Bridge Basics 1UB8 by Richard Pavlicek

How To Keep Score

The most popular method of scoring for a single table of bridge is called “Chicago” or four-deal bridge. A round consists of four deals, one by each player in turn. If a deal is passed out, it is not counted and the same player deals again. It is customary to draw a large “X” on the score sheet to indicate the deal number and who is the dealer.

Vulnerability adds spice to the game by varying the magnitude of the scores that can be obtained — either for making or defeating a contract. On Deal 1 neither side is vulnerable, on Deals 2 and 3 the dealer side is vulnerable, and on Deal 4 both sides are vulnerable.

Let’s play a sample round to illustrate. You will be the first dealer. Your score sheet is shown as it would appear after each of the four deals. To better understand it, verify each score from the scoring tables.

Deal 1 — We bid 3 and win 10 tricks. We get 90 for the trick score and 30 for the overtrick. We do not score a game because we did not get 100 points below the line.

Deal 2 — They bid 3 NT and win nine tricks. They get 100 for the trick score and 500 for a vulnerable game. A new line is drawn to indicate that a game has been won.

Deal 3 — They bid 3 , you double, they make it. They get 120 for the trick score (60 doubled), 300 for a nonvulnerable game, and 50 for making a doubled contract.

Deal 4 — We bid 6 and win 12 tricks. Dummy held A-Q-J-10. We get 180 for the trick score, 500 for a vulnerable game, 750 for a vulnerable slam, and 100 for four trump honors in one hand. It’s party time! Adding up all the scores gives us 1650 to their 1070. We win the round by 580 points, which is customarily rounded off to the nearest hundred so we score +600 or +6.

Trick Score (below the line)		Score
Clubs or diamonds	Each trick bid	20
Hearts or spades	Each trick bid	30
Notrump	First trick bid	40
Notrump	Each additional trick bid	30
If contract is doubled, multiply the trick score by two.
If contract is redoubled, multiply the trick score by four.

Overtricks	Nonvul	Vul
Undoubled, each	Trick score value
Doubled, each	100	200
Redoubled, each	200	400

Bonuses	Nonvul	Vul
Game (trick score of 100 or more)	300	500
Slam, bid and made	500	750
Grand slam, bid and made	1000	1500
Making a non-game bid on 4th deal	n/a	100
Making a doubled contract	50
Making a redoubled contract	100
Any four trump honors in one hand	100
All five trump honors in one hand	150
All four aces in one hand at notrump	150

Defeated Bids	Undoubled		Doubled
Defeated Bids	Nonvul	Vul	Nonvul	Vul
Down 1	50	100	100	200
Down 2	100	200	300	500
Down 3	150	300	500	800
Each additional	add 50	add 100	add 300	add 300
If a contract is redoubled, multiply the doubled score by two.

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