Learn Bridge Very Slowly
Apprenez Le Bridge Pas a Pas
Apprenez Le Bridge Pas a Pas
Jacques Lumbroso
2. THREE IMPORTANT RULES FOR THE BIDDING
A)Instead of saying “My partner and I will make at least seven tricks, and I choose hearts as trumps”, one must say: “1 heart”. Similarly “2 spades” means “My partner and I will make at least eight tricks, and I choose spades as trumps”. It is compulsory to bid in this way.
Six is added to the number mentioned to find the number of tricks bid for: “3” means nine tricks, “7” means thirteen tricks, etc… The highest bid possible is “7”, as there are only thirteen tricks to be made.
B)The players have the choice of not picking a trump suit for a particular game, if they so wish. They mention this fact when bidding for their tricks, by saying for example “3 No trump”, meaning: “My partner and I will make at least nine tricks, and there will be no trump suit”. If that bid is followed by three passes in succession, it becomes the contract. Any of the four players can bid No trump, even if they have bid with one of the four suits as trump beforehand.
C)It was said above that the bidding goes clockwise, with either an increase in the number of tricks, or a pass. In fact the players have three options when it is their turn to bid:
.they can pass
.they can increase the number of tricks
.crucially they can bid for the same number of tricks as the previous bid, on condition that they pick either No trump, or a trump suit which is of a higher ranking than the one of the previous bid.
What is meant by higher ranking? For the purpose of the bidding only, the suits have the following ranking:
.No trump…………….. ( NT)the highest
.Spades……………….. (S)
.Hearts…………………(H)
.Diamonds……………..(D)
.Clubs………………….(C) the lowest
The easy way to remember is the alphabetical order: C-D-H-S-NT.
In other words “1 Diamond” is a higher bid than “1 Club”.
“1 Heart” is a higher bid than “1 Diamond”, and of course “1 Club”.
“1 Spade” is a higher bid than “1 Heart”, “1 Diamond” and “1 Club”.
“1 No trump” is a higher bid than “1 Spade”, “1 Heart”, “1 Diamond” and “1 Club”. “2 Clubs” is a higher bid than any bid at the “1 level”(the five bids we just saw). “2 Diamonds” is a higher bid than “2 Clubs” and any bid at the “1 level”. Etc…
If somebody bids 1 heart, and somebody else wants to bid No trump, then a bid of 1 No trump is enough, but if that player wants to bid clubs, it will have to be at least at the “2 level”(2 Clubs).
Here is the complete range of bids, from the lowest (1C) to the highest (7NT):
7NT……………the highest bid
7S
7H
7D
7C
6NT
6S
6H
6D
6C
5NT
5S
5H
5D
5C
4NT
4S
4H
4D
4C
3NT
3S
3H
3D
3C
2NT
2S
2H
2D
2C
1NT
1S
1H
1D
1C……………the lowest bid
If, for example, somebody bids 2D, then the next bid has to be above 2D, at any level(it cannot be inferior to it, and it cannot be the same bid of 2D). Of course the option to pass is always there.
Throughout the text, the bids will be written in letters(like 3C), and the cards in symbols(like §9). Each “level” of bidding has five possible bids. For example the “4 level” has: 4C, 4D, 4H, 4S, 4NT.
It was stated above who the Declarer is. Now that the notion of
“No trump” has been introduced, the rule is: Declarer is the player in the pair with the highest bid that first bids the suit of the highest bid, or No trump, if that is the case.
Let’s see an example of bidding around a bridge table, where South is Dealer:
A)Instead of saying “My partner and I will make at least seven tricks, and I choose hearts as trumps”, one must say: “1 heart”. Similarly “2 spades” means “My partner and I will make at least eight tricks, and I choose spades as trumps”. It is compulsory to bid in this way.
Six is added to the number mentioned to find the number of tricks bid for: “3” means nine tricks, “7” means thirteen tricks, etc… The highest bid possible is “7”, as there are only thirteen tricks to be made.
B)The players have the choice of not picking a trump suit for a particular game, if they so wish. They mention this fact when bidding for their tricks, by saying for example “3 No trump”, meaning: “My partner and I will make at least nine tricks, and there will be no trump suit”. If that bid is followed by three passes in succession, it becomes the contract. Any of the four players can bid No trump, even if they have bid with one of the four suits as trump beforehand.
