A comprehensive guide of bridge game: online games, variants, suits, hand evaluation, bidding systems, techniques, strategy, tactics.
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game of skill for four players, usually sitting around a table, who form two partnerships, or “sides”. The partners on each side sit opposite one another. The game consists of two main parts – bidding (or auction) and play; the rules of play are rather simple and similar to other trick-taking games. However, the bidding and associated conventions are much more complex, and represent the true learning barrier to new players. Also, there is an immense variety of techniques in play of the hand, whose effective use requires learning and experience.
CONTENTS:
Games Classification
– Game Theory
– – The difference between a rule (or law) and a theory
– – Types of games and examples
– – Risk aversion
– – Games and numbers
– – History
– Card Games
– – Trick-taking games
– – Matching games
– – Gambling games
– – Solitaire or Patience games
– – Shedding games
– – Accumulating games
– – Games with special decks
– – Cooperative games
– – Inductive games
– – Multi-genre games
– – Trading card games
– Trick-Taking Games
– Gambling
– – Types of casino gambling:
Contract Bridge
– Introduction
– Game play
– – Dealing
– – The auction
– – The play of the hand
– – Scoring
– History
– – Tournaments
– – – Bidding boxes and bidding screens
– – Important Bridge Players
– Game Strategy
– – Bidding systems and conventions
– Play techniques
– – Basic techniques by declarer
– – Advanced techniques by declarer
– – Basic techniques by defenders
– – Advanced techniques by defenders
– Example
– Bridge on the Internet
– Definitions of common terms
– Auction Bridge
– – Play
– – Scoring
– Psychic bid
– Bridge scoring
– – General
– – – Contract points
– – – Level bonus
– – – Double and redouble bonus
– – – Overtrick points
– – – Penalties
– – Duplicate bridge
– – Rubber bridge
– – Recent scoring changes
– Duplicate bridge
– – Game types
– – – Pairs game
– – – Team game
– – – Individual events
– – Scoring
– – – Matchpoint scoring
– – – IMP scoring
– – – – IMP Table
– – – Scoring and tactics
– – – – Contrast with rubber bridge
– Board
– – Markings
– – Set
– – Pockets
– – Play
– Traveling sheet
– – Example
– Rubber bridge
– – Aim of the game
– – Scoring
– – – Game and rubber
– – – Vulnerability and slam bonus
– – – Undertricks
– – – Doubling
– – – Honors
– – Tactics
– – Example
– – History
– – See also
– Bermuda Bowl
– Venice Cup
– Masterpoints
– World Bridge Federation
Playing cards
– Early History
– European Spread and Early Design Changes
– Later Changes
– Card Game Rules and Hoyle
– Playing Cards Today
– Reference
– Aces
– Anglo-American
– Burn Cards
– Cut
– Entry
– – Example
– Goulash
– Holdout
– Jokers
– Shuffling
– – References
– Suits
– – Traditional Western playing cards
– – Suits in games with traditional decks
– – – Trumps
– – – Special suits
– – – Ordering suits
– – – Pairing or ignoring suits
– – – Suits and colors
– – Adding extra suits to the Anglo-American deck
– – – Commercial decks
– – – Home-made decks
– – Other modern suited decks
– – – Suit-and-value decks
– – – Other suited decks
– – Fictional decks
– – C Clubs
– – D Diamonds
– – H Hearts
– – S Spades
– Trumps
Hand Evaluation
– Beer card
– – Example
– Golden Fit
– High Card Points
– Law of Total Tricks
– – References
– Losing trick count
– – See also
– Quick Tricks
– Suits
– – Black suit
– – Red Suit
– – Major suits
– – – See also
– – Minor suits
– – – See also
– – Pointed suits
– – Rounded suit
– – Two Suiter
– Point count
– – References
– Zar Points
– – Hand Evaluation
– – Use in Existing Bidding Systems
– – New Bidding Systems
– – – Requirements for Game
– – – Opening Bids
– – – Responding to Opening Bids
– Diagram Convention
– – Contract bridge diagram convention
Bidding Systems
– Classification
– 2/1 Game Forcing
– – Example sequences
– Acol
– – Bidding system structure
– – Acol Variants
– – Standard Acol
– – – Opening bids
– – – Responses to 1 of a suit
– – – Responses to 1 NT
– – – Responses to 2 NT
– – – Responses to 2 C
– – – Responses to 2 of a suit
– – – Opener’s suit rebid after one-level opening
– – – Opener’s NT rebid after one-level opening
– – – Fourth suit forcing
– Blue Club
– – References
– Bridge World Standard
– Goren
– Polish Club
– – 1C opening:
– – – 1D response
– – – 1H/1S responses
– – – 1NT response
– – – 2C/2D responses
– – – 2H/2S responses
– – – 2NT response
