Purpose

• To determine the "declarer" (declaring partnership).
  
  
  • The declarering partnership is the pari who win the auction and contract to take a specific number of tricks (13 maximum).
  • The contract also specifieds the suit that will be trumps or that there will be no trump suit (called playing NoTrump).
  
  
• During the auction, each player uses the bridge bidding language to make legal bids for the purpose of describing their hand so that the partnership can determine a good estimate for the best final contract.
  
  
  • Both partnerships are communicating at the same time. The opportunity to make a bid alternates between the players in a clockwise manner. Since the meaning a bid must be described to an opponent, the bidding process communicates information to both your partner as well as the opponents.
  • Both partnerships use this information to decide which is the best contract for their side. In addition to sharing information, the alternating bidding process allows one partnership to interfer with the bidding of the other partnership. This interference comes with risk. Balancing the risk versus reward of bidding for the final contract provides the essential intrigue of contract bridge.

Definitions

1. a contract

   a level:   1 to 7

   a suit:   Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades or NoTrump

   scoring value:

   • undoubled - normal scoring values
   • doubled - increased scoring values
   • redoubled - highest scoring values

   the name of the player who will be declarer (often specified by compass direction)

   Example:

   4 Spades Doubled by South

   S: 4S x

2. language of bidding:   15 words

   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

   Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades NoTrump

   pass

   double

   redouble

3. legal bids

   contract bid

   • a level and a suit (Example:   4 Spades)

   pass

   double

   redouble

4. order of contract bids:

   1 Club -> 1 Diamond -> 1 Hearts -> 1 Spades -> 1 NoTrump ->

   2 Club -> 2 Diamond -> 2 Hearts -> 2 Spades -> 2 NoTrump ->

   . . .

   7 Club -> 7 Diamond -> 7 Hearts -> 7 Spades -> 7 NoTrump ->

   rules:

   1st contract bid may be any of the above bids.

   A contract bid must be higher than the previous contract bid.

   The final contract bid becomes the Contract for the play of that deal.

5. rule:   pass

   A player may make a "pass" call at any time.

   A "pass" just signifies that the player does not wish complete for the contract at this point in the bidding process.

6. rule:   double

   A player may make a "double" call after a member of the other partnership has made the last contract bid.

   Note, any bids between the last contract bid and the "double" must be "pass".

7. rule:   redouble

   A player may make a "redouble" call after a member of the other partnership has made a "double" contract bid.

   Note, any bids between the "double" and the "redouble" must be "pass".

8. bid meaning:   natural

   Some bids are not meant as a candidate for the final contract bid.

   These bids are primarily an attempt to give parnter a description of the cards in the bidder's hand.

   A natural "contract bid" uses the level to infer strength (number of high cards) and the suit to infer distribution (number of cards in the suit bid).

9. bid meaning:   conventional

   To improved the quality of the communication via the 15 words in the bidding languages, some bids are defined as conventional.

   A conventional "contract bid" uses the level and suit to infer details about the bidder's hand that have special meanings to the parnership.

   Note:   these special meanings must be explained to the opponents.

10. bid meaning:   forcing

    A bid that strongly requests to make a bid other than pass at their next turn to bid

    The rules of bridge do not prevent the partner from making bid of pass.

    The "forcing" concept is only part of the partnership bidding agreement.

11. bid meaning:   non-forcing

    A bid that does not request partner to make a bid other than pass at their next turn to bid

12. bid meaning:   to play

    A bid that "strongly suggest" that the current bid is the best contract available and partner should pass

13. rule:   end of auction

    The auction is ended when 3 consecutive "pass" bids are made.

    exception:

    At the beginning of the auction, if no bids other than "pass" are made, 4 consecutive "pass" bids need to be made to end the auction.

    The deal is considered to be "passed out" and there is no play phase since there is no contract.

14. target tricks

    The traget tricks are equal to 6 (the book) plus the level of the Contract.

Procedure

1. Bidding starts with the dealer
2. Bidding rotates around the table clockwise with each player making a call (a legal bid).
3. The auction ends when 3 consecutive "pass" bids are made.
4. The partnership which makes the last (and highest) contract bid becomes the declaring side (or partnership) and is said to have won the contract.

Results from Auction

1. The player on the declaring side who, during the auction, first bid the suit that ultimately becoming trumps (or NoTrumps) is referred to as the Declarer.
2. Declarer is the player who plays the hand for the partnership who wins the contract. Declarer's hand is concealed.
3. Dummy is the player who is the partner of Declarer. Dummy lays their hand on the table (exposing all cards) so Declarer can play the cards of Dummy.
4. The Defenders are the two players of the other partnership. There hands are concealed so they do not have the advantage that Declarer has of seeinng each others hand during play. However, they can see the hand of Dummy.
5. The Opening Leader is the Defender who sits to the left of Declarer.
6. The Contract is the final contract bid made in the auction along with any double or redouble made after the final contract bid.
   • The suit named in the Contract is the trump suit. If the Contract is for NoTrumps, then there is no trump suit.
   • The number of target tricks Declarer must make to satisfy the Contract is 6 (the book) + the level of the contract.
   • Minimum contract:   level=1, target=6+1=7
   • Maximum contract:   level=7, target=6+7=13
   • Contracts that include "double" or "redouble" result in increased points for the prevailing side after the play is completed.