How to play Bridge
Contract Bridge is the crown jewel of trick-taking games — to cards what chess is to board games. You and Hekla (sitting opposite) face Kolbeinn and Von in classic rubber bridge: bid a contract in the auction, then make it with the dummy's help.
Just want the rules? Read the complete Bridge rulebook.
- The auction - bids promise tricks over six: 1♣ up to 7NT, each bid higher than the last (♣ ♦ ♥ ♠ NT). Three passes close it; double and redouble raise the stakes.
- The declarer and the dummy - whoever first named the winning suit plays BOTH hands; their partner's cards go face up after the opening lead.
- The play - follow suit if you can; highest trump (or highest of the led suit) takes the trick. Count to your contract.
- The scorecard - bid tricks score below the line (20/30/40); overtricks, penalties, slams and honors go above. 100 below wins a game.
- The rubber - first team to two games. Winning a game makes you vulnerable: bigger bonuses, bigger risks.
Strategy tips for new Bridge players
- Count your points. Ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1. Open the bidding with 13+; with 25+ between you and partner, bid for game (3NT, 4♥/4♠).
- Trust the auction, not hope. Every bid your partner makes describes their hand. A raise shows support; a new suit shows length. Bid what you know, not what you wish.
- Draw trumps first. As declarer with a trump fit, pull the opponents' trumps early so your winners live to old age.
- Lead fourth-highest. Against no-trump, lead the fourth card of your longest suit — the classic defensive start.
- Watch vulnerability. Vulnerable undertricks cost double. Bid tight games when vulnerable, and double freely when the vulnerable opponents overreach.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules of Bridge?
Four players in two partnerships each receive 13 cards. First comes the auction: players bid how many tricks over six their side will take in a chosen trump suit (or no trump), and the highest bid becomes the contract. The partner who first named the contract's suit becomes the declarer; their partner's hand — the dummy — is laid face up after the opening lead, and the declarer plays both hands. Follow suit if you can; the highest trump, or the highest card of the led suit, wins each trick. Make your contract and you score toward game; fail and the defenders score penalties.
What kind of Bridge is this — rubber, Chicago or duplicate?
Rubber bridge, the classic home version. A game ends when a team accumulates 100 points below the line from contracts they bid and made; the first team to win two games takes the rubber (with a 700-point bonus for winning 2-0, or 500 for 2-1). Winning a game makes a team vulnerable, raising later bonuses and penalties. The match is one full rubber, and the higher grand total wins.
What bidding system do the computer players use?
A simplified Standard American: 5-card majors, 1NT openings on 15-17 balanced, 2♣ for very strong hands, weak two-bids, raises with support, and overcalls. The bots are deliberately beginner-level bidders — they handle everyday auctions sensibly but don't play conventions like Stayman or transfers, which makes this a friendly place to learn before graduating to advanced platforms.
What do double and redouble mean?
Double is a call you can make over an opponent's bid: it doesn't raise the contract but multiplies the score — bigger penalties if they fail, bigger rewards if they make it. Redouble raises the stakes again and is available to the doubled side. Any new bid cancels a standing double.
What happens when my partner wins the contract?
Normally you would become the dummy and watch. Here you get the classic online-bridge choice: let your computer partner play the hand, or take over and play the contract yourself with your own hand as the dummy. It is not how table bridge works — it is simply more fun than watching.
What are honors in Bridge scoring?
A luck bonus from rubber bridge's rules-as-written: holding four of the five top trumps (A K Q J 10) in one hand scores 100 above the line, all five scores 150, and four aces in one hand at a no-trump contract scores 150 — whichever side holds them. Many home games skip honors; this implementation scores them, matching the full rubber rules.
More free card games
Bridge's simpler ancestors are here too: Whist (tricks without the auction), Spades (bidding without the dummy) and Oh Hell! (exact-bid discipline).