BRIDGETTE

Hey there! I want to tell you about a super cool card game called Bridgette. It’s a game for 2 players, and the goal is to have the most points at the end of 6 deals.

In Bridgette, we use a special deck of cards. It has 55 cards, including 3 special jokers called Colons. Each joker has its own rank and belongs to a specific group.

SETUP

First things first, we need to pick a dealer. This person will change every round. The dealer shuffles the 55-card deck and deals 13 cards to each player, one card at a time, going counterclockwise.

Any leftover cards form the stockpile. We reveal the top card, and that’s called the up-card.

When we play a game of Bridgette, we start with an exciting exchanging of cards, which sets the stage for an intense bout of bidding. The exchange kicks off with the non-dealer, who gets the first crack at the stockpile and draws the first two cards. As for the dealer, what they draw depends on the up-card. If the up-card is a number or the Little Colon, the dealer snags four cards. However, if it’s a face card or the Royal Colon, they get eight cards. And if the up-card is an ace or the Grand Colon, they luck out with a whopping 12 cards. After the drawing is done, the players are tasked with a crucial decision: choosing a hand of exactly 13 cards, while discarding the rest.

Card Rankings and Trumps

In Bridgette, the cards have a clear pecking order. The Ace reigns supreme at the top, with the King, Queen, and Jack following close behind. Then we have the 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2, which bring up the rear as the lowly ones. As for the suits, they have their own rank, but that only matters during the bidding phase. We have the trumps at the very top, then there are the spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, slotted in that order, from high to low.

Hey there, let’s talk about an interesting card game called “Colons.” Now, this game has a unique twist – there are three extra cards in the deck known as the colons. Isn’t that fascinating?

So, what are these colons all about? Well, let me tell you. These special cards have their names, and they are the Grand Colon, the Royal Colon, and the Little Colon. Each colon is associated with a specific group of cards in the deck. The Grand Colon goes along with the Aces, the Royal Colon with the face cards, and the Little Colon with the numeric cards from 2 to 10.

Now, here’s the exciting part. These colons actually have an impact on the game! They can be used in certain situations to either win tricks or set you up for a victory in the next round. Cool, right? Imagine the possibilities!

If you want to know more about how colons affect gameplay and how to use them strategically, keep reading! We’ll dive into the details in the next section.

Get Ready to Bid!

When the exchange is finished, we move on to the bidding round. It all starts with the dealer, and then the opponent gets their turn. Now, each player has a choice to make. They can either bid a certain number of tricks they think they can win in this round and also choose a trump suit. Or, they can simply pass and wait for the next round. It’s important to remember that you must win at least 6 tricks, so when you make a bid, you’re actually bidding on how many tricks you think you’ll win above the minimum of 6. The lowest bid you can make is 0, which means you’re confident in winning exactly 6 tricks, and there’s no trump suit involved. On the other hand, if you go all out and bid 7, that means you’re going for a whopping 13 tricks, again with no trump suit. As the players go back and forth, they keep outbidding each other until someone decides to pass. Whenever a player makes a bid with a higher number of tricks, it will always outbid a bid from the other player, even if that bid has a higher-ranked suit but the same number of tricks.

Restrictions on Bids

When it comes to making a bid in this game, there are certain rules you need to follow. First, you need to have at least 2 cards of the same suit as the one you want to make trumps. If you want to make a bid of no trumps, you must have cards of each suit. If you want to make a bid higher than the previous one or jump bid, you need to have 4 cards of the suit you want to make trumps.

Instead of increasing the bid, you also have the option to call for a double or a redouble. If your opponent makes a bid, you can choose to double it (which means doubling the final score) on your turn. If someone has already doubled your bid, you can redouble it. However, once a new deal is made, the double and redouble disappear and need to be remade.

Once a player passes, the other player wins the bid and must collect at least the number of tricks they bid with the trump suit they called in order to score points.

Let’s Play!

