Introduction to Contract Bridge
*** Use Bridge Baron to Demonstrate ***
- A card game played with a deck of 52 cards.
- Played by 4 people sitting at a table.
- The players who are sitting across from each other form a partnership.
- For identification purposes, each player is associated with a
compass direction proceeding in a clockwise direction around the table.
- Partnership: North & South
- Partnership: East & West
- Trick-taking card game
- A trick contains four cards, one contributed by each player.
- Allowable cards to play
- Each player must "follow suit" - play a card in the suit led.
- If a player is void in suit led - any card, including a trump
may be played.
- Winner of trick
- Highest card in suit lead (suit 1st played)
- Highest trump card wins the trick
- Game composes of a series of deals.
- Each deal results in a score.
- The type of bridge game (rubber, Chicago, duplicate, etc.)
determines the number of deals and how the score for
each deal is determined.
- The sum of the scores for each deal determines who
wins that game of contract bridge.
- A "deal" is also referred to as a "hand".
A "hand" also may refer to the 13 cards each
player has during 1 deal of the cards.
- Phases of a deal
- Deal the cards
- Dealer gives each player 13 random cards.
- After shuffle, deal 1 card (facedown) to each player going clockwise.
- Each player arranges hand - puts cards in suits in rank order.
- Bidding (or auction)
- Players bid to determine the contract - the target number of
tricks for the declaring partnership and the trump suit.
- The declaring partnership is the side that wins the auction.
- The defenders are the other partnership.
- Play of the hand
- 13 tricks are played with each partnership trying to win
as many tricks as possible.
- Score the results
- Points are given to the declaring partnership if they
made the Contract - win an equal or greater number of tricks
than the target number of tricks.
- Points are given to the defenders if the contract went
down - made less than the target number.
- Final Thoughts:
- Beginner and intermediate players are on a steep learning curve.
There is a tendancy to try to learn as much as possible as
fast as possible. In the long run, it is better to learn
new concepts at a more through, but slower pace.
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