– – – 3C/3D response
– – – 3H/3S responses
– – 1D opening
– – 1H/1S openings
– – 1NT opening
– – 2C Opening
– – 2D opening
– – 2H/2S openings
– – 2NT opening
– – 3NT opening
– – Conventions in an uncontested auction
– – – Jump shift
– – – Fourth suit
– – – Third suit
– – – Forcing 2NT
– – – 2C – check back
– – – En passant
– – Slam bidding
– – – Roman Key Card Blackwood 1430
– – – Exclusion Key Card Blackwood (1430 responses)
– – – Hoyt
– – – 5NT
– – – Cue bids
– – – Splinter bids
– – – AutoSplinter
– – – Six in the Splinter suit
– – – Interference after Blackwood
– – Competitive bidding
– – – Over opponent’s takeout double
– – – Over opponent’s overcall
– – – Support bidding after Partner’s 1H/1S opening is overcalled
– – – After Partner’s 1NT opening is overcalled
– – – After Partner’s 2D/2H/2S opening is overcalled
– – – Negative double
– – – When the second defender overcalls
– – Defensive bidding
– – – No−trump hands
– – – After 2D artificial opening (Multi or Wilkosz)
– – – Direct cue bid
– – – Jump cue bid
– – – Versus strong 1 NT opening
– – – Versus weak 1NT opening
– – – Other
– – Leads and signals
– Precision Club
– – Main Opening Sequence
– – References
– Preempt
– – See also
– Sacrifice
– – See also
– Standard American
– – Role of bidding systems
– – History of Standard American
– – Opener approximate hand strengths
– – Responder approximate hand strengths
– – References
– Strong Club System
Bridge Conventions
– Blackwood Convention
– – Roman Blackwood
– – Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB)
– Canapé
– Drury
– Drury convention
– – Opener’s Rebid
– – Two-way Drury
– – Real club (or diamond) suit
– Flannery
– Forcing notrump
– – Opener’s rebid
– – Responder’s rebid
– – Further bidding
– – Tactical raise
– – System implications
– – False Preference
– – Unusual 2S
– Game try
– – Long suit game try
– – Short suit game try
– – Help suit game try
– – Counter try
– – 2NT game try
– – Preemptive reraise
– – Slam evaluation
– Grand slam force
– Jacoby 2NT
– Jacoby Transfer
– – History and usage
– – Transfer procedure
– – Subsequent bids
– – References
– Kamikaze 1NT
– Lebensohl
– Lightner double
– Meyerson convention
– – See also
– Michaels cuebid
– Multi 2 diamonds
– – Description
– Relay bid
– Rosenkrantz redouble
– Semi-forcing notrump
– Splinter bid
– Stayman Convention
– Puppet Stayman
– Takeout double
– – Requirements
– – Examples
– – Responses
– – Protective and balancing doubles
– – West 1H
– – North Pass
– – East Pass
– – South ?
– – West 1C 2H
– – North Pass Pass
– – East 1H Pass
– – South Pass ?
– Unusual notrump
– Weak two bid
– Defenses to 1NT
– Brozel
– – See also
– Cappelletti
– – See also
– DONT
– – See also
– Landy
– – See also
Bridge Techniques
– Contract bridge playing techniques
– Squeeze
– – Classification
– Automatic squeeze
– Backwash squeeze
– – Example
– Compound squeeze
– – Example
– Criss-cross squeeze
– Double Squeeze
– Simultaneous double squeeze
– Non-simultaneous double squeeze
– Entry-shifting squeeze
– Guard squeeze
– – See also
– Progressive squeeze
– Pseudo-squeeze
– Simple squeeze
– Single-suit squeeze
– Stepping-stone squeeze
– Strip squeeze
– Suicide squeeze
– Trump squeeze
– Winkle squeeze
– Squeezee
– Avoidance play
– – Example
– Coup
– – Pure Coups
– – Deceptive Coups
– – Illegal Coups
– Bath coup
– – Defense
– Coup en passant
– – See also
– Devil’s coup
– – See also
– Trump coup
– – See also
– Morton’s fork coup
– – Example
– Scissors coup
– – See also
– Crossruff
– Duck
– – Preserving an entry
– – Denying an entry (declarer play)
– – Denying an entry (defender play)
– – Rectifying the count
– – Endplay
– Dummy reversal
– – Example
– Endplay
– Finesse
– – Direct finesse
– – Indirect finesse
– – Double finesse
– – Deep finesse
– – Leading high for a finesse
– – Marked finesse
– – Two-way finesse
– – Ruffing finesse
– – Free finesse
– – Bath Coup
– – Trump coup and coup en passant
– – Suit combinations
– Holdup
– – Example
– – Rule of seven
– – See also
– Loser on loser
– – Example
– – See also
– Ruff
– Ruff and discard
– Safety play
– – See also
– Signal
– – Standard signals
– – – Attitude signal
– – – Count signal
– – – Suit preference signal
– – Discarding agreements
– – – Lavinthal (McKenney)
– – – Odd-Even
– – Upside down count and attitude
– – Disclosure
– – Falsecarding
– Smother Play
– – See also
– Trump promotion
– See also
– Uppercut
– Principle of restricted choice
– – Example
– – Math theory
Contract bridge glossary
The Bridge Game