How to Play Bridge
Description
Four players, two partnerships, and a bidding system people argue about for years. The most demanding card game in the room — and the most rewarding once the partnership starts to click.
Also known as: Contract Bridge
Objective
Team up with the player across from you and either fulfil the contract your side bid, or stop the other side from fulfilling theirs.
Setup
Four players in fixed partnerships, seated opposite each other.
Everyone gets thirteen cards.
Rules
Bidding comes first: starting with the dealer, each player in turn bids a number of tricks (as a level from 1 to 7, meaning six plus that number) and a suit — or no-trump — or passes. Any bid can be doubled by an opponent, or redoubled by the bidding side, multiplying the eventual score. Bidding ends once three players in a row pass, and the final bid becomes the contract.
Whoever first named the contract's suit for their side becomes the declarer; their partner's hand is laid face up on the table as the dummy, and the declarer plays both hands for the rest of the deal.
The player to the declarer's left leads first. Follow suit if you can; if you can't, play anything, including trump.
Highest trump wins the trick — if no trump was played, highest card of the suit led wins. Winner leads next.
Winning
Making the contract scores below the line: 20 points per trick bid in clubs or diamonds, 30 per trick in hearts or spades, 40 for the first no-trump trick and 30 for each after. Doubling multiplies this by 2, redoubling by 4.
Any tricks won beyond the contract score above the line at the same per-trick rate (worth more if doubled).
Falling short costs the defence 50 points per trick short (100 if doubled), scored above their line.
The first side to total 100 points or more below the line — across one hand or several — wins that game. Win two games before your opponents and you win the rubber, worth a large bonus on top.