Beginning with the Dealer and working its way in a clockwise rotation around the table, each player has a turn to bid in the auction. No player is forced to make a bid; they may, if they choose, PASS. Another alternative to making a bid is to DOUBLE or REDOUBLE, actions which serve to "increase the stakes". If one does choose to bid, one must outbid the last current bid. One way to do so is to bid at a higher level than the last bid. For example, over 2a bid such as 3
would qualify, but one of 1
would not. Alternatively, one may bid a higher ranked demonomination at the same level. "Denomination" refers to a suit or No Trump, with No Trump being the highest denomination and the suits ranked from Clubs (the lowest suit) up to Spades (the highest ranked suit). Thus, if the last bid--whether it was made by partner or an opponent--is 2
The auction ends when all three other players pass on the opportunity to exceed the last bid.
The player on the side that won the auction that mentioned the final denomination first gets to be Declarer. For example, if N-S end in 3NT, the player in that partnership who bid No Trump first will be Declarer. It is Declarer who will play the hand. Hir partner will be "dummy" and, as the designation suggestions, will play no role in the decision-making aspect of the play.
Play begins with the person on Declarer's left removing a card from hir hand, laying it face down on the table and asking: "Any questions, partner?" Once partner gives the go-ahead, that card is turned face up and the play of the hand is under way. Dummy immediately tables hir hand face up for all to see. If there is a trump suit, Dummy puts hir trump cards on the right--Declarer's left.
Aces are high in bridge, deuces are low. Bridge is a game of "tricks", meaning that the players contribute one card each and then pause to see who has "won" the trick by playing the highest card. Here, "highest card" translates to the highest card in the master ("trump") suit or, if there are no trumps in this collection of 4 cards (called a "trick"), the highest card in the suit led. Whoever wins the previous trick leads to the next trick. Players must "follow suit" by playing a card in the led suit if they have one. If they don't have a card in the led suit, they may play any card they like, including a trump (if there is a trump suit on this particular hand). Trumps (if there is a trump suit) can be led at any time. The best way to keep track of how many tricks each partnership has won is to not throw the cards into a common pile but, rather, to play each card face up for all to see and, at the end of the trick, place the card face down vertically in front of you if your side has won the trick, horizontally in front of you if your side has lost it. In this way at the end of the hand one needs only count the number of tricks lying vertically in front of them to determine how many tricks their side has won. This method of keeping track of the tricks will also help retrace the play in case there are any disputes later.
The two players facing each other are partners, and are identified by the four directions of the compass. East and West ("E-W"), then, are pitted against the pair of North and South ("N-S"). Because it is the number of tricks taken by the partnership which counts, it does not matter to the final trick count which of the two partners has taken any particular trick.
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1NT Pass |
Pass Pass |
3NT -- |
Pass -- |
Oddly enough, this is the most common auction in bridge. But why would the 1NT bidder's (i.e. "Opener's") partner (i.e. "Responder") outbid hir own partner? This makes no sense at first glance. Could you imagine going to an auction and having, say, your own spouse outbid you? Grounds for divorce!
The answer to this mystery lies in bridge's unique method of scoring...
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In duplicate bridge scoring, there are bonuses awarded to any pair which makes its contract. Each trick earns the successful pair a "trick score" of 20 points (if trumps are a minor, Clubs or Diamonds), 30 points (if trump is a major, Hearts or Spades), or, in the case of No Trump, 40 points for the first trick and 30 points for each subsequent trick. If the Declaring side has bid enough to garner 100 trick score points in one hand they are awarded a "game" bonus. For example, if the partnership bids 5
Similarly, a pair can qualify for a Small Slam bonus by bidding and making a 6-level contract. This Small Slam bonus comes in addition to the game bonus. It amounts to 500 points if not vulnerable, 750 points if vulnerable. For example, 6D making 12 tricks not vulnerable would be worth (20 x 6) + 300 + 500 = 920 points. Making 6NT vulnerable would earn you 40 for the first trick in No Trump, 30 each for the remaining five, 500 for the vulnerable game bonus and 750 for the slam bonus, for a total of 1440 points.
Bidding at the 7-level and making all 13 tricks earns you the Grand Slam bonus of 1000 (if not vulnerable) or 1500 (if vulnerable). This comes instead of the Small Slam bonus but in addition to the game bonus and trick score. Hence, bidding and making 7D not vulnerable would garner you (20 x 7) + 300 + 1000 for a grand total of 1470. Bidding and making 7NT vulnerable would give you 40 for the first trick (in No Trump), 6 x 30 for the rest of the tricks, 500 for the game bonus and 1500, for a massive 2220 points.
Hands played below the game level are called "part scores". The bonus for part scores is only 50, regardless of vulnerability. Bidding and making 2NT would get you 120 points (40 for the first trick in No Trump, 30 for the second trick, plus 50 for making a part score) whether you are vulnerable or not.
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At any turn, a player can "double" the last bid--if made by an opponent--so as to increase the penalty for their failure to fulfil this contract. These penalties increase from 50 (if the opponents were not "vulnerable") or 100 (if the opponents are vulnerable) to the following, depending upon how many tricks (called "undertricks") by which the contract fails (or "goes down"):
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If the opponents succeed in making such a doubled contract, they will receive a 50 point "completion" bonus, and the "trick score" is doubled. Bearing in mind that this trick score counts towards game, a contract such as 2S, if doubled, will be enough to make game, since (30 x 2) doubled is 120! Hence, we must be cautious about "doubling the opponents into game" if we cannot defeat their contract.
Should the opponents redouble and be defeated, the penalty scores (see above) are doubled. Down 2, not vulnerable, redoubled would be (300 x 2) 600 points, then.
If a redoubled contract is successive, though, the declaring side wins a 100 point "completion bonus" for hir side, and the trick score is multiplied by FOUR. Hence, the trick score for 1H doubled and redoubled is (30 x 2 x 2 or, if you prefer, 30 x 4) 120--enough for game!
Should any doubled contract make more than necessary, these "overtricks" will be worth 100 (not vulnerable) or 200 (vulnerable) points each. Redoubled overtricks are worth 200 (not vulnerable) or 400 (vulnerable) points each. For example, 1D doubled and redoubled, making 2, is worth (20 x 4) 80 points, plus 100 for the completion bonus, 50 for the part score bonus and either 100 (if not vulnerable) or 200 (vulnerable) for the redoubled overtrick. Hence, Declarer would make either 330 (not vulnerable) or 430 (vulnerable) for 1D, redoubled, making 2.
Here are scoring tables of all the scores possible:
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/3
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/5
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/5
/5
/6
/6
/6
/6
/7
/7
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