History and Versions of Bridge
There is no consensus on the exact origin of this game. Some believe that bridge originated from whist, an ancient English game, differing in point calculation and betting order.
Others claim that the name bridge comes from the Russian word biriuč (a variant of Russian whist), which is one of many hints at the Russian roots of bridge.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, a game called auction bridge (English Auction bridge) emerged, and from it, with a sophisticated point calculation system, contract bridge (English Contract bridge) was developed.
There are two main variants of this bridge – duplicate bridge (English Duplicate bridge) and rubber bridge (English Rubber).
- Rubber bridge is played without any additional equipment, the cards are shuffled and dealt anew each time.
This does not mean the game is less interesting or requires less skill – it is simply adapted for home play, hence sometimes called simple or amateur bridge.
- Bridge is a trick-taking game – players try to take certain cards from each other. Also, bridge is more suited for tournament play.
During tournaments, each table of players receives a special flat rectangular box with the names of the world regions marked on top. These labels indicate where each player should sit. The box has compartments where players place their cards after playing a deal. The box is then passed to another table, and its players take the cards from the required compartments to play a new game. This avoids the luck factor that arises when some players get more favorable cards than others, allowing for an objective comparison of teams. The game itself consists of 4 stages – dealing cards, auction, taking tricks, and scoring points.
Best online casinos for games:
Bridge Rules
How many players play?
Bridge is played by 4 players. It is played in teams – two against two.
Team members sit opposite each other at the table, and each player's position is named after the world regions – north and south play against east and west.
Required equipment for the game
The game is played with a deck of 52 cards. The card ranking order is standard – the highest card is the ace, the lowest is the two.
Dealing cards
Teams are formed by mutual agreement or by drawing cards: the two players who draw the highest cards play against the two who draw the lowest cards. The player who draws the highest card deals first. Later, the dealers take turns.
Cards are dealt one at a time, clockwise, until the entire deck is dealt. Each player sorts their 13 cards by suit and rank. This sorting by rank helps make correct decisions during the auction and when playing for tricks.
Bridge auction and contracts
In each deal, teams aim to score as many points as possible with their cards. The ability to score points depends on the contract and the number of tricks taken.
A contract is made by agreeing on how many points each team commits to taking. The contract is contested during the auction – players, in clockwise order, announce how many tricks their team could take with or without trumps.
The dealer starts the contract, and the team that offers the highest number of tricks wins. Thus, the team's goal is to play as well as possible, while the opponents try to hinder them.
If the team that won the auction takes the previously announced number of tricks or even more, their contract is fulfilled. For a successful contract, the team earns points, and if they lose, the opponents earn points.
There are a total of 35 types of contracts:
(7 levels and 5 variants, so we multiply). In ascending order, they range from the smallest 1 clubs (followed by 1 diamonds, 1 hearts) to the largest 7 no trumps (preceded by 7 spades):
- The level increases from 1 to 7, and the required number of tricks is determined by adding 6 to the level, for example, level 6 + 6=12 or level 3+6=9. Thus, the number of tricks can range from 7 to 13.
- The variant determines whether the game will be played with trumps. It also decides which suit will be the trumps.
During the auction, trump suits are announced from the youngest to the oldest and are ranked as follows: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades.
The minor suits are clubs and diamonds, while the major suits are hearts and spades. Playing without trumps is considered the fifth variant.
Additionally, during the contract, each player can perform 4 main actions:
- Propose the game level and variant (this action is called a bid).
- Double the bonus for fulfilling the contract (if the previous bidder did not pass).
- Redouble the bonus (if the previous bidder doubled).
If you decide not to pass, but declare the level and suit (1), the opponent, suspecting that you are taking a risk, can double the bonus (2) if you fulfill that contract (if you fail, the bonus goes to the opponent), and your partner can double the bonus again (3). This increases the chance to earn more points, although the risk is high.
Level and suit. When a player declares the level and suit, they indicate the intention to fulfill a contract of a certain value. In competition, the value of the proposed contract is raised by indicating a higher game level (a greater number of possible tricks) or a more valuable suit at that level (a higher-ranking suit or a no-trump game).
For example, one player may propose 4 clubs, and their opponent 5 clubs. Lower-level cards cannot be proposed! In competition, it is possible to skip an entire level.
For example, if one player proposes 1 hearts, the other can declare 2 spades. It is also possible to skip two levels, for example, after 1 hearts declare 3 spades or after 1 spades declare 4 hearts.
