Bridge · Rules guide
Bridge rules: how to play contract bridge
The auction, the contract, dummy and thirteen tricks — plus what a game is worth, why vulnerability changes everything, and the difference between rubber and duplicate.
The short answer
- Bridge is played in partnerships: an auction decides the contract, then thirteen tricks are played.
- A bid names tricks over six and a denomination — 4♥ means ten tricks with hearts as trumps.
- The declarer plays both their own hand and dummy, which is laid face up.
- A contract worth 100 or more trick points is a game: 3NT, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣ and 5♦ are the common ones.
- Duplicate bridge removes the luck of the deal by playing the same hands at every table.
The shape of a deal
Bridge is a partnership trick-taking game for four players, and every deal has two halves. First an auction, in which the partnerships bid for the right to name trumps and commit to a number of tricks. Then the play, in which one side tries to make that contract and the other tries to break it.
- Partnerships: North–South against East–West, partners sitting opposite.
- Cards: the full pack, thirteen each. Ace high down to the two.
- Tricks: thirteen per deal. Follow suit if you can; otherwise play anything, including a trump.
- Winning a trick: the highest trump, or if none was played, the highest card of the suit led.
The auction
Starting with the dealer and going clockwise, each player makes a call: a bid, a pass, a double or a redouble.
What a bid means
A bid names a number of tricks over six and a denomination. So 1♠ offers to win seven tricks with spades as trumps, and 7NT offers to win all thirteen with no trumps.
Each bid must be higher than the last: a bigger number, or the same number in a higher-ranking denomination. The order is ♣ ♦ ♥ ♠ NT.
| Denomination | Rank | Trick value |
|---|---|---|
| Clubs ♣ | Lowest | 20 per trick |
| Diamonds ♦ | 20 per trick | |
| Hearts ♥ | 30 per trick | |
| Spades ♠ | 30 per trick | |
| No trumps | Highest | 40 for the first, 30 after |
Doubles
You may double an opponent's bid to increase the stakes; they may redouble. Any new bid wipes the double away.
Ending the auction
Three passes in a row after a call end the auction. The last bid becomes the contract. The player of that partnership who first named the contract's denomination becomes the declarer, and their partner becomes dummy.
The play
- The player to the declarer's left makes the opening lead.
- Dummy's hand is laid face up on the table, and declarer plays both hands.
- Play proceeds clockwise. Follow suit if you can; otherwise play anything.
- The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the led suit if no trump was played.
- The winner of each trick leads the next.
Making the contract
Declarer needs the bid number plus six. A contract of 4♥ needs ten tricks. Extra tricks are overtricks; falling short means going down, and the defenders score penalties.
Scoring, games and slams
Scoring is the part of bridge that frightens beginners, and it comes down to a few thresholds.
Contract points
Count the trick value of the contract. If it totals 100 or more, you have bid and made a game — worth a large bonus. The common game contracts are therefore:
| Contract | Tricks needed | Why it is the target |
|---|---|---|
| 3NT | 9 | 40 + 30 + 30 = 100 |
| 4♥ / 4♠ | 10 | 4 × 30 = 120 |
| 5♣ / 5♦ | 11 | 5 × 20 = 100 |
| 6 of anything (small slam) | 12 | Large bonus |
| 7 of anything (grand slam) | 13 | Larger bonus |
Vulnerability
A side that has already made a game is vulnerable: their bonuses are bigger and their penalties are harsher. It is the main reason the same hand can be bid differently at different points in a match.
Penalties
Failing to make the contract gives the opponents 50 per trick undertrick (100 if vulnerable), and considerably more if the contract was doubled. A sacrifice — deliberately bidding a contract you cannot make, because going down costs less than letting the opponents make theirs — is a standard tactic.
Rubber, duplicate and how bridge is played today
| Format | How it works |
|---|---|
| Rubber bridge | The classic home game: first side to two games wins the rubber. Luck of the deal matters. |
| Duplicate bridge | The same deals are played at every table; you are scored against everyone who held your cards. |
| Matchpoints (pairs) | You score for beating other pairs on each board — overtricks matter enormously. |
| IMPs (teams) | Score differences are converted to International Match Points — bidding games and slams matters most. |
| Chicago / four-deal | A short form of rubber bridge with fixed vulnerability. |
Duplicate is what makes bridge a serious competitive game: because every pair plays the same cards, the luck of the deal is removed almost entirely, and the result measures how well you played the hand you were given compared with everyone else who held it.
Common questions
What does a bid of 4 hearts mean in bridge?
That your partnership will win ten tricks — four over the book of six — with hearts as trumps. All bids are expressed as tricks over six.
Who is the dummy in bridge?
The declarer's partner. Their hand is laid face up after the opening lead, and declarer plays both hands; dummy takes no decisions.
What is a game in bridge?
A contract worth 100 or more trick points: 3NT, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣ or 5♦. Bidding and making one earns a large bonus, which is why so much bidding aims at exactly those contracts.
What does vulnerable mean?
A side that has already made a game is vulnerable: their bonuses increase and their penalties for failing get harsher. It changes how aggressively both sides should bid.
What is the difference between rubber and duplicate bridge?
In rubber bridge you play the cards you are dealt and luck matters. In duplicate, every table plays the same deals and you are scored against everyone who held your cards, so skill dominates.
Is bridge hard to learn?
The play is no harder than any trick-taking game. The bidding is where the difficulty lies, because bids carry conventional meanings. You can play a full deal after one session and spend a lifetime on the auction.
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