Bridge is a game for four players and it is played with a deck of 52 cards. The value of the cards is as follows: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. In the game players must follow suit, and the players sitting opposite each other form the partnerships.
Each player receives 13 cards. The dealer then starts the bidding. The order of the suits during the bidding, in ascending order, is as follows: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and No Trump. If the number of tricks exceeds six, points are awarded per subsequent trick. E.g.: Seven tricks scores one point and thirteen tricks scores 7 points. Therefore the bidding ranges from 1 Clubs to 7 No Trump. During the auction is it possible to double, redouble or pass.
The player to the left of the auction winner goes first. He/she forms a team with the player sitting opposite. The partner of the declarer is known as the ‘Dummy’. His/her cards are faced up and the declarer plays with these cards as well as his/her own.
Points
The game is played as a best of three. A round is won when 100 points or more is reached by winning tricks. If necessary, more rounds can be played. A team is said to be ‘vulnerable’ when it has already won a round and ‘not vulnerable’ when until it has. This state has an effect on the points won.
Points won by taking tricks are called ‘under the line’. Bonus points are referred to as ‘over the line’. For the final total, both types of points are added together.
For a declared win, points are awarded when more than 6 tricks are won. When Clubs or Diamonds are trump, 20 points are awarded per trick above 6. For Hearts or Spades, 30 points are awarded and the team receives 40 points when there is no trump.
If a game, in which double was bid, is won, an additional 50 points are awarded. For a redouble win, 100 points are awarded. This is called ‘for the insult’.
If 12 tricks are won, this is called a ‘small slam’. If all 13 tricks are won, this is called a ‘grand slam’.
| Slam Bonus | Small Slam | Grand Slam |
| Vulnerable | 500 | 1000 |
| Not Vulnerable | 750 | 1500 |
If more tricks are won that declared, a bonus is awarded. These tricks are called ‘overtricks’.
| Points per ‘overtrick’ | Double | Redouble |
| Vulnerable | 100 | 200 |
| Not Vulnerable | 200 | 400 |
If fewer tricks are won that declared, the difference is awarded to the opponents as ‘undertricks’.
| Penalty per ‘undertrick’ | Not Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
| Per ‘undertrick’ | 50 | 100 |
| Doubled first ‘undertrick’ | 100 | 200 |
| Doubled 2nd and 3rd ‘undertrick’ | 200 | 300 |
| Every further ‘undertrick’ | 300 | 300 |
For redoubles the values are doubled.
If a team wins a game 2-0, it is awarded 700 points. If it ends 2-1, the winning team receives 500 points.