Bridge

The Bridge is by far the most challenging card game you’ll ever play. As a trick-taking card game, Bridge falls in between Euchre and Whist in terms of popularity, but it has a significantly more complicated setup than those games.

Game setup

Before the game can begin, a first dealer must be chosen. Each player gets a card from a shuffled deck, and the player holding the highest-valued card is the one who deals first. Striking a contract repeatedly severances ties. Shuffle the deck before cutting it half to the first player’s right.

Then the dealer distributes 13-cards clockwise to each of the four players. Don’t get carried away with the first trick.

When the Dummy drops, make a mental note to pause and reflect. Plus, always avoid dropping the Dummy early in the round.

Plan your moves for at least the next few turns. The dealer’s position rotates clockwise at the end of each round. Bids placing, and tricks winning come by working as a team.

How to play

This game has a Declarer and a Defender; the Declarer gets to lead their side, and the Defenders get to protect it. The Declarer’s teammate is now the Dummy.

The other players can see their cards spread out in suits.

The Dummy will not be participating in this round. Instead, the Declarer acts as their opponent when it is their turn. The other players can see their cards spread out in suits.

The game begins when the Declarer places the first card on the table. The Defenders aim to outrank the lead by going in a clockwise direction.

A player may only play cards that match the lead card’s suit. They can play any of their cards to win the trick if they don’t have any of the identical suits.

The game continues until all cards have been dealt, with the winner of each trick taking the next lead. Winning tricks should be gathered and laid face down on the winning team’s side of the table.

How to win

The Declarer receives a set number of points if they take at least as many tricks as they promised. Assume they fail to do so, and the opposition team wins.

Rules

For a few seconds, focus on the first lead to help you remember it later. From this, we can infer the leader’s stature, such as his height or weight.

In your head, go over the bids. If your opponent bids, you must be aware of his point total and suit length.

Each player has a total of 13 cards at their disposal. Similarly, each team has two players sitting across from one another. In addition to the Declarer and Dummy, there are two defenders.

This round’s trump suit will be decided by the Declarer, and each team will try to predict how many “tricks” they can take. The rest of the game is straightforward.

The Declarer’s right-hand Defender initiates the first “trick” by playing a card. If a player has the same suit card, they must play it. However, they can play a trump card or discard a card from another suit if they don’t have one.

The player with the highest ranking wins each trick. In the absence of trump cards, the round is won by the highest card of the chosen suit. Else, the player with the most trump cards wins.

After the first trick, the Dummy’s cards are placed face up on the table, and the Declarer handles all subsequent actions for them both. Neither the victors nor the defenders reveal their cards.

After the first trick, the winner opens the next, and so on until all the cards have been played out by the last winner.

Bidding

In order to be successful in bridge bidding, you must be able to communicate with your partner and recognize the strength of your own hand. When you bid, you indicate how many tricks you estimate your team can successfully pull.

Advanced players employ pre-emptive bids to assist in steering their teammate’s plays towards a joint triumph. As long as no one yells “pass,” bidding can continue indefinitely.

Extra

• Teams place a bet on how many tricks they will take at the start of the game, called a bid.
• After each trick, one of the players deals one card to the centre of the board. The previous trick’s winner initiates the following trick.
• The Defender on the Declarer’s left must lead out with the first trick to begin the game.

FAQ