The Game of Bridge
New Member Lesson Night
Bridge is a trick taking card game for four players, in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other at the table.
The game is played with a standard pack of 52 cards (no jokers). Each player takes turns at dealing the cards, face down. The game has similarities to Whist, O'Hell! And Five Hundred (500) of which the last is the closest game to Bridge. Exponents of 500 will find that Bridge provides them with greater opportunity to exercise their skills.
There are two stages to Bridge:
The first stage involves the two partnerships (starting with the dealer) bidding in a special Bridge language (in New Zealand this is usually ACOL, named after the Club of that name formerly based on Acol Road in London).
The person winning the Contract is known as the Declarer. The Declarer's partner is known as 'Dummy' and The other pair is known as the Defenders.
The second stage is the playing of the cards with the Defender to the left of the Declarer laying their card (face up) first. The Declarer's partner then lays all their cards on the table (face up).
From that point the 'Dummy' takes no further part in game aside from playing the cards as per instructions from the Declarer and alerting the Declarer as to which 'hand' the next card is to be played from.
The Declarer's aim is to take at least as many tricks as they contracted to make, whilst the Defenders' is to prevent the Declarer from achieving the Contract.
Our Club holds lessons every year commencing in the month of March. Why not join us and find out if the game is for you?
The game is played with a standard pack of 52 cards (no jokers). Each player takes turns at dealing the cards, face down. The game has similarities to Whist, O'Hell! And Five Hundred (500) of which the last is the closest game to Bridge. Exponents of 500 will find that Bridge provides them with greater opportunity to exercise their skills.
There are two stages to Bridge:
- bidding ( or auction) for Contract
- playing out of the cards (or declaring)
The first stage involves the two partnerships (starting with the dealer) bidding in a special Bridge language (in New Zealand this is usually ACOL, named after the Club of that name formerly based on Acol Road in London).
The person winning the Contract is known as the Declarer. The Declarer's partner is known as 'Dummy' and The other pair is known as the Defenders.
The second stage is the playing of the cards with the Defender to the left of the Declarer laying their card (face up) first. The Declarer's partner then lays all their cards on the table (face up).
From that point the 'Dummy' takes no further part in game aside from playing the cards as per instructions from the Declarer and alerting the Declarer as to which 'hand' the next card is to be played from.
The Declarer's aim is to take at least as many tricks as they contracted to make, whilst the Defenders' is to prevent the Declarer from achieving the Contract.
Our Club holds lessons every year commencing in the month of March. Why not join us and find out if the game is for you?
Bridge Etiquette and Ethics
Kairangi Bridge Club has a number of important playing conventions that make the game more enjoyable for all concerned. For example, the Club asks that players aim to arrive 15 minutes before the session is scheduled to start and be seated 10 minutes before play starts. This is so the Director can establish the number of playing tables required and set up the movement between them.
Etiquette - behaviour that creates a pleasant and enjoyable playing environment.
Ethics - playing fairly and also within the rules. The most important aspect of ethics is not providing information to your partner (and opposing players) other than through approved processes. Information provided other than through these processes is called 'unauthorised information' . The Director can impose various penalties when this occurs.
Etiquette - behaviour that creates a pleasant and enjoyable playing environment.
Ethics - playing fairly and also within the rules. The most important aspect of ethics is not providing information to your partner (and opposing players) other than through approved processes. Information provided other than through these processes is called 'unauthorised information' . The Director can impose various penalties when this occurs.
Etiquette
Ethics
Unauthorised Information
Providing unauthorised information to your partner or to other players covers a range of behaviours including:
There are no secrets at the bridge table and winners are determined by their skill (with a little bit of luck thrown in!).
Full disclosure is it suggests - not as little as you can get away with e.g. "strong" but as much of your information as you can give e.g. 15+ points most probably a stopper in the opponent's suit. If you don't know, then you don't know! Undiscussed is a perfectly valid answer to a question about your system.
Alerting is a sub-set of full disclosure. It is the method to inform the opponents that something other than natural bidding is occurring and provides them with the opportunity to ask for more information. The bulk of non-natural bids must be circled (e.g. transfers).
This full disclosure is particularly relevant to Monday night players, many of whom have gone on to develop their own bidding and lead systems.
At the Kairangi Bridge Club, we would like everyone to actively adopt this Code of Ethics and when you and your partner sit down with EVERY new
opponent, practise full disclosure, be it basic 4 card ACOL, Precision or your own Bidding and Lead System.
If you have a complex system, maybe it's a good idea to use a PRE ALERT card - but please note that you must verbally inform your opponents as well.
When you are Dummy
The Role of the Director
The Director is responsible for the onsite technical management of the bridge event.
In carrying out this function, the director facilitates the maximum opportunity for enjoyment of the game by the players.
The director also endeavours to apply the laws and associated regulations in a consistent manner.
If a player is not satisfied with the director's ruling, then there is a right of appeal and the proper procedure is to notify the director in the first instance.
