Click here to read the introduction to Bridge7's CyberFair.. The system introduced in this site is in five-card majors style: Basic methods  will provide Bridge7 members to play at bridge clubs with their friends and  across the Internet with Bridge7 friends in all over the world easily..

     1 NT opening shows 15-17 points without five cards in major suits. Weak two-bids shows 6 cards suit. 2 Clubs opening is strong and artificial. Limit raises, Stayman, transfers, RKCB, negative doubles, are standard conventions. Jump overcalls are preemptive in competition. Doubles of opponent's suit openings are take out through the game...

    The Advanced Bridge section contains more sophisticated bidding and playing methods for improving bridge techiques of Bridge7 friends..

Good Luck Bridge7 firends..

1.1 Terms

1.1.1 Intermediate Cards= 10 and 9 in any suit are called intemediate card.
1.1.2 Auction = The bidding phase of bridge.
1.1.3 Balanced hand = A hand without voids and singletons. Distributions 4-3-3-3 or 4-4-3-2 are examples of balanced hands. 
1.1.4 Convention = Bid which has a special meaning 
1.1.5 Trick = The cards played and won in a single round.
1.1.6 Honor = Any of the five higest cards in a suit: Ace, King Queen, Jack and Ten. The ten is honor card without point value
1.1.7 Suit = Any of the four sets of thirteen playing cards: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. 
1.1.8 Low card = Cards ranking from eight to two in a suit. 
 

1.2 Point Count

Note: Go to Section 10 for practicing point count

In the game of bridge, you use points to evaluate your hand. In order to make a good contract, you must know the value of your hand. You can evaluate your hand by combining high card points and distributinal points.


 1.2.1  High-Card Points

Use only high card points to evaluate your hand in notrump contracts.

Honors Card Point
Ace 4
King 3
Queen 2
Jack 1
Ten 0
1) High-Card points abbreviated as HCP.
2) Total HCP points in the deck is 40. 

1.2.2 Distributional Points

  There are several ways to count distributional points. Widely used ones are:

1- Long suit points: Added to HCP before your partnership has reached a fit.
2- Short suit points: Added to HCP after your partnership has reached a fit.

Long and short suit points must not be combined (must never be cumulated) in evaluating your hand.

1.2.2.1 Long Suit Points (Length Points)

Evaluate your hand with high card points and long suit points unless you are supporting your partner's suit.

Distribution Point Description Example
(please click)
Each card over four in any suit  1 Add one point for each additonal card on 4th card. This is called long-suit points. For example, add three points for a 7-card suit.


1.2.2.2 Short Suit Points (Dummy Points)

Short suit points are added to high card points after your partnership found a fit (shortness method).

Distribution Point Description Example
(click on the example)
Void  5 If you have a missing suit (void) you have the ability to trump losers. So count 5 points..

With support with partner's suit
Singleton  3 If you have a single card in a suit, sooner you will have the ability to trump losers. So count 3 points..

Singleton honors (like K, Q and J) can not have both HCP and short suit points: If you have unprotected honors, just add 3  points for short suit points. Not both of them.

With support for partner's suit
Doubleton    1 If you have double cards in a suit, later you will have the ability to trump losers. So count 1 points..

If your doubleton suit is in the form of:  K Q, K J, Q J, Q x, J x don't count both honor and distribution points. Because this kind of hands easily lose to  opponents' high cards. 
Note: Use above short suit points to revaluate your hand after you reached a fit. Here is an example about revaluating:

This hand has
8 HCP + 1 long suit (club) point = 9 total points.
If your partner bids 1S, you have four-card support in spades. In this case, you can revaluate your hand as:


8 HCP + 3 short suit (diamond) point = 11 total points.


1.2.4 Total Points

The sum of high card points (HCP) and one of the distributional points (long suit or short suit point) is called total points (TP). 
When you are opening a bid or bidding a new suit you must evaluate your hand with HCP & long suit points. So, 

TOTAL POINTS= HIGHCARD POINTS + LONG SUIT POINTS ...... (1.1)

Plese see Chapter 10 for practicing point count..

Once your partner opens, and if you are going to raise your partner's suit you must reevaluate your hand with short suit points. So, in raising partner's suit you must use below equation.

TOTAL POINTS= HIGHCARD POINTS + SHORT SUIT POINTS ..... (1.2)

Don't forget that, if you are opener, and raising the responder's suit you must also use equation (1.2).

  • Never cumulate long suit (length) and short suit (dummy) points; use them separately.

  • If you are evaluating your hand (either as opener or responder) for a no trump contract don't use total points; use only high card points.

