🃏 What is Bridge?
Contract Bridge (or simply "Bridge") is a trick-taking card game played by four players in two partnerships. It's one of the most intellectually challenging and socially engaging card games in the world.
Bridge in 60 seconds:
- Four players, two teams (North-South vs East-West)
- Players bid to declare how many tricks they can win
- One team tries to make their contract, the other tries to stop them
- Points are scored based on success or failure
Why Play Bridge?
- Mental Challenge: Strategy, memory, and logic combined
- Social Game: Play with friends or meet new people
- Lifelong Learning: Always something new to discover
- Global Community: Played by millions worldwide
- Competitive & Casual: From kitchen tables to world championships
🎴 The Basics
The Deck
Bridge uses a standard 52-card deck with four suits:
- ♠ Spades (Black)
- ♥ Hearts (Red)
- ♦ Diamonds (Red)
- ♣ Clubs (Black)
Each suit has 13 cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
The Players
Four players sit in a square:
💡 Key Point: North-South are partners against East-West. Partners sit across from each other and work together to win.
The Deal
Each player receives 13 cards. Players can see only their own cards (not their partner's or opponents' cards).
🔢 Counting Points (HCP)
Before bidding, you count your High Card Points (HCP). This tells you how strong your hand is:
| Card |
Points |
Why? |
| Ace (A) |
4 points |
Highest card, always wins |
| King (K) |
3 points |
Second highest |
| Queen (Q) |
2 points |
Third highest |
| Jack (J) |
1 point |
Fourth highest |
| 10, 9, 8... 2 |
0 points |
Small cards |
Example Hand:
♠ A K 5 = 4 + 3 = 7 points
♥ Q J 4 = 2 + 1 = 3 points
♦ 9 8 6 = 0 points
♣ A 7 3 2 = 4 points
Total: 14 HCP
💡 Important: The deck has exactly 40 HCP total (4 Aces × 4 = 16, plus Kings, Queens, Jacks). Average hand = 10 HCP.
⚡ Two Phases of Bridge
Every hand of bridge has two distinct phases:
Phase 1: The Auction (Bidding)
Players take turns bidding - stating how many tricks they think their partnership can win. The bidding determines:
- How many tricks the declaring side must win (7-13 tricks)
- What suit is trump (or if playing No Trump)
- Who is declarer (the person who plays the hand)
🎯 This trainer focuses on Phase 1! We're teaching you the auction (bidding) because it's the foundation. Card play comes in Phase 2.
How Bidding Works
Bids go in order: North → East → South → West → North... until three players Pass in a row.
A bid consists of:
- A level (1-7) = tricks above 6 you'll try to win
- A denomination (♣, ♦, ♥, ♠, or NT)
Example Bids:
• "1♠" = "We'll win 7 tricks (6+1) with spades as trump"
• "3NT" = "We'll win 9 tricks (6+3) with no trump suit"
• "Pass" = "I don't want to bid right now"
⚠️ Bidding Rule: Each new bid must be higher than the last. You can't bid "1♠" after someone bid "2♣" - you'd need to bid "2♠" or higher.
Phase 2: The Play (Not in this trainer)
After bidding ends, the cards are played. One player (the declarer) tries to win the number of tricks they bid, while opponents try to stop them.
Coming Soon: Full card play, scoring, rubber bridge, and more! For now, we're focusing on mastering the auction.
🎯 Key Bidding Concepts
Trump vs. No Trump
Trump: One suit becomes "boss" - trump cards beat all other suits.
No Trump (NT): No boss suit - highest card in the suit led wins.
Opening Requirements
To open the bidding (make the first bid), you typically need:
- 13+ HCP for most opening bids
- 15-17 HCP for 1NT opening
- 6-11 HCP for weak two bids (2♥, 2♠) with a long suit
Responding to Partner
When partner opens, you respond based on:
- Your HCP
- Whether you have support (cards in partner's suit)
- Your distribution (how cards are divided among suits)
Game and Slam
| Contract |
Tricks Needed |
HCP Needed |
| Part Score |
7-8 tricks |
Less than 25 combined |
| Game |
9-11 tricks |
25-26 combined HCP |
| Small Slam |
12 tricks |
33+ combined HCP |
| Grand Slam |
13 tricks (all!) |
37+ combined HCP |
🔧 Basic Conventions You'll Learn
Bridge has many conventions - artificial bids with special meanings that partners agree on. Here are some you'll practice:
Stayman
After partner opens 1NT, bid 2♣ to ask "Do you have a 4-card major?"
Jacoby Transfer
After partner opens 1NT, bid 2♦ to show 5+ hearts, or 2♥ to show 5+ spades.
Takeout Double
After opponent opens, double to show opening strength and support for unbid suits.
Don't worry! Our trainer will teach you these step-by-step with practice hands and explanations.
🚀 Ready to Start?
Now you understand the basics! Bridge has depth that takes years to master, but you can start playing and learning right away.
What This Trainer Does:
• Teaches bidding conventions
• Gives you real hands to practice
• Provides instant feedback
• Tracks your progress
• Prepares you for real games
What's NOT Here Yet:
• Card play (coming soon!)
• Scoring systems
• Full games (rubber, duplicate)
• Multiplayer
Start with Single Decision mode to learn conventions, then progress to Full Auction mode for realistic practice.
📚 Want to Learn More?
Great resources for beginners:
- Books: "Bridge For Dummies" by Eddie Kantar
- Online: American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) lessons
- Videos: Search "bridge basics" on YouTube
- Apps: Funbridge, Bridge Baron (for card play practice)
- Local: Find a bridge club near you for lessons