Contract bridge

Biritch, or Russian Whist by John Collinson 1886

Shimer College bridge club 1942

Four overlapping playing cards

Bridge table

Bridge boards box

Contract Bridge, commonly referred to as Bridge, is a trick-taking game using a standard 52-card deck. It is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions of people play bridge worldwide in clubs, tournaments, online, and with friends at home, making it one of the world's most popular card games, particularly among seniors.

History

The game of Bridge has its origins in the 16th century, evolving from trick-taking games such as Whist. The modern game began to take shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as "Auction Bridge", which introduced bidding for the privilege of naming the trump suit. The current version of the game, "Contract Bridge", was developed in the 1920s by Harold Vanderbilt, who introduced significant scoring changes that made the game more challenging and interesting.

Gameplay

Bridge is divided into two main parts: the bidding (or auction) and the play of the hand. The objective is to win points by making contracts that the partnership has bid or by defeating the opponents' contracts.

Bidding

During the bidding phase, players bid in a clockwise rotation, describing their hand's strength and suit distribution. The bids determine the contract for the hand, including the trump suit and the number of tricks the partnership commits to win. A bid consists of a number from 1 to 7, representing the total number of tricks over six that the partnership proposes to win, and a suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades) or no-trump (NT), indicating the proposed trump suit or the absence thereof.

Playing

After the bidding, the play begins. The player who has bid the highest contract becomes the declarer, and their partner becomes the dummy, laying their hand face-up on the table. The declarer plays both their hand and the dummy's hand, while the opponents try to prevent the declarer from making their contract. The hand is played in tricks; each player contributes one card, and the highest card of the led suit or the highest trump wins the trick.

Scoring

Scoring in Bridge is complex, rewarding players for making their contract and penalizing for failing to meet it. Points are awarded differently for contracts made at the levels of part-score, game, and slam. Overtricks (tricks won beyond the contract) and undertricks (tricks short of the contract) also affect the score. Additionally, bonuses are awarded for bidding and making games and slams.

Variations and Competitions

Bridge can be played in various formats, including rubber bridge, primarily a social game, and duplicate bridge, which is used in clubs and tournaments to compare the performance of different partnerships playing the same deals. Duplicate bridge eliminates much of the luck of the deal, focusing more on skill.

Bridge Organizations

Several organizations govern bridge worldwide, the most prominent being the World Bridge Federation (WBF). National organizations, such as the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and the English Bridge Union (EBU), organize tournaments, establish rules, and promote the game.

Cultural Impact

Bridge has had a significant cultural impact, featured in literature, movies, and popular media. It is recognized for its benefits to mental acuity and social interaction, often cited as a tool for improving memory and strategic thinking skills.