How to play Bridge: card game rules & interactive tutorial

Bridge is a 4-player "trick-taking" game played in two partnerships. Often called the "king of card games," Bridge combines strategic bidding with skillful card play. Partners sit across from each other and work together to win tricks. Bridge evolved from Whist, which offers a simpler take on partnership trick-taking.

The game's objective is to win the rubber: it ends when a partnership wins two games, and the partnership with the higher total score wins. This format is known as Rubber Bridge, where a game is won by accumulating 100 or more trick points through successful contracts.

The game might seem complex at first, so you're excused if you find yourself thinking: "How do you play Bridge?" Below, you'll find thorough instructions that will get you up to speed on how to play Bridge. If you're more of a "learning by doing" type of person, you can learn the rules of Bridge by playing through our interactive tutorial above.

Once you've learned the rules, it's time to play Bridge online. You can play directly at World of Card Games, either by yourself against bots or multiplayer with other people.

Let the Bridge adventure begin!

Bridge at a glance

The classic partnership game of bidding and trick-taking, played as Rubber Bridge here.

  • Players: 4, in two fixed partnerships
  • Deck: standard 52 cards, trump decided by the auction
  • Type: trick-taking with bidding (Rubber Bridge)
  • Objective: bid a contract with your partner, then make it
  • Winning: the rubber ends when a partnership wins two games, and the higher total score wins
  • Average game: 18 minutes

Rank of cards

Bridge uses a standard 52-card deck. In each suit, cards rank Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, from highest to lowest. There are several formats of Bridge, such as Duplicate and Chicago. The version played here is Rubber Bridge.

Objective

Bridge is played by four players in two fixed partnerships. Partners sit across from each other at the table: North-South vs. East-West.

The goal is to win the rubber. The rubber ends when a partnership wins two games, and the partnership with the higher total score wins it. A game is won by accumulating 100 or more trick points "below the line" across one or more deals.

In other words, scores can carry forward from deal to deal until a side completes a game.

Key terms

Before diving into the rules, here are some essential Bridge terms.

Deal

A random player is chosen as the first dealer. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.

The entire deck is dealt out, one card at a time, clockwise. Each player receives 13 cards.

Players pick up their cards and sort them by suit.

Bidding (the auction)

Before play begins, players conduct an auction to determine the contract. The dealer speaks first and bidding proceeds clockwise.

A bid consists of a number (1 through 7) and a denomination (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, or no trumps). The number represents how many tricks above six the partnership commits to winning. For example, a bid of "2 hearts" means the bidder's side commits to winning at least 8 tricks (6 + 2) with hearts as the trump suit.

Denomination ranking (lowest to highest)

Each bid must be higher than the previous bid. A bid is higher if it has a greater number or the same number with a higher-ranking denomination. For example, 2♦ can be overcalled by 2♥, 2♠, 2NT, or any bid of 3 or higher.

Instead of making a bid, a player may pass, double or redouble.

A double or redouble is cancelled if any player makes a subsequent bid.

The auction ends when three players pass in succession after any bid has been made. The final bid becomes the contract.

Passed out: If all four players pass without anyone making a bid, the hand is "passed out". The cards are collected and the next dealer deals a new hand.

Determining declarer

When the auction ends with a contract, the declaring side is the partnership that made the final bid. The declarer is the player on the declaring side who first mentioned the denomination of the final contract during the auction.

For example: If North bids 1♥, South later bids 3♥, and the auction ends with South's 3♥ contract, North is the declarer because North first mentioned hearts.

Play

Opening lead: The player to the declarer's left leads first by playing any card face up on the table.

Dummy exposed: Immediately after the opening lead, the dummy (declarer's partner) places their entire hand face up on the table, arranged by suit. The declarer will play cards from both hands throughout the deal.

Following suit: Each player must follow suit if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card, either discarding from another suit or playing a trump (if there is a trump suit).

Winning the trick: The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump was played. If one or more trumps are played, the highest trump wins. The winner of each trick leads the next one.

In a no-trumps contract, there is no trump suit. The highest card of the suit led always wins.

Play continues until all 13 tricks have been played. The tricks won by each partnership are then counted.

Scoring overview

Bridge scoring uses two areas. Trick points that count toward winning a game go "below the line". Bonuses and penalties go "above the line".

Only tricks bid and made count below the line. Overtricks, bonuses, and penalties are scored above the line.

Trick points (below the line)

If the declaring side makes their contract (wins at least the number of tricks bid), they score points below the line for each trick bid.

Here are some examples.

