Bridge

How to play

Four players in two partnerships — you and the player across vs the other two. All 52 cards are dealt, 13 each.

First comes the auction: starting with the dealer and going left, each player passes or bids a level from 1 to 7 (the tricks to win above six) with a trump suit or NT (no trumps).

Suits rank clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then NT, and every bid must beat the one before. You may double an opponent's bid, and the doubled side may redouble. Three passes in a row end the auction; if all four pass at the start, the cards are dealt again.

The last bid is the contract, and the partner who first named its suit is the declarer. The player on the declarer's left leads, then the declarer's partner puts their cards face up as the dummy, and the declarer plays both hands.

Follow the led suit if you can, otherwise play anything; the highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the led suit.

If the declaring side takes six tricks plus its level, it scores 20 a trick in clubs or diamonds, 30 in hearts or spades, and 40 for the first NT trick and 30 for the rest.

Reaching 100 in one contract makes a game; bidding and making 6 is a small slam and 7 a grand slam, both with big bonuses. If the contract fails, the defenders score for every trick short — more when the declarers are vulnerable or doubled.

Chicago is four deals, each scored on its own, with a game bonus of 300 (500 when vulnerable) or 50 for a smaller contract. Rubber is won by the first side to make two games, for a bonus of 700, or 500 if the other side has one.

There is no bonus for holding honours.

Ways to play

• 🤖
  Against the computerPlay on one device against a computer opponent.
• 👪
  Play together, nearbyWith family and friends in the same room: up to 4 players, each on their own phone or tablet. No Wi-Fi or internet needed. In the Jambolaya app.
• 🎓
  Learn by playingA guided lesson on the real game teaches you the rules one step at a time.