How to play Bridge
Win the auction, plan the contract, and outscore the opposing partnership across four boards.
- Players
- 4 in partnerships
- Match
- 4 boards
- Contract
- Level + 6 tricks
- Scoring
- Duplicate-style raw score
The auction
Bids rank from 1♣ through 7NT, with strains ordered ♣, ♦, ♥, ♠, NT. Every bid must outrank the current contract. Players may pass; opponents may double and the bidding side may redouble. Three passes after a bid end the auction; four opening passes score a passed-out board as 0.
Declarer, dummy, and play
The first member of the winning partnership who named the final strain becomes declarer; their partner is dummy. The player left of declarer leads, dummy is exposed, and declarer plays both hands. Follow suit when possible. Highest trump wins, or highest card of the led suit when no trump is played.
Contract scoring
A made undoubled contract scores 20 per club or diamond trick, 30 per heart or spade trick, and 40 for the first no-trump trick plus 30 thereafter. Contract points below 100 earn a 50 partscore bonus; 100 or more earn a 300 non-vulnerable or 500 vulnerable game bonus. Slams, overtricks, doubles, redoubles, and undertricks add their standard duplicate values.
Match result
Vulnerability is fixed by board: neither, N/S, E/W, then both. Made-contract points go to declarer's side and defeat penalties score positively for the defenders. After four boards, the higher cumulative raw score wins; equal totals draw. This is not rubber, IMP, or matchpoint Bridge.
Beginner strategy
- Use A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1 as a rough strength guide.
- Prefer an eight-card major fit; use no-trump with balanced shape and stoppers.
- Count the tricks needed before playing the first card.
- In suit contracts, draw opposing trumps when that protects winners.
- As defender, track suits and avoid helping declarer establish long cards.
- Double only when the likely penalty outweighs the added contract bonus.