How to Play Bridge

Posted on January 1st, 2009 by monsterguide

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For some people, bridge is that complicated game enjoyed by middle-aged ladies on a Saturday night over tea and crumpets. Yet for others, bridge is a very competitive game that requires skill, strategy, and a hint of luck with the deal of the cards. Bridge is one of the more complex card games out there, and it can get a bit tricky to learn the basics and develop a winning strategy. If you’re a complete beginner to bridge, here’s a guide that can help you get around playing the game.

What is Bridge?

Bridge is a term for card games that involve “trick-taking,” or when players lay down a card to determine who takes the cards in play to win the game. There are four kinds of bridge games usually played at a competitive level today:

Contract bridge is the most common and well-known type of bridge, and is the game often referred to when someone says “bridge.” Contract bridge is a four-player game where a team of two partners try to achieve the highest score at any given deal.
Duplicate bridge is a type of bridge played at tournament settings. To reduce chances of winning based on sheer luck, duplicate bridge is played with the same arrangement of hands and decks at multiple tables, which can number to the hundreds.
Auction bridge is an early form of bridge, and was developed from straight bridge games in the early 20th century.
Singaporean bridge, also known as floating bridge, is a modified version of contract bridge. The game was believed to have been invented in Southeast Asia, although this variant of bridge is very common all over the world.

Rules and Goals of Bridge

To play bridge, you need a standard deck of 52 cards. Four players play a hand of bridge, with two people creating a partnership. The partners are then seated across each other, and the game commences. Here are three important terms you have to know when playing bridge:

Contracts. The highest-ranked suit in bridge is spades, followed by hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Before the game, the declaring partnership states a bid to state how many tricks it would need for him or her to fulfill the bid.
Tricks. The object of the game is to lay down cards on the table to form a trick. Players lay cards in turns on the table to form tricks. Players must follow suit, or play a card to complete the trick. In some rules of bridge, the player may opt to pass. The winner of the bid then takes the trick from the table.
Auction is the declaration where a player states the number of tricks he or she will take to win the game. The declaration is based on what he or she thinks is a game-winner based on the hand he or she plays.

Bridge Rulebooks and Guides

One way to learn bridge is to study the game through guides, rulebooks, and actual or simulated bridge games:

Rulebooks. Bridge rulebooks and strategy guides are readily available from bookstores and specialty sites on the Internet. A good rulebook on bridge need not be thick; as long as the rulebook explains all the rules in an easy way, then you can use it to learn the basics.
Bridge simulators. Computer games can also help you develop strategies and techniques in bridge. If you’re a beginner, make sure to play tutorial sessions or play the game at a very easy difficulty level. In time, you should increase the difficulty level to keep the experience fresh and challenging.
Bridge games. There’s no substitute for actual practice. You can ask a friend or a family member to let you watch or even join in a game of bridge. Players may even give you helpful tips and advice on how to win the game based on their experiences with different games and other players.

Bridge may seem to be an old game for old people, but you don’t need the tea and crackers to go along with this fast-paced, strategy-filled game. With these tips to get you started, you can lay your cards on the table with a fun, enjoyable game that you’ll play for hours on end.