For example a bid of 'two hearts' represents a contract to win at least 8 tricks (8 = 6 + 2) with hearts as trumps.įor the purpose of bidding the possible trump suits rank as follows: no trumps (highest), spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs (lowest). When bidding, the number which is said actually represents the number of tricks in excess of six which the partnership undertakes to win. The side which bids highest will try to win at least that number of tricks bid, with the specified suit as trumps. A bid specifies a number of tricks and a trump suit (or that there will be no trumps).

There is next an auction to decide who will be the declarer. Provided all the players understand and operate it, this procedure saves time and helps to remember whose turn it is to deal, as the spare pack of cards is always to the left of the next dealer. The dealer for the next hand then simply needs to pick up the cards from the left and pass them across to the right to be cut. During each deal, the dealer's partner shuffles the other pack and places it to the right. It is traditional to use two packs of cards. The dealer deals out all the cards one at a time so that each player has 13. The cards are shuffled by the player to dealer's left and cut by the player to dealer's right. The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. The game is played clockwise.Ī standard 52 card pack is used. It is traditional to refer to the players according to their position at the table as North, East, South and West, so North and South are partners playing against East and West. There are four players in two fixed partnerships. The duplicate format, in which the same cards are played at more than one table, has been in use since the 19th century for competitions in Auction Bridge, Straight Bridge, their ancestor Whist, and several other four-player card games, as well as for Contract Bridge from its invention to the present day. In the earliest form of the game, after any redouble, the other side can redouble again, and this can continue indefinitely. Either opponent may double before the lead to the first trick, and if doubled, the dealer's side may redouble. In either case the dealer's partner is dummy.

In Bridge-Whist there is no bidding at all - the dealer either names a trump suit or passes, in which case the dealer's partner must choose trumps. Here is a link to the earliest published rules of Bridge, which appeared in 1886 under the name Biritch or Russian Whist. In Auction Bridge, overtricks count towards making game, so it is only necessary to bid high enough to win the contract - there is no incentive to bid all the tricks you can make.īefore Auction Bridge there was Bridge-Whist or Straight Bridge (at the time this game was just called Bridge). Two types of Duplicate Bridge will be covered:Ĭhicago is a version of Bridge played by four people over four deals.Ĭontract Bridge developed in the 1920's from Auction Bridge, which is different mainly in the scoring. There are some significant differences in the scoring. At least eight players are required for this. The game is basically the same but the luck element is reduced by having the same deals replayed by different sets of players. Informal social Bridge games are often played this way, and Rubber Bridge is also played in clubs for money.ĭuplicate Bridge is the game normally played in clubs, tournaments and matches. Rubber Bridge is the basic form of Contract Bridge, played by four players. There are clubs, tournaments and championships throughout the world. Bridge currently occupies a position of great prestige, and is more comprehensively organised than any other card game.

Bridge Equipment Suppliers and other Bridge related pagesĬontract Bridge was invented in the 1920's and in the following decades it was popularised especially in the USA by Ely Culbertson.

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