a good job in his (expensive) books on both declarer playa and defense. So does Eddie Kantar...

To build on points made by previous posters, you have to hone your counting skills in order to have good visualization ability. Bridgewinners.com has a counting game that times your ability to complete hand patterns given 3 of the 4 numbers. Agility there is an asset. Infering how HCP must lie based on what's been bid and what hasnt' also helps.

[Ant590]

Start small by generating examples of hands that are typical for short bidding sequences. Eg a hand that can splinter opposite a major opening, but won't cooperate with a cue bidding sequence. Try to generate a few examples for the same sequence, but that are different in some way. Then build it up to a pair of hands consistent with a sequence, then longer bidding sequences.

For visualising hands during the play, practice with Lawrence's CDs and books.