General Rules Of the Bridge Game

Bridge Card Game Rules

The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards from deuce to ace of four suits. Each player is dealt 13 cards. One of the players is the dealer. In sports bridge, the dealer is determined by the number of deal. The dealing starts with a trade.

Trading

The purpose of a trade is to define the playing and whisting pairs, the contract height (the number of tricks higher than 6 which the playing pair is obliged to take) and the contract denomination (suit or “no trump”). During the trade players, starting with the dealer, take turns making bids:

Pass – a no-trump bid

Master or no-trump bid – specifying the level and denomination. Each subsequent bid must be higher than the previous bid in level and/or denomination. In bridge the following seniority of suits is accepted in ascending order: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, No Trumps. Suit seniority is taken into account only for trading. When playing, the senior suit is the trump suit (if there is a trump). The other suits are equal.

Contra – this bid can be made when the last significant bid was opponents’ suit or no-trump bid. It means an obligation not to let opponents take the declared number of tricks. The penalty for a control slip, as well as the bonus for a completed contract, increases.

Recontra – is possible if the last significant bid was the opponent’s counter. Both the hookup penalty and the bonus for a completed contract are twice as high under Recontra as under Control.

If all four players say pass at the beginning of the trade, all receive 0 points and the trade ends.

The trade ends after three consecutive passes following a significant bid. Once a player passes, he does not have to keep passing. The last “N-denomination” bid (with a possible control or redouble) is called the final contract and means the obligation of the pair making this contract to take N+6 tricks at the specified trumps (or in a no-trump game). In the winning pair the player who was the first to declare the suit of the final contract (or without a trump, if the contract is trumpless) becomes a player, and his partner becomes a “chump” who puts cards on the table after the attack and doesn’t take part in further dealings. The opponents of the playing pair are called whisting.

Drawing

The first move is made by the opponent of the playing pair, sitting on the left side. After that the goon puts his cards on the table and his cards are controlled by the playing person. The game is played for payoffs. Each player is obliged to play a card of the suit of the first move in this bribe. In the absence of this suit you can play any card, and the trump card is not necessary. The player wins the turn with the highest card in this bribe. Trump is higher than any suit, if in the absence of the suit a non-trump card is played – it is lower than any card in the suit of the turn.

The result of the game is the number of tricks received by each pair irrespective of who exactly in the pair received a trick.

  • Scoring
  • Zoning

The number of points in a hand depends on “zonality”.

Zonality in sports brigade is determined before a handout begins and depends on its sequence number in the tournament. There are 4 types of zonality:

  • All before zone.
  • Us to zone opponents to zone.
  • Us in the zone Opponents in the zone.
  • All in Zone.

You can earn points in bridge in two ways in winning a contract ordered by your pair or by seeding your opponents’ contract.

Played Contract

A contract is considered to be played when a player has scored at least the number of tricks ordered (including the base six). In this case the winning pair receives points equal to the sum of the Contract Value, the additional bonus and the bonus for extra takedowns. The value of a played contract depends on the contract suit: clubs and diamonds are the lowest suits (minor, 20 tricks); hearts and spades are the highest (major, 30 tricks); the first trick in a no-trump contract costs 40 points, the others 30 points.

The cost is defined as [contract level]x[number of points per bribe]. The trumpless contract adds 10 points.

Additional bonuses are awarded for winning a contract:

If the contract value is less than 100 points in a 50 point bonus (partial contract).

If the contract value is greater than or equal to 100 points and the level is less than 6 in a bonus of 300 points to the zone and 500 points in the zone (game contract).

Additional bonuses are given for contracts ordered and played at level 6 and 7 (small helmet and large helmet):

  • Small Slam (partners ordered and taken 12 takedowns): bonus to zone 500 points, in zone 750 points.
  • Grand Slam (partners ordered and taken all 13 tricks): a bonus up to the zone of 1000 points, in the zone of 1500 points.
  • For extra bribes in a minor contract a bonus of 20 points for each bribe. In a major or no-take contract of 30 points.
Our Author Raymond Terence
Our Author
Raymond Terence

Hello! My name is Raymond Terence. I am a bridge card game enthusiast and writer. Here I share information about how to play bridge, rules, important terms and news regarding bridge sessions and charity events that are hold from time to time.

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