Duplicate Bridge Score

Learning to score at bridge makes it easier to understand the bridge bidding system. Once you know how to score, you will understand why hearts/spades/NT is better to play than diamonds or clubs and why players will continue to bet at level 4, 5, 6 or even 7 instead of stopping at 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 that you think you will take 7 tricks (6 + 1 offer). A contract for 4 of a suit means that you think you will take 10 tricks (6 + 4 offer).
• High Card Points = points score for the 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 get 100 points if achieved. If he achieves (or beats) the contract, he gets a bonus point of 300.
• A partial score contract is one that would earn less than 100 points if achieved. If you achieve the contract you get 50 bonus points.
• If you bid a partial score but actually do enough tricks for the game, you will ONLY get the partial score bonus as that is what you are bidding for.

Points scored per trick (over 6) = 20 for clubs/diamonds, 30 for hearts/spades. On a No Win contract get 40 for the FIRST trick and 30 for subsequent tricks

Number of tricks needed to make the “game” = 11 in clubs/diamonds, 10 in hearts/spades, and 9 in No Trumps

Minimum contract needed to score the game = 5 clubs or diamonds, 4 hearts or spades, and 3 no trumps

High Card Points needed for the game = 27 for a minor suit, 25 for a major suit contract or NT contract

If you don’t honor the contract you bid on, your opponents get 50 points for each trick you failed. So if you bid 3 of a suit (bid to take 9 tricks) and only take 7 tricks, your opponents get 50 points for each of the two tricks you missed (100 points total)

dubbing
If you think your opponents are unlikely to win the contract they are bidding on, you can “double down.” This means that your side will get double points for every trick the opponents make, but it also means that they will get double points for every trick if they make the contract. They will also get an extra bonus of 50 points for achieving the contract.

If the opponents are sure that they WILL FULFILL their contract, they can “double down”. In this case they will get 4 times the usual point value for each trick performed if they win the contract, plus 100 extra bonus points.

vulnerability
To add a little extra “spicing” to the marker, or both sides become “vulnerable”. This rotates between no side vulnerable, EW vulnerable, NS vulnerable, and both sides vulnerable. If your side is vulnerable and you fail to make a contract, your opponents get DOUBLE points for each trick you fail.

If your side is vulnerable and bids and wins the game, your game bonus increases.

No increase for partial score – 50 points scored

Game Score: Bonus increased from 300 to 500 points if vulnerable

Hits

There are two types of hits. A small slam (12 tricks) and a grand slam (all 13 tricks). You only get an extra bonus for these if you bid to make them.

So if you offer a 3 hearts contract (to win 9 tricks) but actually win all 13 tricks, you will only get the normal play bonus and not get the additional Grand Slam bonus. He will only get the extra small or grand slam bonus if he bets to win 12/13 tricks (6 or 7 of a suit).

If you bid and make a small slam, you will get an additional 500 bonus points (or 750 if you are vulnerable)

If you bet and win a Grand Slam, you will get an additional 100 bonus points (or 1500 if you are vulnerable)

Both are in addition to the normal game bonus.