Youth 4 Bridge

The card serves two purposes: One, it tells your opponents what you play. (They, by the way, not you, are the only people entitled to look at it during the game, though clubs are somewhat lenient about this rule for the new player.) Two, making out a card allows you and your partner to get your understandings straight. Many longtime partnerships have improved just on this alone.

At first sight, the card can be intimidating. Don’t worry about filling it out in detail. You’ll see that it already has common conventions such as Stayman and Blackwood used by many social players. Dozens of other conventions have been invented to describe various hands, and you’ll discover some you enjoy using. For now, just remember that unusual conventions are shown in red on the card. Your opponents will “Alert” them by saying the word or using the “Alert” card in the bidding box. You may ask for an explanation when it is your turn to call.

Bids shown in blue require an “Announcement.” For example, when your partner bids 1 Notrump, you “announce” to your opponents the Notrump range. Most pairs use 15-17 or 16-18. Some have more unusual methods.

Another duplicate novelty is the “Skip Bid Warning,” which is used whenever you “skip” the bidding — when you open at the 2 level, for example. You either say, “Skip bid, please wait,” or use the red “Stop” card in the bidding box. The opponent waits 10 seconds before bidding. This gives the opponent an opportunity to recover from the “surprise” of your jump and prevents the “fast pass.” (Translation: I may have been surprised but I didn’t have anything to bid anyway!)

Now, just pick up your hand, noting from the board instructions who is dealer, and play bridge. To keep each deal intact for the next round, place each card face down in front of you on the table, pointing toward your partner if you win the trick, toward the opponents if you lose the trick. As declarer, you will tell your partner which card to play instead of pulling the dummy yourself. The dummy doesn’t ask to see your partner’s hand or walk around the table for a peek. Since the hands remain intact, there is opportunity later to look at them.

Also remember to make your opening lead face down to prevent leads out of turn. Many players will make their lead while asking their partner, “Do you have any questions?” Partner may shake her head no or may then ask for an explanation of an opponent’s bid.

When the deal is complete and the result agreed upon, the North player will enter the result on a scoresheet later used by the director to determine overall winners. You will want to record your own scores on the reverse side of the Convention Card.

Duplicate is scored like Chicago or party bridge. If your side makes a contract, you receive your trick score, plus a bonus of 50 points if you bid and make a partscore, 300 if you bid and made a non-vulnerable game, or 500 points if you bid and made a vulnerable game. Each deal stands alone and has no effect on any following or previous deal. If you don’t know the score of a particular contract (4 Spades making 4 doubled is one most players never forget!), just look on the back of the cards in the bidding boxes.

When you have finished all of your boards at a given table, the director will call the round and direct the movement of the boards and players. Generally, North-South remain stationary while East-West “get older”—move to the next higher table—and the boards “get younger,”—move to the next lower table.

The director matchpoints the results on each board. You receive one matchpoint for each pair whose result you have beaten and one-half a point for each pair whose results you have tied.

When you add up all of your matchpoints, you’ll see whether you did better or worse than average. You also will be able to see which boards you found troublesome and take the opportunity to discuss them with some nice former opponents. Was there a way to make 6?