Here are some examples for point counts:

Click on the buttons:

       

1.3 Ranks

The ranks are imoprtant in the auction. The suit ranks  from highest to lowest are shown below:

Suit
Group 		Suit
Rank
No  suit No trump Balanced hands are suitable for notrump contracts.
Major
suits		 spade
heart 		Majors are higher ranking suits. In 5-card major always seek for 8-card major fit with your partner as: 4-4, 5-3, 6-2....
Minor
suits		 diamond
club		 Minors are lower ranking suits. If you don't have 8-card major fit with your partner, you can play in minor suits.

At the begining of the auction the lowest suit is 1 . After auction started, the nearest suit to the bidded suit is the cheapest..
Example;
If the latest bid is : 1 ,
2 expensive suit,
1 cheapest suit.
or,
If the bid is :1 ,
3 expensive suit.
2  is cheapest.

1.3.3 Suit Length

Long suit = A, R, 7, 6, 5, 3
Short suit = D, 3

1.3.4  Suit Strength

Strong suit = A, R, D, 10, 8,
Weak suit = D, 10, 8, 5, 4,

1.4 Contract

In the auction you can bid one of the below contracts or call pass, double, redouble...

A contract at the 1-level,  for example1NT, needs 7 tricks.

A contract at the 2-level, for example 2, needs 8 tricks..

A contract at the 3-level, for example 3NT,  needs 9 tricks.

A contract at the 4-level, for example 4, needs 10 tricks.

A contract at the 5-level, for example 5, needs 11  tricks.

A contract at the 6-level, for example 6, needs 12  tricks.

A contract at the 7-level, for example 7, needs 13  tricks.

1.5 Contract Levels

Your aim is to make a contract to play in game (like 3NT,  4  etc.). You win at least 100 point if you play in game. If you don't have enough points for game level, you can bid a contract for part score.  If your opponents bid a contract at a higher level than you, your aim is to prevent them making the contract. You can practice contract levels at the Section-10 of this site..

1.5.1  Part Score Contracts

A contract whose trick score is less then 100 is called part score contract.

Type Contract Number  of Points in the Combined Partnership
Suit part score Any suit at the 1, 2 or 3-level  Needs 18-24 combined total points with 8-card fit in partnership.
Notrump part score 1NT or 2NT Needs 20-24 combined total points without 8-card major fit in the partnership.  Balanced hand contracts.

1.5.2  Game Contracts

Any contract whose trick score is higher then 100 is called game contract. Slam and grandslam contracts are also game contracts.

Type of Contract Contract Total Points in the Partnership
(Your and your partner's points) 		Example
(click on the example)
Notrump game contract. 3NT Needs  25/26+ combined total points without 8-card major fit in the partnership. Blanced hand contract.

Major game contract 4 or 4 Needs  25/26+  combined total points and 8-card major fit in the partnership

Minor game contract 5 or 5 Need 28/29+ combined total points without 8-card major fit in the partnership.

Smal slam contract 6NT, 6, 6 ,6 or 6 33+ combined total points. Controls (aces or voids) are also important.

Grand slam contract 7NT, 7, 7 ,7 or 7 37+ combined total points. Controls (aces or voids) are also important.

Note: Above points for slam contracts are necessary for notrump contracts..


1.6 Scoring and Bridge in Computers

1.6.1 Symbols

Please find below the symbols of the high cards;

Honor English Symbol
Ace A
King K
Queen Q
Jack J
10 10
Double x
Redouble xx

1) Sometimes letter "T" is used for ten.
2) Low ranking cards are denoted as (x). Letter x is also used in describing doubled hands.

1.6.2 Scoring

The scoring depends on the type of bridge you are playing. There are three types of bridge:

1. Rubber Bridge: The partnership which wins two games (with 100 points) wins the rubber. Rubber bridge  mainly played in clubs for money.
2. Chicago Bridge :Also known as Four-Deal Bridge. In this type of bridge, player who gets the highest score wins the game. Chicago bridge mainly played among friends.
3- Dublicate Bridge: In this type of bridge, players at the different tables play the same deals. Dublicate bridge is mainly played in clubs, tournaments and matches.

The scoring is almost same in all three types of bridges, but the bonuses change considerably:

1.6.2.1 Scoring in Rubber Bridge

The partnership which wins two games (with 100 points) wins the rubber.  The side which makes 100+ points becomes vulnerable. The part scores add up to 100 or more points. Only in Rubber Bridge you can make a game score by accumulating two or more partials. In Chicago or Dublicate bridge vulnerabilty of the partners is determined in advance. In Rubber Bridge the bonuses increase or decrease according to vulnerability.  

Table 1:  Trick Score
You get these scores for each trick. 

Trump Trick Score Doubled
Trick Score 		Redoubled
Trick Score
Spade 3060120
Heart 3060120
Diamond 204080
Club 204080
Notrump first trick 40,
thereafter 30		 first trick 80,
thereafter 60		 first trick 160
thereafter 120
 

Table 2: Overtrick Score
Any extra trick after your contract is subject to bonus. If your contract is  three spades and if you make 5 spades then you have two extra trick.

