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🏛️Official — ACBL
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Card Games
2–4 players
deck, game board
10 essential rules
Duplicate Bridge is a trick-taking partnership card game for four players. The four players at each table constitute two partnerships, North-South against East-West (Law 4).
Played with a pack of 52 cards, consisting of thirteen cards in each of four suits (Law 1A); The suits rank downward in the order spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦), clubs (♣) (Law 1A); The cards of each suit rank downward: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (Law 1A)
Four players per table form two sides, North-South and East-West (Law 4); In pair or team events contestants enter as pairs or teams and keep the same partnership throughout a session; in individual events partnerships change during the session (Law 4); The Director assigns an initial position to...
The auction period begins for a side when either partner withdraws his cards from the board (Law 17A); The player designated by the board as dealer makes the first call; thereafter each player calls in turn clockwise (Law 17B, 17C); A bid designates a number of odd tricks — tricks in excess of si...
Each deal is scored from the Duplicate Bridge Scoring Table (Law 77), which sets trick scores, premiums and penalties; Declarer's side scores if it makes the contract; the defenders score if it fails; Vulnerability, shown on the board, raises both the bonuses and the penalties
Pairs events, normally matchpointed, are the most common club format; Teams events compare two tables playing the same boards in opposite directions, normally scored in IMPs; Individual events change partnerships during the session (Law 4)
Played with a pack of 52 cards, consisting of thirteen cards in each of four suits (Law 1A); The suits rank downward in the order spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦), clubs (♣) (Law 1A); The cards of each suit rank downward: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (Law 1A)
Each deal is held in a board with four pockets, one per hand (Law 2); The board designates the dealer and which side is vulnerable, so every table plays the deal under identical conditions; Boards are numbered, letting the same deal be compared across the whole field
The auction ends when, one or more players having bid, there are three consecutive passes — the last bid becomes the contract (Law 22A); If all four players pass, the hands are returned to the board without play, and there is no redeal (Law 22B)
Pairs events, normally matchpointed, are the most common club format; Teams events compare two tables playing the same boards in opposite directions, normally scored in IMPs; Individual events change partnerships during the session (Law 4)
Each contestant is compared with everyone who played the same board; Two scoring units for each score inferior to yours, one for each equal score, and zero for each superior score; This is the standard method for pairs events — beating the field on a board matters more than the size of the margin
Practice "active ethics" — resolve ambiguity against yourself
Beyond merely avoiding rule violations, experienced duplicate players are expected to interpret any doubt about a legal or ethical question (e.g., whether partner's hesitation could have suggested a call) in the way least favorable to their own side. This concept, popularized in ACBL bridge writing by editor Edgar Kaplan, goes further than what the written Laws technically require.
Most emphasized in club and tournament play among experienced partnerships.
Never criticize or berate partner during the session
Complaining about, correcting, or scolding partner's bid or play at the table — during the round rather than afterward — is considered a serious breach of bridge etiquette. Disagreements or lessons are expected to wait until the post-mortem discussion after the round or match has ended.
Especially enforced in partnership and team events where a hostile table atmosphere is seen as poor sportsmanship.
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