Learning how to score at bridge makes it easier to understand the bridge bidding system. Once you know how to score you will understand why it is better to play in hearts/spades/NT than diamonds or clubs and why players will continue bidding to the 4, 5, 6 or even 7 level instead of stopping at the 3 or 4 level.
Let’s start with the absolute basics.
- No points are scored for the first 6 tricks. A contract for 1 of a suit (or 1NT) means you think you will make 7 tricks (6 + 1 bid). A contract for 4 of a suit means you think you will make 10 tricks (6 + 4 bid).
- High Card Points = points score for cards held. Four for each ace, three for each king, two or each queen and one for each jack.
- A “game” contract is one that would score 100 points if achieved. If you achieve (or exceed) the contract you score a 300 point bonus.
- A part score contract is one that would score less than 100 points if achieved. If you achieve the contract you score a 50 point bonus.
- If you bid a part score but actually make enough tricks for game you will ONLY get the part score bonus as that is what you bid for.
Points scored per trick (above 6) = 20 per club/diamond, 30 per heart/spade. In a No Trumps contract score 40 for the FIRST trick and 30 for subsequent tricks
No of tricks needed to make “game” = 11 in clubs/diamonds, 10 in hearts/spades and 9 in No trumps
Minimum contract needed to score game = 5 clubs or diamonds, 4 hearts or spades and 3 No trumps
There are two types of slam in bridge – a small and grand.
Winning a small slam means that you bid for and win 12 out of the 13 available tricks in a round.
Winning a grand slam means that you bid for and win all of the 13 tricks.
Why Bid For One?
When I first started learning to play bridge I wondered why anyone would take the risk of bidding for a slam. It seemed easier to bid up to the four or five level and be certain that I could make ten or eleven tricks. I found it hard to understand why I would want to take the risk of bidding to the six or seven level and possibly failing to achieve the contract.
The answer is points. If you are playing in a club or competition then you will be playing competitively. Even if you say you don’t mind where you finish, we all secretly like to finish as high up in the results as possible! If you find your partnership in the fortunate position of holding most of the points, it’s hard to resist bidding to the maximum level possible.
If you bid for and win a small or grand slam you will win a greater number of points. Of course, if fail to achieve it your opponents will gain a greater number of points.
Points Scored
A small slam will score an extra 500 point bonus (or 750 if vulnerable)
A grand slam will score an extra 1000 point bonus (or 1500 if vulnerable)
These bonuses are in addition to the regular game bonus. I’m sure you can see the points advantage of bidding to the six or seven level if you feel that you have the card and point strength to win enough tricks.
Standard playing cards are… boring? Actually if you take the time to look at them, you might discover that they have properties that make them very versatile.
A playing card is easily recognized by the two symbols on the face of the card in the upper-left and lower-right corners — a ‘suit’ and an ‘identifier’.
A deck of 52 cards is divided evenly into four ‘suits’ — Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades. This allows you to have a flush, cards all of the same suit (Cribbage, Poker). This also allows trick-taking games that use a trump suit and that require playing a card ‘with the suit that was lead’ (Bridge, Euchre, Five-Hundred, Pinochle, Whist). This also allows games where you have to play a card with the suit that was last played (Crazy Eights).
Each of the four suits has 13 cards that are marked with the same 13 ‘identifiers’ or ids — 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A. So for each id, there are exactly four cards, one for each suit. This allows you to have two cards that match (Concentration, Crazy Eights, Old Maid, War), two-or-more-of-a-kind (Cribbage, Go Fish, Poker), three-or-more-of-a-kind (Canasta, Gin Rummy, Rummy), and special combinations of matching cards such as a full-house, a pair plus three-of-a-kind (Poker).
Four of the ids are ‘letters’ which represent special cards — three face-cards (‘J’ = Jack, ‘Q’ = Queen, and ‘K’ = King) and an Ace (‘A’ = Ace). This allows you to have special scoring for these special cards (Hearts, Michigan, Pinochle, Tripoli). Each face-card has a double picture of the King, Queen, or Jack so that there is always a right-side-up picture on the upper half of the card. The Ace has a suit at the center.
There are a number of card table cover choices available. Appearance is only one of several factors which should be considered in your selection.
Card table covers are made from several different fabrics-cotton, linen, quilted, plastic, vinyl and flocked (felt and suede-like) fabrics are the most common fabrics used. While each fabric has its supporters, most card players prefer the flocked fabrics because of their card holding qualities. The suede-like fabric provides a look of elegance, especially if the edges are finished with a complementary ribbon trim.
Once the fabric has been chosen, then sizing becomes the next question which must be addressed. If the table is to be used for playing bridge, poker or another card game with players seated around the table, then a drop of 4″ to 8″ all the way around is most desirable. A shorter drop may not allow the cover to fall as it should and a longer drop may place part of the cover in the players laps. With the variety of table sizes used today, you must do some simple measurements to determine the best size for your table.
To determine the desired size for your card table, measure the width of the table. Determine the drop you desire (most people consider 6″ drop to be ideal for a table used for card playing). Multiply the drop you desire by 2, and add the result to the table width-this is the desired cover width. For example, your table is 32″ wide and you want a 6″ drop–32″ + (2 X 6″) = 44″. A 44″ square card table cover is the perfect size. If your calculation is in between the sizes offered by your preferred store, then you must make a decision as to the size that looks best. Generally, a longer drop will provide a more attractive appearance than a short drop. Also, some on-line stores, may offer an option for custom size card table covers.
I bet you didn’t realize how valuable a deck of playing cards or my personal old school favorite, UNO, could be. Many kids struggle with various social skills including sportsmanship, joining in with peers, learning new games quickly, and being a savvy game player. The good news is, you can help your kids work on all of these skills with a single deck of cards.
Think back to all of the card games you used to play when you were younger with your friends, your parents, or your siblings. Think about how much fun it was and how much time you used to spend playing. Far away from video games, too, I’m sure. Try to remember a few games that you knew. Go Fish (for the younger kids), Crazy Eights, Slap Jack, BS, Spit, and UNO (which requires a different deck but well worth the $6 investment). If you can’t remember the rules to these games, look them up. Some of the games are less sophisticated than others, so choose the ones that will be suit your kids.
Get yourself squared away on the directions, find the cards, remember how to shuffle, and get your kids. Sit them down, blow their minds with your awesome shuffling skills (they love the bridge) and tell them you’re going to teach them a card game. They’ll love it. Give the directions with as few words as possible, ask them if they get it, tell them you’ll help them as they learn and get started.
Deal out the cards. Parents, here is the first important step. Teach your children how to fan out and hold their cards properly. Kids that can’t or don’t hold their cards properly can’t select cards to play quickly, end up dropping cards, and most importantly, they appear vulnerable to other kids they may be playing with. If other kids can easily look at their cards, they’ll be taken advantage of, and we don’t want that. Teach them how to fan their cards, and hold their cards properly.