Vulnerability Trick Score Doubled
Trick Score 		Redoubled
Trick Score
Non-vulnerable 20 in minors, 30 major or notrumpcontracts 100200
Vulnerable 20 in minors, 30 major or notrumpcontracts 200400
 

Table 3: Undertrick Score
Defending side scores below points for each undertrick if you fail to take the tricks you contracted to take. For example, you are two down  if your contract is five diamonds and you can make only three tricks. 

Contract Vulnerability First Undertrick Score Subsequent 
Undertrick Scores
Normal Non-vulnerable 5050
Vulnerable  100100
Doubled Non-vulnerable100200 **
Vulnerable 200400
RedoubledNon-vulnerable200400
Vulnerable 400600

 ** After 3 down,  the penalty for each subsequent undertrick becomes 300.

Table 4: Slam Bonuses
Slam or Grand slam contracts are subject to extra bonuses.

Bonus type Score
Slam 
(if you bid and make a slam contract)		Non-vulnerable 500
Vulnerable  750
Grand Slam 
(if you bid and make a gran slam contract)		Non-vulnerable 1000
Vulnerable  1500

Table 5: Other Bonuses

Bonus Type Description Score
Making a doubled contract If you succeed in making a doubled contract you get bonus.50
Making a doubled contract If you succeed in making a doubled contract you get bonus.100
High card bonuses If declarer has 4 or more high cards in his hand he gets some bonuses (Don't forget that 10 is a high card)100 points for 4 high cards in trump suit.
150 points for 5 high cards in trump suit.
Four aces in notrump contracts In no trump contracts if you have all the four aces you get a bonus.  150
Rubber bonus The partnership who wins the rubber (by making two game contracts)  is awarded. 500 if the opponents are vulnerable.
700 if the opponents are non-vulnerable.

1.6.2.2 Scoring in Chicago 

In Chicago type bridge, partners change and a new game starts after  four deals. After one round a new game starts with changed partners. Vulnerability of each side is determined in advance as:

First deal (South deals): Nobody is vulnerable
Second deal (West deals): East-West is vulnerable
Third deal (North deals): South-North is vulnearble
Fourth deal (East deals): Everbody is vulneable.

Trick scoring is same as in Rubber Bridge. Table1, Table2, Table3 and Table4 is also valid for Chicago. But, the bonuses in Table5 is different than Rubber Bridge.

Add 50 points for part score contracts.

Add 300 points for nonvulnerable game contracts.

Add 500 points for  vulnerable game contracts.


Example:

Vulnerable four hearts contract:
Score   4 x 30  = 120
Award              = 500

Total                = 620

 Please find below scoring table for one round in Chicago:

The explanation of scoring table:

(a) They bid 2 NT and made it. Nobody was vulnerable.
(b) We bid 4 and made it. They were vulneable.
(c) We bid 3NT and made it. We were vulnerable.
(d) They bid 4 and made it. Everbody was vulneable.

1.6.2.3 Scoring in Dublicate Bridge 

Note: Go to Duplicate Bridge" section for practicing the scoring

Dublicate bridge is mainly played in clubs, tournaments and matches. In Dublicate Bridge players at the different tables play the same deals. Then the results of the tables are compared. In this way the  factor of luck is eliminated.

Trick scoring is same as in Rubber Bridge. Table1, Table2, Table3 and Table4 is also valid for Chicago. But, the bonuses in Table5 is different than Rubber Bridge.

Add 300 points for nonvulnerable game contracts.

Add 500 points for  vulnerable game contracts.


Example:

Non-vulnerable four spades contract:
Score   4 x 30  = 120
Award              =300

Total                = 420

 

You can practice duplicate bridge scoring with the help of a program in Section 10( 10.Software)...

1.6.3 Bridge Hands in Computers 

In order to explain bridge play in computer programs, each player represented by a direction: South, West, North and East. In computer programs South is declarer. Please find below a sample hand diagram:

Contract =3 NT
Op. lead   =K		 A K Q
8 7 5
Q J 10 9 
K J 10 

8 7 6 5 2 
4 3 2
A K 5 7 6
--

J 10
K J 9
3
Q 8 6 5 4 3 2


 

 9 3 4
A Q 10 6
8 4 2
A 9 7 

1.6.4 Programming Language
Universal notation for bridge games is called  PBN (Portable Bridge Notation). Files with .pbn extensions  can be viewed by many computer programs. Most bridge hands played in tournaments are  written in pbn format.

The programs in Bridge7 ( Go to Section-10) are written in Java Script and Visual Basic. Visual Basic programs can be downloaded..
Click here to read the introduction to Bridge7's CyberFair..