How to Play Bridge
Bridge is one of the world's most popular card games — a trick-taking partnership game where two teams of two bid for contracts and then try to fulfil them. It has a steeper learning curve than most card games, but it's endlessly rewarding and the most widely played card game among adults worldwide.
The Objective of Bridge
Bridge is played by 4 players in 2 partnerships (North-South vs East-West). The goal is to score more points than the opposing team across multiple deals.
Each deal has two phases:
1. Bidding — teams compete to win the right to name the trump suit and declare how many tricks they'll win
2. Play — the declaring team tries to win the tricks they bid; defenders try to stop them
Setup and Deal
Bridge uses a standard 52-card deck. Deal all 52 cards — 13 cards each to all 4 players. Players are named North, South, East, West by their seating position. North-South form one partnership; East-West form the other.
Card ranking (high to low): A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
The dealer is determined randomly and rotates clockwise each deal.
The Bidding Phase
Bidding starts with the dealer and proceeds clockwise. A bid states how many tricks above 6 your team will win (called 'book'), and what suit will be trump — or no trumps.
Bid example: '2 Hearts' means your team will win at least 8 tricks (6 + 2) with Hearts as trump.
Suit ranking in bidding (low to high): Clubs ♣ < Diamonds ♦ < Hearts ♥ < Spades ♠ < No Trumps
Each bid must be higher than the previous one. Bidding continues until three consecutive players pass. The final bid becomes the contract.
The player who first named the trump suit (or No Trumps) in the winning partnership becomes the declarer.
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The Play Phase
The player to the left of the declarer leads the first card. Immediately after the first lead, the declarer's partner (dummy) places all their cards face-up on the table, sorted by suit. The dummy takes no further part in playing — the declarer plays both their own cards and dummy's cards.
Play proceeds clockwise. Players must follow suit if they can. If they cannot, they may play any card including a trump.
The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless a trump is played — in which case the highest trump wins. No Trumps contracts have no trump suit.
Basic Scoring
Scoring in Bridge is complex but here are the basics:
Making your contract:
- Minor suits (Clubs, Diamonds): 20 points per trick
- Major suits (Hearts, Spades): 30 points per trick
- No Trumps: 40 points for the first trick, 30 for each after
Score 100+ points in a single deal = Game (major milestone)
Overtricks: Tricks won beyond your contract earn smaller bonus points
Undertricks (going down): Failing your contract scores points for the opponents — typically 50 per undertrick, or 100 if doubled
The first partnership to win 2 games wins the rubber and a large bonus (500 or 700 points).
Beginner Tips
Count high-card points (HCP) for bidding:
- Ace = 4 HCP
- King = 3 HCP
- Queen = 2 HCP
- Jack = 1 HCP
A combined partnership holding of 25+ HCP is typically enough to bid game. Open the bidding (make the first bid) with 12+ HCP.
Lead the top of a sequence. From K-Q-J, lead the King. Sequences help your partner understand your hand.
Cover an honor with an honor. If declarer leads the Queen through you holding the King, play the King to win or promote your partner's cards.
Don't trump your partner's winner. If your partner has just won a trick, don't play a trump on the next lead of that suit — let them collect the trick.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bridge hard to learn?
The basics — dealing, trick-taking, simple bidding — can be learned in an hour. Bidding systems and advanced strategy take months to years. Start with basic natural bidding before learning conventions.
What is the dummy in Bridge?
After the opening lead, the declarer's partner lays all their cards face-up on the table. These are the dummy cards, and the declarer plays them along with their own hand.
What does doubling mean in Bridge?
A player can double the previous bid, increasing the scores and penalties. If you believe the opponents cannot make their contract, double to increase the penalty if they fail.
How many tricks do you need to make game in Bridge?
In major suits (Hearts/Spades): 10 tricks (bid 4). In minor suits (Clubs/Diamonds): 11 tricks (bid 5). In No Trumps: 9 tricks (bid 3).
How long does a game of Bridge take?
A rubber of Bridge (first to 2 games) typically takes 60–90 minutes. Duplicate Bridge at clubs involves set numbers of boards and is timed.