The ‘bridge column’ is a classic staple of newspapers across the world. But who still plays bridge these days? The only people who still care about that old card game are as old as the game itself, plus that game is just about dumb luck. 

So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to give advice on a game that people actually play and requires real strategy: Guess Who? While it might seem overwhelming to master such a complex and intricate game, there are things to keep in mind that can give you an edge.

CHARLES IN CHARGE

A great opening move in any game is to assume that the other person is Charles. This can give your game a more focused direction than trying to narrow it down at random. Try starting out with “Are you a man?” followed by “Do you have blonde hair” and see where that gets you. If either of these is a “No,” switch your focus as you see fit.

WEEKLY QUESTION 

You have flipped up: Tom, Alfred, Peter, Robert. Your opponent has eight tiles still up. You are Herman.  

What do you ask?

ANSWER: Since you’ve already gotten your search down to blue-eyed men who don’t have blonde hair, the best move you can make is to cut your options in half. Try a double-information style question like “Do you have glasses or a mustache?” While you may be tempted to isolate one attribute in hopes of getting lucky and picking the right one, with your opponent still at eight tiles, it’s smarter to go with a safer question that guarantees you will narrow it down to at least two characters. That way, no matter the answer, you’ll only be one guess away from figuring out who the other player is. 

If on your opponent’s next move he somehow asks something like “Are you bald?” and knocks over all his tiles except one, a good move is to pick up your board, put it in the box and say you don’t want to play anymore, can we watch cartoons instead? That way you’ll finish with a draw and get to watch cartoons. It’s a win-win (well, a tie-win).