When a partnership accumulates 100 or more points below the line, they win a game. A line is drawn and both sides start fresh toward the next game. The rubber ends when a partnership wins its second game.

Doubled and redoubled contracts

If the contract was doubled and made, trick points are doubled. If redoubled, trick points are quadrupled.

Additionally, making a doubled contract earns a bonus of 50 points above the line (called "the insult"). Making a redoubled contract earns 100 points above the line.

Overtricks (above the line)

Tricks won beyond the contract are overtricks, scored above the line.

Undertricks (penalties)

If the declaring side fails to make their contract, the defending side scores penalty points above the line for each trick by which declarer fell short (undertricks).

Undoubled penalties

Doubled penalties (not vulnerable)

Doubled penalties (vulnerable)

Redoubled penalties: double the corresponding doubled penalty values.

Vulnerability

A partnership becomes vulnerable after winning one game in the current rubber. Vulnerability affects bonus and penalty scoring.

At the start of a rubber, neither side is vulnerable. After one side wins a game, that side becomes vulnerable while the other remains not vulnerable. If both sides have won one game each, both are vulnerable.

Slam bonuses

Bidding and making a slam earns substantial bonuses above the line.

Note: You must bid the slam to receive the bonus. Making 12 tricks on a 4♠ contract does not earn a slam bonus.

Game and rubber bonuses

When a partnership wins its second game, they receive a rubber bonus.

The bonus goes above the line for the side that won its second game.

Honors

In Rubber Bridge, bonus points are awarded for holding honors in one hand. The honors are the A, K, Q, J and 10 of trumps. In no trumps, they are the four Aces.

Honors count above the line and can go to either side, regardless of who is declarer. You don't need to claim anything. The bonus is awarded automatically at the end of play.

Game end

The rubber ends when one partnership wins two games. The rubber bonus is added, all points are totaled, and the partnership with the higher total wins. This is usually the partnership that won two games, but not always: large penalties and bonuses can give the other partnership the higher total, even after the rubber bonus. If the totals are equal, the rubber is a tie and both partnerships share the win.

The rules in practice

The auction is easier than it looks once you translate the numbers. Say the dealer opens 1 heart. That's a promise to win seven tricks, six plus one, with hearts as trump. The next player can pass or bid higher. Higher means a bigger number or the same number in a higher denomination, so 1 spade and 1 no trump both outrank 1 heart while 1 diamond doesn't. If the dealer's partner later raises to 3 hearts and three passes follow, 3 hearts is the contract. The dealer becomes declarer, not the partner, because the dealer mentioned hearts first.

Playing with a dummy takes a deal or two to get used to. Once the opening lead hits the table, declarer's partner spreads their entire hand face up and declarer chooses every card from both hands. Suppose the contract is 4 spades and a defender leads a heart. If the dummy has no hearts, declarer can play a small spade from it. Because spades are trump, that little card wins the trick unless someone plays a higher spade.

Below the line is where games are won. Make 3 no trumps and you score 40 for the first trick bid and 30 for each of the other two, exactly 100 and a game in one deal. Make 2 clubs and you score just 40, a part score that stays on the sheet, so making 3 clubs on a later deal completes the game. Go down instead and the defenders collect above the line. They get 50 per undertrick when you're not vulnerable and 100 when you are. They get much more if the contract was doubled.

Strategy basics

A few habits will carry you a long way in your first rubbers.

History

Contract Bridge evolved from Whist and Auction Bridge in the early 20th century. The modern game was largely developed by Harold Vanderbilt in 1925, who introduced vulnerability and refined the scoring system. Bridge quickly became one of the world's most popular card games, with millions of players in clubs, tournaments, and casual settings worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes the opening lead in Bridge?

The player to the declarer's left leads the first trick with any card. The dummy's cards go face up on the table right after that lead.

What happens if all four players pass?

The hand is "passed out". The cards are collected without any play or scoring and the next dealer deals a new hand.

What do double and redouble do?

Double is a call you can make when the current highest bid belongs to an opponent. It raises the scoring stakes in both directions. Making a doubled contract also earns a bonus of 50 points known as "the insult". Redouble raises the stakes again when your side's bid has been doubled. Any later bid cancels a double or redouble.

Can the dummy play their own cards?

No. After the opening lead the dummy's hand lies face up on the table. The declarer picks every card played from it until the deal is over.

What are honors in Rubber Bridge?

The Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the trump suit. Holding four of them in one hand scores a bonus of 100 points above the line and all five scores 150. In a no-trumps contract, holding all four Aces in one hand scores 150. Either side can claim honors, regardless of who is declarer.

Helpful links

Pagat.com Bridge page

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