Learn Bridge Very Slowly
Apprenez Le Bridge Pas a Pas
Apprenez Le Bridge Pas a Pas
Jacques Lumbroso
3) SCORING, PART 1
What is the reward for “making” a contract(getting the tricks bid for)?
What happens if the contract“goes down”(fewer tricks got than bid for)?
What is the reward for making more tricks than bid for?
a) trick points
If the contract is 1D for example, and seven tricks are made, the contract is said to be “just made”. No score is given for the first six tricks, and only the seventh trick gets a score.
If the contract is 3C for example, and nine tricks are made, no score is given for the first six tricks, and only the seventh, eighth and ninth tricks get a score.
The rule is: no score is ever given for the first six tricks made by Declarer, but each trick from the seventh, bid and made, gets the following “trick points”:
20 points when § or ¨ are trumps
30 points when © or ª are trumps
Because of that difference, clubs and diamonds are called “minor suits”, and hearts and spades are called “major suits”.
Examples:
3S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 30 x 3 = 90.
2D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 20 x 2 = 40.
No trump gives an even better score: 40 trick points for the seventh trick bid and made, and 30 for each additional trick bid and made.
Examples:
1NT bid and seven tricks made, the score is 40.
4NT bid and ten tricks made, the score is 40+30+30+30 =130.
All the scores are of course for the pair, not just for Declarer.
b) undertrick points
If Declarer does not make the contract(does not get enough tricks as required by the final bid), then his side scores nothing, and the opposition(the other two players) scores 50 points for each trick short of the contract, also called “trick down”, or undertrick. That applies regardless of which suit was trump, or if there was no trump.
Examples:
2D bid and seven tricks made, the opposition scores 50(“1 down”).
3NT bid and six tricks made, the opposition scores 150(“3 down”).
c) overtrick points
If Declarer makes more tricks than necessary for the contract, each extra-trick, or overtrick, gives a bonus of:
20 points when ¨ or § are trumps.
30 points when © or ª are trumps.
30 points when there is no trump.
Examples:
2S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 60+30 = 90.
1D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 20+20 = 40.
That bonus is in fact identical to the increase in score the pair would get for bidding the contract at a higher level. See these two examples:
3S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 90.
2D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 40.
So why bother bidding at a high level?
Why bid too high, risk going down and scoring nothing, and give the opposition a score?
Why not bid as low as possible(at the 1 level, for seven tricks), and collect bonuses for overtricks, whenever they are made?
There are two reasons:
-the bidding is like a “little battle” between the two pairs, with the highest bidder getting a major advantage: the choice of trump, or no trump.
-if two partners bid a contract that gives at least 100 trick points, called a “game contract”, they get a bonus of 300 points, called a “game bonus”, providing they make at least the number of tricks they mentioned.
For example, the following contracts are game contracts:
3NT, that, if made, scores 40+30+30 = 100 + 300(bonus) = 400.
4H or 4S, that, if made, scores 4 x 30= 120 + 300(bonus) = 420.
5C or 5D, that, if made, scores 5 x 20= 100 + 300(bonus) = 400.
Of course, the same bonus of 300 points is given for all the higher game contracts(if made, with or without overtricks): 4NT, 5NT, 6NT, 7NT, 5H, 6H, 7H, 5S, 6S, 7S, 6C, 7C, 6D, 7D.
That is really the main reason why two partners try to increase the bidding, hoping that one of them will be courageous enough to bid a game contract.
Bridge is a game of gamble. If you bid high enough, you can get a great score, but you can also lose a lot.
Now of course have a few more games, and keep a record of the scores, to see which pair wins at the end!
What is the reward for “making” a contract(getting the tricks bid for)?
What happens if the contract“goes down”(fewer tricks got than bid for)?
What is the reward for making more tricks than bid for?
a) trick points
If the contract is 1D for example, and seven tricks are made, the contract is said to be “just made”. No score is given for the first six tricks, and only the seventh trick gets a score.
If the contract is 3C for example, and nine tricks are made, no score is given for the first six tricks, and only the seventh, eighth and ninth tricks get a score.
The rule is: no score is ever given for the first six tricks made by Declarer, but each trick from the seventh, bid and made, gets the following “trick points”:
20 points when § or ¨ are trumps
30 points when © or ª are trumps
Because of that difference, clubs and diamonds are called “minor suits”, and hearts and spades are called “major suits”.
Examples:
3S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 30 x 3 = 90.
2D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 20 x 2 = 40.
No trump gives an even better score: 40 trick points for the seventh trick bid and made, and 30 for each additional trick bid and made.
Examples:
1NT bid and seven tricks made, the score is 40.
4NT bid and ten tricks made, the score is 40+30+30+30 =130.
All the scores are of course for the pair, not just for Declarer.
b) undertrick points
If Declarer does not make the contract(does not get enough tricks as required by the final bid), then his side scores nothing, and the opposition(the other two players) scores 50 points for each trick short of the contract, also called “trick down”, or undertrick. That applies regardless of which suit was trump, or if there was no trump.
Examples:
2D bid and seven tricks made, the opposition scores 50(“1 down”).
3NT bid and six tricks made, the opposition scores 150(“3 down”).
c) overtrick points
If Declarer makes more tricks than necessary for the contract, each extra-trick, or overtrick, gives a bonus of:
20 points when ¨ or § are trumps.
30 points when © or ª are trumps.
30 points when there is no trump.
Examples:
2S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 60+30 = 90.
1D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 20+20 = 40.
That bonus is in fact identical to the increase in score the pair would get for bidding the contract at a higher level. See these two examples:
3S bid and nine tricks made, the score is 90.
2D bid and eight tricks made, the score is 40.
So why bother bidding at a high level?
Why bid too high, risk going down and scoring nothing, and give the opposition a score?
Why not bid as low as possible(at the 1 level, for seven tricks), and collect bonuses for overtricks, whenever they are made?
There are two reasons:
-the bidding is like a “little battle” between the two pairs, with the highest bidder getting a major advantage: the choice of trump, or no trump.
-if two partners bid a contract that gives at least 100 trick points, called a “game contract”, they get a bonus of 300 points, called a “game bonus”, providing they make at least the number of tricks they mentioned.
For example, the following contracts are game contracts:
3NT, that, if made, scores 40+30+30 = 100 + 300(bonus) = 400.
4H or 4S, that, if made, scores 4 x 30= 120 + 300(bonus) = 420.
5C or 5D, that, if made, scores 5 x 20= 100 + 300(bonus) = 400.
Of course, the same bonus of 300 points is given for all the higher game contracts(if made, with or without overtricks): 4NT, 5NT, 6NT, 7NT, 5H, 6H, 7H, 5S, 6S, 7S, 6C, 7C, 6D, 7D.
That is really the main reason why two partners try to increase the bidding, hoping that one of them will be courageous enough to bid a game contract.
Bridge is a game of gamble. If you bid high enough, you can get a great score, but you can also lose a lot.
Now of course have a few more games, and keep a record of the scores, to see which pair wins at the end!
