Welcome to Single Dummy Bridge!

Hey there, I’m here to introduce you to Single Dummy Bridge, a cool card game that’s perfect for two players. In this game, the main objective is to reach a specific number of points in order to win. You can achieve this by making bids and successfully completing them, which will earn you points. The game is played over several rounds, and the first person to reach the target score becomes the champion!

Before we jump into the action, don’t forget to agree on the target score with your opponent. It’s an important step to make sure everyone’s on the same page!

Now, let’s talk about the setup. In Single Dummy Bridge, each player will have their own dummy hand. These hands will be played by the opposite player, making things even more interesting!

The Setup: Let’s Get Started!

To start the game, one player is randomly chosen to be the dealer. Each round, the dealer role will switch between the two players. The dealer takes the deck of 52 cards and shuffles them. Then, they start dealing the cards in a counterclockwise direction, one card at a time. Each player receives one hand of 13 cards, and a dummy hand is placed opposite each player. This creates an exciting dynamic that you’ll discover as you play!

Once the cards are dealt, you can take a look at your own hand. But, you can’t peek at the dummy hand. Only one dummy hand is revealed, and then the bidding round begins before the game starts.

Card Rankings and Trumps

In Single Dummy Bridge, the cards are ranked in the traditional order: Ace (highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 (lowest).

The suits also have rankings, but this is only used for bidding. The ranks are: No trumps (highest), spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs (lowest).

Bidding

When the game begins and the cards are dealt, the dealer starts the bidding round. Then, it’s the opponent’s turn to make a bid. Each player has a choice to make: they can either bid on the number of tricks they believe they can win in this round and choose a trump suit, or they can pass. It’s important to remember that you need to win at least 6 tricks, so when you make a bid, you’re bidding on the number of tricks you will win above 6. The minimum bid is 1 (also known as 7 tricks), and the maximum bid is 7 (also known as 13 tricks). The players will take turns outbidding each other until one player decides to pass. If a player bids a higher number of tricks, it will always outbid the other player’s bid or a higher-ranked suit with the same number of tricks.

If I’m playing a game, I have the option to increase the bid or go for a double or redouble. When one of my opponents makes a bid, I can double it on my turn to double the score at the end. And if the bid has already been doubled, I have the option to redouble it. But once a new deal starts, the double and redouble are no longer in effect and must be done again. When a player passes, the other player wins the bid and needs to take at least the number of tricks they bid, using the trump suit they called for scoring.

EXCITING GAMEPLAY

So, here’s how it works: once the bidding is done, the person who won the bid gets to choose whether they want to play with the hand they saw or the one that’s still a secret. Once they’ve made their decision, both hands are revealed, and then we start playing the 13 tricks.

The first player is the opponent of the person who won the bid, and they can play any card they want. The other players have to follow the same suit if they can. To win a trick, you need to play either the highest trump card or the highest card of the suit that was led. The player who wins the trick gets to keep it and leads the next one.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. When it’s your turn, you have to play a card from your own hand and also one from the dummy’s revealed hand. And don’t forget, the turn order is clockwise.

Once the final trick is won, it’s time to start scoring.

SCORING

After all the tricks have been played, each player will tally up their points.

When you successfully bid in this game, you’ll earn points for each trick you win over six. The number of points you score will depend on the trump suit that was chosen.

If the trump suit is spades or hearts, each trick you win over six is worth 30 points. For diamonds and clubs, each trick over six is worth 20 points. And if you’re playing with no trumps, the first trick over six is worth 40 points, and each subsequent trick is worth 30.

If your bid was doubled, your end score will be doubled. And if it was redoubled, your score will be quadrupled.

THE GAME ENDS

The game is over when a player reaches or surpasses the predetermined point total. The first player to do this wins the game.

The game is over when a player reaches or surpasses the predetermined point total. The first player to do this wins the game.