C)It was said above that the bidding goes clockwise, with either an increase in the number of tricks, or a pass. In fact the players have three options when it is their turn to bid:
.they can pass
.they can increase the number of tricks
.crucially they can bid for the same number of tricks as the previous bid, on condition that they pick either No trump, or a trump suit which is of a higher ranking than the one of the previous bid.
What is meant by higher ranking? For the purpose of the bidding only, the suits have the following ranking:
.No trump…………….. ( NT)the highest
.Spades……………….. (S)
.Hearts…………………(H)
.Diamonds……………..(D)
.Clubs………………….(C) the lowest
The easy way to remember is the alphabetical order: C-D-H-S-NT.
In other words “1 Diamond” is a higher bid than “1 Club”.
“1 Heart” is a higher bid than “1 Diamond”, and of course “1 Club”.
“1 Spade” is a higher bid than “1 Heart”, “1 Diamond” and “1 Club”.
“1 No trump” is a higher bid than “1 Spade”, “1 Heart”, “1 Diamond” and “1 Club”. “2 Clubs” is a higher bid than any bid at the “1 level”(the five bids we just saw). “2 Diamonds” is a higher bid than “2 Clubs” and any bid at the “1 level”. Etc…
If somebody bids 1 heart, and somebody else wants to bid No trump, then a bid of 1 No trump is enough, but if that player wants to bid clubs, it will have to be at least at the “2 level”(2 Clubs).
Here is the complete range of bids, from the lowest (1C) to the highest (7NT):
7NT……………the highest bid
7S
7H
7D
7C
6NT
6S
6H
6D
6C
5NT
5S
5H
5D
5C
4NT
4S
4H
4D
4C
3NT
3S
3H
3D
3C
2NT
2S
2H
2D
2C
1NT
1S
1H
1D
1C……………the lowest bid
If, for example, somebody bids 2D, then the next bid has to be above 2D, at any level(it cannot be inferior to it, and it cannot be the same bid of 2D). Of course the option to pass is always there.
Throughout the text, the bids will be written in letters(like 3C), and the cards in symbols(like §9). Each “level” of bidding has five possible bids. For example the “4 level” has: 4C, 4D, 4H, 4S, 4NT.
It was stated above who the Declarer is. Now that the notion of
“No trump” has been introduced, the rule is: Declarer is the player in the pair with the highest bid that first bids the suit of the highest bid, or No trump, if that is the case.
Let’s see an example of bidding around a bridge table, where South is Dealer:
| South | West | North | East |
| Pass | 1H | Pass | 1NT |
| 2D | 2H | 3D | 3H |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
A few comments on the above bidding(or “auction”).
.South, as Dealer, had two options: to bid or to pass. It is not compulsory to bid just because you are the Dealer.
.Everybody has the option to bid or pass at each turn, and that is why South and North decided to enter the auction with 2D and 3D respectively, even though they had passed beforehand.
.3H is the contract, as it was followed by three passes in succession. East is not allowed to bid again after those three passes. The bidding is over.
.Hearts are trumps, and East-West are going to try to make at least nine tricks.
.West is the Declarer, as he was the first in the East-West pair to mention hearts in the bidding.
.North plays the first card(the opening lead), as he is sitting on the left of Declarer.
.East is Dummy, and lays down his cards face up on the table, after the opening lead has been played.
Now that the notion of No trump has been introduced, here is a new summary of what happens at a game of bridge, in chronological order:
.the cards are dealt and sorted
.the players bid for tricks and a trump suit, or no trump
.the cards are played
.the score is written down(see next)
Now stop reading again and have a few more games with your friends.
.South, as Dealer, had two options: to bid or to pass. It is not compulsory to bid just because you are the Dealer.
.Everybody has the option to bid or pass at each turn, and that is why South and North decided to enter the auction with 2D and 3D respectively, even though they had passed beforehand.
.3H is the contract, as it was followed by three passes in succession. East is not allowed to bid again after those three passes. The bidding is over.
.Hearts are trumps, and East-West are going to try to make at least nine tricks.
.West is the Declarer, as he was the first in the East-West pair to mention hearts in the bidding.
.North plays the first card(the opening lead), as he is sitting on the left of Declarer.
.East is Dummy, and lays down his cards face up on the table, after the opening lead has been played.
Now that the notion of No trump has been introduced, here is a new summary of what happens at a game of bridge, in chronological order:
.the cards are dealt and sorted
.the players bid for tricks and a trump suit, or no trump
.the cards are played
.the score is written down(see next)
Now stop reading again and have a few more games with your friends.
