Bridge

Bridge is played by four, in two partnerships sitting opposite each other: North and South against East and West. Each deal is played in two stages. First the auction, where the partnerships compete to commit to a number of tricks, with the trump suit of their choice; the side that bids highest wins the contract. Then the play of the hand: that side must make the contract, while the other side tries to defeat it.

A 52-card deck, a score sheet, four players. At a club, bidding boxes are used; at home, bids are spoken aloud.

Full bridge is best learnt in two stages. Mini-bridge keeps all of the card play and replaces the bidding with a simple count:

1. 1Each player counts their high card points: Ace 4, King 3, Queen 2, Jack 1. There are 40 in the deck.
2. 2Each player announces their total. The partnership with the most becomes the declaring side; the player on that side with the most points is declarer.
3. 3Their partner lays their hand face up (they become dummy, see below). Declarer, having seen it, chooses trumps (or "no trumps") and whether to aim for game.

The thirteen tricks are then played as in bridge. A few deals are enough to grasp the essentials.

In each suit: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10… 2. For bidding, the suits have a rank, from lowest to highest: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then no trumps (NT). Clubs and diamonds are the minor suits, hearts and spades the majors.

The dealer speaks first, then each player in turn clockwise.

1. 1A bid consists of a level (from 1 to 7) and a denomination (a suit or NT). The level says how many tricks you undertake to make above six: "3 hearts" undertakes 6 + 3 = 9 tricks with hearts as trumps.
2. 2Each bid must be higher than the previous one: either a higher level, or the same level in a higher denomination. After "2 hearts", you may say "2 spades", "2 NT" or "3 clubs", but not "2 diamonds".
3. 3You may also pass, double an opponent's bid (it will then score or cost double) or redouble an opponent's double.
4. 4The auction ends after three passes in a row. The last bid is the contract. If all four players pass straight away, the cards are redealt.
5. 5The declarer is the player, on the side that won the contract, who first named the contract's denomination.

1. 1The player to the declarer's left plays the first card, the opening lead.
2. 2The declarer's partner then lays their thirteen cards face up, sorted by suit: this is dummy. They take no further part; the declarer chooses dummy's cards for them.
3. 3The thirteen tricks are played as in whist: you must follow suit; if you cannot, you may ruff with a trump or discard. The trick goes to the highest trump, or failing that to the highest card of the suit led.
4. 4The winner of a trick leads to the next one: if it is dummy, the declarer plays a card from dummy.

If the contract is made, the declaring side scores the tricks bid:

• in clubs or diamonds: 20 points per trick above six;
• in hearts or spades: 30 points per trick;
• in no trumps: 40 for the first trick, 30 for each one after.

If these points reach 100, the contract is a game and earns a bonus of 300 points (500 if the side is "vulnerable"); otherwise it is a part-score, with a bonus of 50. The most common game contracts: 3 NT, 4 hearts, 4 spades, 5 clubs, 5 diamonds. Making 12 tricks bid (small slam) adds 500 points (750 vulnerable); 13 tricks (grand slam) 1000 (1500). Each trick made beyond the contract (overtrick) scores its value.

These game and part-score bonuses are those of duplicate. In rubber bridge, there is no bonus on each contract: trick points add up to 100 to make a game, and the side that wins two games earns a rubber bonus of 700 points (500 if the opponents have won one); slams and penalties stay the same.

If the contract is defeated, the defenders score: 50 points per undertrick (100 if the declarer is vulnerable). Doubling a contract doubles the stakes, and the penalties climb fast; full scoring tables give the details.

In club bridge (duplicate), vulnerability is set in advance for each board, and your result is compared with those of the other tables that played the same cards. At home, you play rubber bridge: a side becomes vulnerable as soon as it has won a game, and the rubber ends when a side has won two games, which earns it a bonus.

• With 12 high card points or more, open the bidding. Between the two partners, you need about 25 for game, 33 for a small slam.
• Prefer contracts in a major (hearts, spades) or in no trumps: game needs fewer tricks there than in a minor.
• Before playing the first card from dummy, the declarer counts their sure tricks and the ones still missing: this is the habit that separates a beginner from a player.
• Mini-bridge, then a club: bridge is best learnt at the table, and almost every club offers beginners' lessons.