How to play
Four players in two partnerships, partners sitting opposite. Each deal everyone gets 13 cards.
The auction
Starting with the dealer and going round to the left, everyone makes a call. A bid names a number of tricks over six (1 to 7) and a trump suit, or no trumps: 2♥ promises 8 tricks with hearts as trumps. Each bid must be higher than the last, going up from clubs to diamonds, hearts, spades and no trumps at each level. You can also pass, double the other side’s bid, or redouble their double. Three passes after a bid end the auction. If everyone passes straight away, the cards are dealt again.
The play
The side that bid last has to make its contract. Of that side, the player who first named the trump suit is the declarer. The player on the declarer’s left leads, then the declarer’s partner lays their cards face up as dummy, and the declarer plays both hands. Follow suit if you can; the highest trump wins the trick, or else the highest card of the suit led.
Scoring
- Making the contract: 20 a trick bid in clubs or diamonds, 30 in hearts or spades, and 40 for the first trick then 30 in no trumps (doubled or redoubled if the contract was). 100 or more of those is a game, worth 300 more (500 when vulnerable); anything less gets 50.
- Slams: bid and make 12 tricks for 500 more (750 vulnerable), or all 13 for 1000 (1500).
- Overtricks score their trick value, or 100 each doubled (200 vulnerable), twice that redoubled.
- Going down: the other side scores 50 a trick (100 vulnerable), more when doubled.
A game is four deals (Chicago): nobody is vulnerable on the first, the dealer’s side on the second and third, and everybody on the fourth. Add up the points; the higher total wins.
Tips
Count your points: an ace is 4, a king 3, a queen 2 and a jack 1. With 12 or more, open the bidding. Between you, about 25 points and eight cards in a major make a good game in that suit; with no fit, 25 points make three no trumps. The suggested call is what the computer would bid with your hand.