Doubling the bonus. The penalty (and bonuses) can only be doubled when the opponent has already made a proposal.
Such actions are usually characteristic of the beginning of the auction, when contracts of small value are proposed; this is often intended to hint to the partner about the value of the cards held.
Re-doubling the bonus. The proposed contract value can only be doubled again if the opponent has previously doubled it.
This gives additional points. This action is usually also just a contractual signal and rarely turns into a real contract.
The last bid (regardless of whether it was doubled, halved, or simply proposed) becomes the contract. That is, the game level (how many tricks need to be taken) and the suit (whether the game will be played with trumps and which ones) specified by it come into effect.
The pair that loses the contract is called the defense team, one of the pair that wins the contract (the one who declared the game suit) is the declarer, and their partner is the dummy. If the contract is 7 spades, the declarer becomes the player who first declared spades, regardless of which stage of the auction they did so.
Trick-taking
Bridge rules resemble many other trick-taking games – players take turns playing cards of the same suit, and the trick is won by the player who plays the highest-ranking card or a trump.
A distinctive feature of bridge is that the dummy places their cards face up on the table, and the declarer instructs which cards to play in the trick, i.e., the declarer plays for both, and the dummy only places the cards.
Unlike other trick-taking games, players do not throw cards into the middle of the table; they place the cards next to themselves. When it becomes clear who won the trick, the card used for that trick is turned over in one of two ways: if the player or their partner wins, the card is turned over and placed vertically; if they lose, it is placed horizontally.
The next trick card is placed next to it, and after completing the trick, it is again placed either vertically or horizontally. Due to this order, it is easy to count the won and lost tricks at the end of the game.
As mentioned, the deal consists of 13 tricks. Players place one card in the trick. The highest card is the ace, the lowest is the two.
The first trick card determines which suit cards the other players must play in the trick. The first trick card can be any card. If the other players do not have the required suit card, they must play any card. The trick goes to the player who played the highest-ranking card of the required suit.
But if a trump is played in the trick, the trick is won by the owner of the trump; if several trumps are played, the player who played the highest-ranking trump wins. The player who won the trick starts the new trick. If the trick is won by the dummy's card, the declarer starts the next trick but with the dummy's cards.
The game for the first trick is started by the defense team player sitting to the left of the declarer. When this player places a card, the dummy lays out their cards face up on the table: in four columns by suits and in descending order of rank (this makes it easier to play).
As mentioned, the dummy only follows the declarer's instructions (places the indicated cards), they cannot suggest moves or comment on the opponent's actions, but they can warn the declarer not to make a mistake in placing the trick.
Scoring
When all 13 tricks are played, points are counted. The team that wins the contract gets points for:
- Each proposed and taken trick from the seventh to the thirteenth;
- All additional tricks;
- Bonuses for the contract value;
- Other bonuses.
If the declarer's team fails to fulfill the contract, the opponent's pair gets points for the taken tricks, i.e., the tricks that were lacking for the contract to be fulfilled.
Another nuance that determines the scoring is the team's vulnerability. In the first deal, both teams are not vulnerable, in the second – the east and west team is vulnerable, in the third – the north and south team is vulnerable, in the fourth – both teams are vulnerable.
Additional points are also awarded for broken – small and grand – slams. A small slam is 12 tricks won in a deal, a grand slam is winning all 13 tricks.
Similar Card Games to Bridge
Whist
Whist is a classic trick-taking card game and the predecessor of bridge. Players aim to win as many tricks as possible. Unlike bridge, Whist does not have a bidding phase, making it simpler and faster to play.
Hearts
Hearts is a trick-avoidance game where players try to score as few points as possible by avoiding hearts and the queen of spades. It involves strategic play but does not have a bidding phase.
Spades
The game of Spades is a trick-taking game where players bid on the number of tricks they expect to take. The spade suit is always the trump. Team coordination and strategic bidding are essential components of this game.
Euchre
Euchre is a fast-paced trick-taking game where the trump suit is determined by the top card of the deck. Partners work together to win the majority of tricks, and the shortened deck makes the game quick and strategic.
Pinochle
Pinochle is a trick-taking game that uses a unique deck with multiple copies of each card. Players bid on the points they expect to earn based on melds (specific combinations of cards) and won tricks. This game combines elements of bidding, meld formation, and strategic play.
So, as you can see from the rules, bridge, although somewhat complex, is a very interesting and engaging card game. In this game, not only professional pairs but also family members or old friends can test their skills. And if you prefer virtual games, you can also play bridge online!
