Bridge Bidding Rules: Master the Game Online

Master the art of bidding, and you’ll be a tough nut to crack. While there are other important factors that determine the outcome of the game of bridge, bidding is probably the most influential. Having a good grasp of the bidding process — and how to bid accurately — can make up for shortcomings in other areas of your game. On the other hand, poor bidding play will almost certainly result in defeat if you’re playing against players with virtually any experience whatsoever.

The bidding process can seem complicated at first. And there’s a simple reason for that: everything connected to bridge can seem complicated at first. However, the more you play, the more you’ll develop a natural, intuitive understanding of how to make accurate bids. Combine that with a little bit of study, and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with!

Below, we’ll outline some essential information all newcomer bridge players must know about bidding, including the key terms you’ll come across, strategies you can use for successful bidding, and common bidding mistakes to avoid.

If you’re looking to increase your understanding of bridge by playing the game directly, then remember that at 247bridge.com you can play bridge anytime, anywhere, completely free of charge.

Understanding Bridge Bidding Basics

The first thing to learn about bidding in bridge is: it’s important. In fact, it’s very important! The bidding process is what determines the final contract, which in turn influences the strategy of both teams. The final contract is the foundation upon which the entire game will take place, and it’s the bidding process that’ll build that foundation.

Whoever gets the final contract will have to earn as many tricks as stipulated in the contract. If they don’t, then the opposition will get penalty points. If they do, then they’ll get points. It’s the bidding process that determines who gets the final contract.

So far, so simple. However, as we’ve said above, bridge is a complicated game, so there’s always a twist that adds a layer of complexity. You’ll be working with your partner during the bidding process, but crucially, you won’t know what cards they have, and “free talk” is not allowed. You’ll have to communicate the strength of your hand to your partner via your bid.

Bids can go through multiple rounds before the final contract is awarded. The bidding process comes to an end once three consecutive players say ‘pass.’

Think of it like an auction. A player makes an opening bid, then the next player can make a higher bid if they feel they have the cards to do so. Three people saying ‘pass’ is the equivalent of, at an auction, the auctioneer saying “Going once, going twice, sold to the highest bidder.” An individual player may have made the bid, but the final contract is awarded to both players on the team. After all, this is a team game!

Other Factors Bidding Influences

The bidding process determines which team is awarded the final contract, but that’s not all. There are a host of other outcomes from the bidding process that influence gameplay.

For example, the bidding process determines the “declarer.” The declarer is the player of the partnership who first outlined the suit or no trump in the bid. If the winning bid was 3 Hearts, then the player who first bid hearts would be the declarer.

The other player in the partnership becomes the dummy. That means their active role in the game has come to an end. They’ll simply place all of their cards face up on the table, and their partner will play both sets of cards.

Key Terms in Bridge Bidding

Reading up on how to play bridge will be much more straightforward if you understand the key terms. Plus, if you’re planning to play in the real world, then you’ll hear them said during gameplay.

It takes time to familiarize yourself with the terms used in bridge, but there are ways to make it easier. For example, when you play at 247bridge.com for the first time, you’ll be shown handy tutorial boxes that’ll run you through the gameplay and the associated words.

Need a quick reference point for the key terms associated with bridge bidding? We’ve got you covered below.

• Auction: Refers to the entire bidding process.
• Call: A player’s action; it may be a bid, pass, double, or redouble
• Contract: The contract is awarded to the highest bidder. The team must then earn as many “tricks” as they bid. For instance, if the final contract was 3 with the Hearts suit as the trump card, then the team would need to earn nine tricks (six are automatically awarded; you bid for the number of tricks you think you’ll earn above six) with three Hearts trump.
• Opening Bid: The first bid of the bidding process. Whoever makes this bid is the “opener.”
• Response: A bid made by the second member of the team. They’re called the “responder” (remember, bridge is all about team communication; they’re responding to their teammate’s opening bid).
• Overcall: This is a bid made by an opponent.
• Rebid: A subsequent bid by a player who has already made a move in the bidding process.

Those terms will take you a long way. The more you play bridge, the more familiar you’ll become with other common terms such as double, redoubled, jump, jump-raise, and shift, but for now, the above will suffice.

Strategies for Successful Bidding

We’ve already outlined the importance of bidding in bridge. If you know how to do this part of the game well, then you’ll probably turn out to be a pretty great bridge player! After all, smart bidding wins games.

Of course, since bridge is a pretty difficult game, you can rest assured that the bidding process, so influential in the outcome, is also pretty tricky to get right. And that’s especially true since you’ll have a different set of cards each time you play.

It’s recommended to have a solid sense of the value of each card in bridge. That’ll help you to quickly determine the strength — or weakness — of your hand. In descending order, the highest-value cards are Ace, King, Queen, Jack. Assign those cards in your hand the following scores:

• Ace: 4
• King: 3
• Queen: 2
• Jack: 1

If you have a value of more than 12 in your hand, then you can start the bidding.

If you’re going to assign a trump card (suit) to your bid, then it’s best to have at least five of those cards in your hand. You don’t need to, but it’s highly recommended, since it’ll increase your chances of reaching your bid.

Finally: work with your partner! We can’t stress this enough. It can make all the difference between success and failure. We’ll outline some handy tips for improving communication with your bridge partner below.

Common Bidding Mistakes to Avoid

First of all, we should say that, regardless of how hard you try, you will make mistakes during the bidding process. Every bridge play does, even the ones who have been playing for decades! So don’t beat yourself up too much.

With that said, there are things you can do that’ll help to minimize your risk of a poor bidding performance. Avoid the following errors, and you’ll be increasing your chances of success.

Bidding Too Conservatively

You can see why players bid conservatively. After all, if they fall short on the number of tricks they need, then the opposing team will benefit. However, bidding too conservatively is actually a dangerous move.

For one thing, a low opening bid might communicate to your bridge partner that you have a poorer hand than you really do. Plus, you just might miss out on contracts if you bid too low.

Bidding Too Aggressively

Newcomers tend to overvalue the strength of their hands and undervalue the strength of their opponent’s hands. During the bidding process, it’s important to take a balanced, methodical approach. Analyze your hand and try to determine its real value. It’s that line of thinking that’ll help you arrive at the right final bid amount.

Communication Difficulties

We’ll say it again: bridge is a team game! You’ll be focused on your own hand and performance, but you’ll need to work with your partner. The bidding phase is your opportunity to communicate the strength of your hand, whatever it may be. Alas, no words other than your bid can be spoken.

Listen to your partner’s first bid. What are they communicating to you? And think about your first bid: what do you need your partner to know?

Failure to Reflect

A little bit of post-game reflection goes a long way in all complex games, bridge included. Regardless of whether your bidding performance was successful, spend some time analyzing what went right, what went wrong, and how you can perform better next time.

Finally, don’t expect to get things right immediately. Stick with it, play as many games as you can, and eventually the bidding process will become second nature.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.