Once the bidding is over, we move on to playing the 13 tricks. The first player is the opponent of the winning bidder and has the freedom to lead any card they choose. The following players must play a card of the same suit if they have one. The winner of a trick is determined by playing the highest ranked trump card or the highest ranked card of the suit that was led. The player who wins a trick keeps those cards and leads the next trick.

When it comes to playing colons, you have the option to either lead with them or play them to certain tricks.

In order to follow to a trick with a colon, you must play a colon card that is of the same rank as the card that was led. For example, if the led card is an ace, you must play the Grand Colon. While the colon will always lose the trick when played, it does prevent the player from leading the same suit in the next trick.

When it’s my turn to lead with a colon, I can play any card I want to the trick. If I play a trump or a card that falls into the colon’s range, I win the trick. But if I can’t, then you win the trick.

Once the final trick is won, we can start scoring.

SCORING

Once all the tricks have been played, we will score our points.

A Successful Bid

When you win a bid in a game of cards, you earn points based on the number of tricks you won. The more tricks you win, the more points you score. The number of points you earn also depends on the trump suit that was chosen. Let’s explore how it works.

If you bid 0 tricks of no trumps or 1 trick of any suit, you will score 150 points. For a bid of 1 or 2 tricks of no trumps, 2 or 3 tricks of any suits, or a bid of 4 tricks of clubs or diamonds, you will score 250 points. If you bid 3 or 4 tricks of no trumps, 4 tricks of hearts or spades, or 5 tricks of any suit, you will score 750 points. A bid of 5 tricks of no trumps or 6 tricks of any suit is worth 1500 points. If you bid 6 tricks of no trumps or 7 tricks of any suit, you will earn 2200 points, and finally, a bid of 7 tricks of no trumps is worth 2500 points.

Bonuses

In addition to these points, there are also bonuses that you can earn.

If you manage to win exactly the number of tricks you bid, you will receive a bonus. For bids of 0 to 5 tricks of no trumps, the bonus is 250 points. However, if you bid 6 tricks of no trumps or 6 tricks of any suit, the bonus is reduced to 100 points. Any bid higher than 6 tricks does not receive a bonus.

Hey there! Let’s talk about scoring in a game. You might be wondering, “How do I score points in this game?” Well, I’ve got the answers for you!

Alright, so here’s the deal. If you manage to get exactly 3 tricks over your bid, you’ll score 350 points. Not too shabby, huh?

Now, things get even more exciting if you complete a doubled bid. You’ll earn an extra 400 points for that! And if you’re feeling really ambitious and go for a redoubled bid, you’ll get a whopping 1000 additional points!

But hold on, there’s a twist. If the bid was doubled, you’ll need to double the end score. And if it was redoubled, you’ll have to quadruple it! Talk about a game changer.

What if I Fail?

Okay, let’s say you didn’t quite meet your bid. Don’t worry, you can still earn some points. Your opponent will score based on how many tricks you fell short.

If you’re 1 trick under your bid, your opponent will win 100 points for a regular bid, 200 points for a doubled bid, and 300 points for a redoubled bid. If you’re 2 tricks under, your opponent will score 200, 500, or 700 points. The stakes get higher with 3 tricks under, earning your opponent 300, 800, or 1100 points.

If you fall short by 4 tricks, your opponent will score 400, 1100, or 1500 points. And if you really mess up and end up 5 tricks under, your opponent gets 700, 2000, or 2700 points. Lastly, if you lose by 6 or 7 tricks, your opponent will score a whopping 1000, 3000, or 4000 points.

That’s a Wrap!

Hey there, let’s talk about how the game works. It’s a pretty cool one, trust me. The game consists of 6 deals and whoever has the highest score wins. Simple enough, right? But what happens if there is a tie? Well, in that case, we play a 7th hand to break it.

Now, let me introduce you to Amber. They’re an awesome writer from Austin, and they really know their stuff when it comes to games. They’re also a big fan of dogs, plants, and D&D. Pretty cool, huh? So, if you’re into gaming like me, I’m sure you’ll love what Amber has to say.