Contents
Bridge Basics
How to Play Bridge
How to Bid Strategically
How to Win at Bridge
Bridge Scoring Details
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Bridge Scoring Details
You already know the essentials for scoring in bridge. In this section, you’ll learn the fine points of vulnerability, partials, bonuses, and doubled contracts.
Vulnerability
When one side has won a game, that partnership is vulnerable. Being vulnerable increases the penalties for getting set:
- If you’re not vulnerable: Each undertrick is worth 50 points to your opponents.
- If you’re vulnerable: Each undertrick is worth 100 points.
Partials
A partial is an incomplete game score. For example, if you’ve scored 60 points below the line, and your opponents have won the game by scoring 100, your 60 points are a partial. Though partials count when the final score is tallied at the end of the rubber, they don’t carry over to the next game. That is, once a partnership has won a game, any partials are ignored until the end of the rubber—you have to score 100 new points to win the next game.
Bonus Scores
Like overtricks and penalties, bonuses are always scored above the line. In bridge, you receive bonuses for honors, winning a rubber, and slams.
Honors Bonus
In a no trump contract, if a single player has all four aces, her team gets a bonus of 150 points. In a trump contract, if a single player has four of the five honors in the bid suit, her team gets a bonus of 100 points. If a single player has all five honors in the bid suit, her team gets a bonus of 150 points.
Rubber Bonus
If you win a rubber and your opponents are vulnerable, your partnership receives a bonus of 500 points. If your opponents are not vulnerable, the rubber bonus is 700 points.
Slam Bonuses
In addition to the below-the-line scores for making your 6- or 7-level contract, winning a slam rewards you with the following bonuses above the line:
- Small slam, not vulnerable: 500 points
- Small slam, vulnerable: 750 points
- Grand slam, not vulnerable: 1,000 points
- Grand slam, vulnerable: 1,500 points
Slam bonuses are higher if you’re vulnerable because you’re taking a greater risk if you get set.
Doubled and Redoubled Contracts
All the scores for making a doubled contract are double their normal values (see “Scoring Basics” in How to Play Bridge for the points awarded for making a contract). For a redoubled contract, these scores are quadrupled. For example, since making a contract of 4
is normally worth 120 points, making the same doubled contract is worth 240, and making the same redoubled contract is worth 480.
is normally worth 120 points, making the same doubled contract is worth 240, and making the same redoubled contract is worth 480.Overtricks in Doubled and Redoubled Contracts
Likewise, overtricks are also worth more in doubled and redoubled contracts:
If the contract is . . . |
and your partnership is . . . |
each overtrick is worth . . . |
||
Doubled |
Not vulnerable |
100 points |
||
Doubled |
Vulnerable |
200 points |
||
Redoubled |
Not vulnerable |
200 points |
||
Redoubled |
Vulnerable |
400 points |
Undertricks in Doubled and Redoubled Contracts
Getting set in a doubled or redoubled contract is especially costly (which is why many doubles are made in the first place). Here are the penalties for undertricks in doubled in redoubled contracts:
If the
contract
is . . . |
and your partnership is . . . |
the first undertrick is penalized . . . |
and each subsequent
undertrick is penalized . . . |
|||
Doubled |
Not vulnerable |
100 points |
200 points until the fourth undertrick, then 300 points for each thereafter |
|||
Doubled |
Vulnerable |
200 points |
300 points |
|||
Redoubled |
Not vulnerable |
200 points |
400 points until the fourth undertrick, then 600 points for each thereafter |
|||
Redoubled |
Vulnerable |
400 points |
600 points |
Remember, undertrick penalties are scored by the defenders above the line; the partnership that failed to make the contract receives no score for that hand.
Winning a Rubber
When one partnership wins two games, it has won the rubber. Both teams add up all their above- and below-the-line scores for both games, including all partials, bonuses, and penalties. These are the final scores for that rubber. If you’re keeping an ongoing score, it’s these scores that you record. Note that it’s possible to lose a rubber but still have the higher score. This can happen if you’ve earned high-scoring bonuses and penalties but failed to win two games before your opponents.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
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