To play the Bridge game you need :
- This game is played with four players per team of two.
- A game of 52 cards
- A table big enough for each player to be able to stand in front of their partner without their opponents being able to see their game.
How is a game of Bridge ?
The Bridge is played in several moves. Each move is played in two steps. The first is the betting phase, the second is the card play phase where each player plays his cards in turn. In the 52-card deck, the heart and spade cards are the "major" suits, while the diamonds and clubs are the "minor" suits. Each player takes turns dealing by dealing 13 cards to each player in a clockwise direction. Then comes the time of betting.
The bids
The bids determine the trump (or no-trump) colour and the number of tricks (or tricks) to be made by the side that made the last bid. This camp is called the declarer's camp while the opponent's camp is the defence camp. The bid determines a number from 1 to 7, a suit or the fact of playing "no trump". For example "3 hearts" or "4 no-trumps" are bids. The colour will be the trump colour. Note that the colours are classified hierarchically: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs from the most expensive to the least expensive. No trump being stronger than all the other colours.
How does an auction at the Bridge ?
The first bid is made by the dealer of the cards. He can decide to place or propose a bid. Then each player can place a higher bid. For example, if the first player bids a 7 of clubs, the next player must at least outbid a 7 of diamonds. And so on and so forth. Bidding stops when three players have answered "pass". The last bid will be the one that determines the course of the game. The camp which pronounced this last bid thus becomes the declaring camp. Its objective? To make as many tricks as set in the bidding increased by six. So if the bid was awarded to "4 diamonds", the declaring side must make at least 10 tricks (4+6).
The card game
The declarer's partner is called the dead guy. He is traditionally placed in the north, while his teammate (the declarer) is in the south and his opponents in the east and west. It is the player to the left of the declarer who starts. This is the start. Then the declarer's partner - the dead man - puts all his cards on the table face up. From now on only the declarer and his opponents remain in the game. The declarer plays with his game and the dead man's game. Once the start has been made, each player plays one card clockwise. A trick or raise consists of four cards.
How to play after the start of the Bridge ?
After the start, each player has three chances. Either he plays a card in the same suit as the first card. This is mandatory if the player has a card in that colour. You may not give up this option Bridge . Either he cuts with a trump card (unless the bid is a trump). Finally, he has the possibility to discard by placing a card of another color than that of the lead and that of the trump.
Whose trick belongs to Bridge ?
At Bridge , the trick belongs to the player who put the highest card in the starting suit. Unless a player has cut. If more than one player has cut, the player who put the highest cut card wins the bet. The player who won the trick plays the second card and so on until thirteen tricks have been made.
How to win a game of Bridge ?
To win a game of Bridge , the declaring side must fulfill the contract that has been set. Otherwise, the defending side wins the points. The points are counted as follows: 20 points per trick if the bid is clover or diamonds, 30 points if the bid is hearts or spades, 40 points for the first trick in the case of a tie and 30 points for each of the following tricks in the case of a tie.