As a certain number of boards are to be completed within a given session, the director determines the time to be allocated. The time allocated to one board is usually seven minutes and for two boards, 13 minutes.
In the event of slow play, the director may need to approach some players and take any necessary steps at her/his discretion to prevent other players from being disadvantaged by the slower players.
In addition, the director:
- Be quiet and listen when the Director or others are making announcements.
- Maintain a courteous attitude and refrain from remarks or actions that might offend or embarrass another player or interfere with others' enjoyment of the game. This is particularly important with playing with or against less experienced players.
- Thank your partner when s/he lays down dummy and refrain from making negative comments about the hand.
- Try to complete bidding and play in time allowed for each board - slow play detracts from others' enjoyment.
- Do not touch another player's cards.
- Always summon the Director in a courteous and respectful manner.
- Gracefully accept any decisions of the Director including rectifications and adjusted scores.
Ethics
Unauthorised Information
Providing unauthorised information to your partner or to other players covers a range of behaviours including:
- Significantly varying the tempo of bidding or play. This means that you should make all calls and play in a consistent manner i.e. without undue hesitation or haste and without special emphasis or inflection.
- Commenting (by words or gestures) on partner's call or play.
- Looking intently at partner and other players during the auction or play, or at another player's hand including observing the place from which the card is drawn, in order to identify another player's hand.
- Detaching a card from your hand before it is your turn to play or detaching a card and then replacing it.
- Making gratuitous remarks or displaying mannerisms which may deceive an opponent.
- Showing an obvious further lack of interest in the deal (e.g. through body language etc.).
- Volunteering information which should be given only in response to a question by opponents.
- Discussing a hand after the play in such a way that other players may hear you and therefore receive unauthorised information.
- If you receive unauthorised information by overhearing such discussions, you should notify the Director immediately.
- Pre-alert you opponents to any unusual bidding systems before bidding commences.
- Announce your partner's opening bids of 1C (minimum number of clubs) and 1NT (high card point range).
- Alert a bid which has a special or unusual meaning by circling the bid made by your partner.
- A player, when it is her/his turn to bid, may ask the meaning of a preceding bid or play. The partner of the player who made the bid or play must fairly describe the meaning of that bid or play in terms of their partnership agreement.
- Call the Director as soon as attention is drawn to an irregularity.
- Leave the board in the centre of the table until play is completed.
- All players need to agree on the result of each board before cards are gathered up and returned to the board.
- Shuffle the cards after playing the hand, before returning them to the board.
There are no secrets at the bridge table and winners are determined by their skill (with a little bit of luck thrown in!).
Full disclosure is it suggests - not as little as you can get away with e.g. "strong" but as much of your information as you can give e.g. 15+ points most probably a stopper in the opponent's suit. If you don't know, then you don't know! Undiscussed is a perfectly valid answer to a question about your system.
Alerting is a sub-set of full disclosure. It is the method to inform the opponents that something other than natural bidding is occurring and provides them with the opportunity to ask for more information. The bulk of non-natural bids must be circled (e.g. transfers).
This full disclosure is particularly relevant to Monday night players, many of whom have gone on to develop their own bidding and lead systems.
At the Kairangi Bridge Club, we would like everyone to actively adopt this Code of Ethics and when you and your partner sit down with EVERY new
opponent, practise full disclosure, be it basic 4 card ACOL, Precision or your own Bidding and Lead System.
If you have a complex system, maybe it's a good idea to use a PRE ALERT card - but please note that you must verbally inform your opponents as well.
When you are Dummy
- You may try to prevent declarer from revoking or warn declarer against leading from the wrong hand.
- Otherwise you:
- must play the cards only as directed by the declarer
- may not participate in the play or make any suggestions or comments or ask any questions on the bidding or play.
- may not call attention to an irregularity during the play of the hand but you may call the director once another player has called attention to that irregularity.
- may not exchange hands with the declarer or leave your seat to watch declarer play.
- Before play commences, toss a coin for seating positions - the winning pair sit North/South.
- You can apply to sit North/South if you consider you have grounds for doing so (eg an injury).
The Role of the Director
The Director is responsible for the onsite technical management of the bridge event.
In carrying out this function, the director facilitates the maximum opportunity for enjoyment of the game by the players.
The director also endeavours to apply the laws and associated regulations in a consistent manner.
If a player is not satisfied with the director's ruling, then there is a right of appeal and the proper procedure is to notify the director in the first instance.
As a certain number of boards are to be completed within a given session, the director determines the time to be allocated. The time allocated to one board is usually seven minutes and for two boards, 13 minutes.
In the event of slow play, the director may need to approach some players and take any necessary steps at her/his discretion to prevent other players from being disadvantaged by the slower players.
In addition, the director:
- Collects and reconciles the table money
- Calls the tea break as appropriate
- Manages the electronic scoring system
- Posts results to the Club website