Learn how to play bridge and where you can play online.
Bridge is a card game for four players. You don't need four players to learn, though! In this lesson you'll learn enough to get started and play your first game with friends or on a computer, tablet or phone.
The Players
The players are commonly referred to as North and South who play against East and West.
The Auction
There is an auction at the start of every hand. During the auction, players make bids to tell their partner what suit they like best.
The terminology for bidding is number + suit. For example, 1♥ or 4♠.
Once you've learned the basics you'll probably want to learn a bidding system but for now pick a suit you like and bid that - you'll do fine!
Those hearts look pretty good so South bids 1♥.
Rank of Suits
Each bid must either be for a greater number of tricks or a higher ranking trump suit, so we need to know the rank of the suits.
- NT notrumps
- ♠ spades
- ♥ hearts
- ♦ diamonds
- ♣ clubs
The auction continues
After your 1♥ bid, if West wants to bid spades, he can bid 1♠ because spades rank higher than hearts but if he wanted to bid clubs he'd have to bid 2♣.
West has made spades the trump suit.
Bidding
You can bid a suit or notrumps
North likes hearts, too!
Passing
You can pass.
East has nothing to say.
Going, going, gone!
After three passes in a row the auction is over.
Going, going, gone. Auction over.
2♥ was the last bid so hearts become the 'trump' suit and we'll see what that means very soon. Notice, too, that South bid the hearts first. That means, on this hand, South is called the 'declarer'.
Playing the cards
After the auction is finished, the person to the left of declarer makes the opening lead.
West leads the ♠6.
Declarer and Dummy
Declarer's partner is called the dummy. Dummy's cards are placed face up on the table and declarer takes control of that hand, too.
North is the dummy on this hand.
Following suit
In clockwise rotation, everyone plays a card and if possible must 'follow suit', which means playing a card of the same suit as the one led. If you can't follow suit any card is ok.
North follows suit with the ♠3.
Winning Tricks
Each round of four cards is called a trick. The highest card of the suit led normally wins the trick but sometimes that trump suit that I mentioned comes into play. If anyone plays a trump then the highest trump card played wins the trick.
South wins the trick with the ♠A.
The person who won the trick plays the first card to the next trick.
Declarer tries to win the bid plus another 6 tricks. 2♥ = 2 + 6 (8) tricks. But it often doesn't matter! You can win by losing and preventing the opposition from making their own contract. Your task is simply to make as many tricks as you can.
Play bridge at Sky Bridge Club
I'd like to invite you to come on over and play a few hands at Sky Bridge Club. You can play on your computer, phone or tablet and we make every effort to offer a pleasant environment where players of every level feel appreciated and supported. Please remember that we’re always here to help, even if you're still learning how to play bridge.
You'll be playing bridge against the computer and with a computer partner so if your partner ends up being declarer then you'll still get to play the hand. Partner won't mind!
Select either Acol or Standard as your bidding system from the settings page.
How to bid
Use the bidding slider to select a bid.
If you're learning there's a hint option for every bid.
Hints are available on every hand.
Playing the cards
Playing is easy, just click on whatever card you want to play.
Scoring
You'll be able to compare scores with other players at the end of each hand.
You'll also be able to check the scores of our featured players, the ones who have been doing consistently well. If the long term winning players are playing a certain way then we're wise to adopt their style of play.
It's free to register and play the daily deal. Members can play unlimited hands.
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