Lesson 1A Main

Learn To Play Bridge!

by Richard Pavlicek

Bridge is by far the greatest card game of all, and it can provide immense challenge and enjoyment for the rest of your life. This lesson is intended for the complete beginner, one who knows nothing, or almost nothing, about bridge. If that is you, read on.

Where to begin? Bridge is more complicated than other card games, and beginners are sometimes discouraged by this. Relax! After this lesson you will understand the card play involved and be well on your way to becoming a bridge player. Take your time! There is no hurry. And have a deck of cards handy.

A Few Basics

The game of bridge has two main parts: the Bidding (also called the Auction) and the Play. You should learn the play first because it will give you a better sense of what the bidding means. In fact, learning the bidding first is a mistake and can be a turnoff to new players.

Bridge is a partnership game requiring four players. Each player sits opposite his partner at a card table (in this age of computers the concept could be a simulated).

Bridge is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. One of the players deals all of the cards, 13 to each player, in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer.

One way to determine the partnerships and first dealer is to draw cards. The two highest cards are
partners against the two lowest, and the highest card deals. In the case of a tie (e.g., two aces) it is
broken by the suit rank. Partnerships can be prearranged if desired and just draw to see who deals.

In bridge there are four suits, and they are ranked: spades (highest), hearts, diamonds and clubs (lowest). The ranking is for bidding purposes only. In the play all suits are equal, unless one suit has been named as trumps, then it beats all the others. Suits are sometimes shown as symbols, or abbreviated: S H D C.

The cards of each suit are ranked from the ace (highest) through the two (lowest). The exact order using common abbreviations: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Note that the ace is always high, unlike in some games such as poker or gin rummy, where it can be low.

Lesson 1A Main Top Learn To Play Bridge!

Winning of Tricks

The object in bridge play is to win tricks for your side. A trick consists of four cards, one from each player in turn, clockwise around the table. Hence, there are 13 tricks to be won on each deal. The first card played to each trick is called the lead.

If it is your turn to lead, you may play any card in your hand.

After the lead, however, the next three players have an obligation:

You must follow suit (play the same suit as the lead) if possible.

For example, if a spade is led and your hand contains any spades, you must play one of them (you can play any spade you want). If you have no spades, the obligation is gone.

If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card in your hand.

Except for the duty to follow suit, card play in bridge is a free choice. In some games, like pinochle, you must try to win each trick; not so in bridge. You play the cards anyway you want, which is one of the reasons bridge is a superior game.

After four cards have been played, the trick is complete. The rules for determining the winner of a trick are explained below, along with a few examples.

If a trick contains no trump card, it is won by the highest card of the suit led.

1. Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
10 J K 6

Spades are led and the king is the highest spade played, so it wins the trick.

2. Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
7 8 9 10

Diamonds are led and the eight is the highest diamond played, so it wins the trick (assuming hearts are not trumps).

If a trick contains a trump card, it is won by the highest trump played.

3. Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
J Q A 2

If hearts are trumps, the heart two wins because it is the only trump played.

4. Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
9 6 7 J

If clubs are trumps, the club seven wins because it is the highest trump played.

After each trick, one player of the side that wins it should collect the cards and arrange them neatly
so the number of tricks won can be counted easily. Play continues this way for all 13 tricks.

Lesson 1A Main Top Learn To Play Bridge!