| Two partnerships of two players each are | | | | distributes the cards and also bids first. |
| needed to play bridge. The four players sit | | | | The dealer changes on each game, usually |
| around a table with partners opposite one | | | | going clockwise around the table. |
| another. The compass directions are often | | | | |
| used to refer to the four players, aligned | | | | In rubber bridge (or other non-duplicate |
| with their seating pattern. Thus, South and | | | | games), the cards are shuffled before every |
| North form one partnership and East and West | | | | game, and the dealer distributes all the |
| form the other. | | | | cards clockwise one at a time, starting with |
| | | | his left-hand opponent and ending with |
| A session of bridge consists of several deals | | | | himself, so each player receives a hand of |
| (also called hands or boards). A hand is | | | | thirteen cards. At the same time, for |
| dealt, the bidding (or auction) proceeds to a | | | | convenience, the dealer's partner usually |
| conclusion and then the hand is played. | | | | shuffles a second deck, to be ready for use |
| Finally the hand's result is scored. | | | | on the following deal. The dealer's left-hand |
| | | | opponent will deal next. Each hand in rubber |
| The goal of a single deal is to achieve the | | | | bridge is therefore random and unrelated to |
| highest score with given cards. The score is | | | | other hands played, and a lot of the time the |
| affected by two principal factors: the number | | | | score depends on the cards as well as the |
| of tricks bid in the auction, and the number | | | | skill of play. |
| of tricks taken during play. Broadly | | | | |
| speaking, there is an incentive to accurately | | | | In duplicate bridge, the hands are shuffled |
| bid to the optimum contract and then to play | | | | only once, at the beginning of the session, |
| to make the contracted number of tricks (or | | | | and dealt into the same four hands of 13 |
| more if good play or luck allows). Thus, in | | | | cards, and these deals are preserved for the |
| the bidding stage, the pairs compete to see | | | | entirety of the tournament. In this way, each |
| who proposes the highest number of tricks, | | | | time they are played, the results for |
| and the side which wins the bidding must then | | | | different players will be comparable and any |
| fulfill that bargain by taking at least the | | | | element of chance due to some players having |
| contracted quantity of tricks in play to | | | | better cards is eliminated. Cards in |
| obtain a score. The number of tricks bid and | | | | duplicate are passed around from table to |
| the trump suit (or lack thereof) are referred | | | | table in bridge boards, plastic containers |
| to as a contract. The trump suit, or its | | | | which clearly mark the hands, identifies who |
| absence (no trumps) is referred to as | | | | holds which cards, and also contains a folded |
| denomination or strain. If the side which | | | | slip of paper to record each teams' scores |
| wins the auction then takes the contracted | | | | after the game. In some competitions, boards |
| number of tricks (or more), it is said to | | | | are pre-dealt prior to the competition, |
| have fulfilled the contract and is awarded a | | | | especially if the same hands are to be played |
| score; otherwise, the contract is said to be | | | | at multiple locations (for example in a large |
| defeated and points are awarded to the | | | | national or international tournament). There |
| defenders. | | | | are also special machines for pre-dealing on |
| | | | large tournaments. At each subsequent table, |
| In finding an optimum contract, it can | | | | the four players pull their cards from the |
| sometimes pay to bid slightly too high (or | | | | board and count them to ensure that there are |
| bluff), and lose a small number of points, | | | | 13 cards in their hand. |
| rather than allow the opposing side to bid | | | | |
| and make a larger score. This is known as a | | | | Unlike rubber bridge, in duplicate games |
| sacrifice, and is quite common if both sides | | | | players do not put their cards in the middle |
| are contesting the final contract. This | | | | of the table as usual; instead played cards |
| aspect is more common in duplicate bridge (as | | | | are placed immediately in front of each |
| played in competitions and many clubs) where | | | | player and turned face down once each trick |
| the goal is to get a better score than any | | | | has been completed. This is to allow each |
| other partnership facing the same hands, by | | | | player to return his hand, intact, to the |
| however small a margin and in whatever way | | | | board after he has finished it, so subsequent |
| possible. | | | | tables can play the same deal, unaltered. It |
| | | | also means that in case of a query or other |
| Dealing | | | | irregularity during a competition, it is |
| | | | clear exactly who played which cards, and the |
| The game is played with a deck of 52 cards. | | | | order in which they were played. |
| On each game, one player is the dealer, who | | | | |