Introduction
The card game, Bridge is a complicated game worth learning. It is a game in which you and your partner work together to beat another partnership. It feels really good when you work in unison to achieve even a small win. The first step is to describe a very high-level picture of Bridge. The details will be filled in on subsequent pages.
Many of the Bridge concepts on thse pages comes from How to Play Bridge Like a Boss by Anthony Medley. I will try to denote the ideas that are my own.
The Players
Bridge is a card game for four people in two partnerships. The partners sit opposite each other. East and West are partners. and North and South are partners.
The Deal
In this hand, East deals. The cards were shuffled by the player on East’s left. East takes the cards and asks the player on East’s right to cut the cards. South cuts the cards towards East, who picks them up and deals. East deals cards one at a time starting with the player on the left until all 52 cards are dealt.
| North ♠ K, J, 5 ♥ A, 8, 5 ♦ 3, 2 ♣ A, 8, 6, 4, 2 |
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| West ♠ Q, 9, 4 ♥ Q, 10, 7 ♦ K, J, 10, 8, 4 ♣ J, 9 |
East ♠ 10, 8, 6, 3, 2 ♥ K ♦ Q, 9, 7, 6 ♣ Q, 5, 3 |
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| South ♠ A, 7 ♥ J, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 ♦ A, 5 ♣ K, 10, 7 |
The Auction
The auction determines which team gets the contract and which team defends in the play.
A played hand consists of 13 tricks of 4-cards each, one from each player.
The contract determines number of tricks required and, if a trump suit is picked, which suit will be trump. The number of tricks equals 6 tricks, called the book, plus the level from 1 to 7.
Bidding starts with the dealer and progresses in a clock-wise fashion until there are 4 consecutive passes or 3 consecutive passes after a bid. Bids must increase in value by level and then by suit in the order of clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, and no trump. If a player bids 3 hearts, the next player cannot bid 3 clubs.
The last player to make a bid other than pass wins the contract and becomes the declarer. The declarer’s partner places his or her cards on the table to be played by the declarer. The partnership that does not win the contract become defenders.
A 4-spade contract means the declarer must make 6 tricks, called the book, plus 4 tricks or 10 tricks to make the bid. A 3 no trump contract means the declarer must make 6 tricks plus 3 tricks or 9 tricks to make the bid. Overtricks are any tricks made in excess of the bid amount. Undertricks happen when the number of made tricks is lower than the bid amount.
Bidding for the hand shown on this page might go like this,
| North | East | South | West |
| Pass | 1 ♥ * | Pass | |
| 2 ♣ ** | Pass | 2 NT | Pass |
| 4 ♥ *** | Pass | Pass | Pass |
* Hand strong enough to open.
** New suit, forcing for 1 round.
*** North-South combined hands strong enough for 4-bid.
The Play
The object of playing a Bridge hand is to take the most tricks, where a trick is the play of one card from each player.
Play starts when the defender to the left of the declarer leads the first card. The winner of the trick leads the card to start the next trick.
Each player must follow suit unless he or she is void in the led suit. If a player is void in the led suit, I.E. the player has no card in the led suit, then a card from a different suit must be played. If the contract calls for a trump suit, then the player with a void in the led suit can play a trump. In any case, the highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card in the led suit wins.
In this hand, South won the contract and is the declarer. So, West makes the first lead. West leads the 8 of Diamonds. North follow suit. East puts up the Queen. South wins the trick with the Ace, and, as the winner of the trick, South makes the next lead.
| North ♠ K, J, 5 ♥ A, 8, 5 ♦ 3 ♣ A, 8, 6, 4, 2 (♦ 2) |
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| West ♠ Q, 9, 4 ♥ Q, 10, 7 ♦ K, J, 10, 4 (♦ 8) ♣ J, 9 |
East ♠ 10, 8, 6, 3, 2 ♥ K (♦ Q) ♦ 9, 7, 6 ♣ Q, 5, 3 |
|
| (♦ A) South ♠ A, 7 ♥ J, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 ♦ 5 ♣ K, 10, 7 |
Winning a bid of 4 ♥ takes skill and luck. Few bids are guaranteed. On future pages, we will see whether this contract is successful.
Review Questions
1. How many players make one table of Bridge?
2. Who is East’s Partner?
3. If a player bids 4 ♥, which are valid next bids?
4. If North wins the contract, who leads the first card?
5. West leads the 5 ♣, and ♥ is trump. Which of the played cards wins the trick?
6. If South bids 5 ♦, how many tricks must South win to have a successful contract?
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