About Free Printable Contract Bridge Rules
Your partner does. Declarer is the player on the winning side who first named the final contract's denomination during the auction, not whoever made the last bid.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Contract Bridge is a trick-taking card game for exactly four players in two partnerships, played with a standard 52-card deck (a second deck speeds up dealing) and a score pad. Each hand opens with an auction that sets a contract, then the declaring side tries to win the tricks it bid while the defenders try to stop them. The first side to win two games takes the rubber, which usually lasts 30 to 90 minutes. The full printable rules sheet, with a seating diagram, bidding ladder and score-pad layout, is on this page.
How to play Contract Bridge
- Seat partners opposite each other: North-South against East-West. Cut for the first deal (highest card deals, ace high), and deal all 52 cards one at a time clockwise so everyone holds 13.
- Hold the auction. Starting with the dealer and going clockwise, each player calls Pass, Bid, Double or Redouble. A bid is a level from 1 to 7 plus a denomination: "2 Hearts" promises 8 tricks (6 + 2) with hearts as trumps.
- Each bid must outrank the last. Denominations rank clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, No Trump from low to high, so 1 NT beats 1 spade and 2 clubs beats 1 NT. You may only Double an opponent's bid, and only the doubled side may Redouble.
- The auction ends when a bid, double or redouble is followed by three passes. If all four pass at the start, the hand is thrown in. On the winning side, the player who first named the final denomination becomes Declarer; their partner is Dummy.
- The defender on Declarer's left makes the opening lead. Dummy then lays all 13 cards face up in suit columns, trumps on Dummy's right, and Declarer plays both hands for the rest of the deal.
- Play clockwise. You must follow suit if you can; otherwise discard or play a trump. The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played. The winner leads next.
- After 13 tricks, score it. Only tricks bid and made go below the line; overtricks, penalties, slam, insult, honors and rubber bonuses go above the line. A side reaching 100 below the line wins a game and becomes vulnerable.
- The first side to win two games wins the rubber and adds 700 (won 2-0) or 500 (won 2-1). Add up everything above and below the line: the higher total wins.
Contract Bridge scoring (rubber bridge)
| Item | Points |
|---|
| Clubs or diamonds, per odd trick | 20 below the line |
|---|
| Hearts or spades, per odd trick | 30 below the line |
|---|
| No Trump | 40 for the first odd trick, 30 for each after |
|---|
| Undertrick, undoubled | 50 each not vulnerable, 100 each vulnerable |
|---|
| Undertricks, doubled, not vulnerable | 100 for the 1st, 200 each for the 2nd and 3rd, 300 each after |
|---|
| Undertricks, doubled, vulnerable | 200 for the 1st, 300 each after |
|---|
| Insult bonus for making a doubled / redoubled contract | 50 / 100 |
|---|
| Small Slam (bid 6) | 500 not vulnerable, 750 vulnerable |
|---|
| Grand Slam (bid 7) | 1000 not vulnerable, 1500 vulnerable |
|---|
| Honors in one hand | 100 for 4 of 5 trump honors, 150 for all 5 or all 4 aces at NT |
|---|
| Rubber bonus | 700 for winning 2-0, 500 for winning 2-1 |
|---|
Examples
Strategy tips
- Aim for game contracts you can reach in one deal: 3 NT (9 tricks), 4 hearts or 4 spades (10 tricks). Each scores exactly 100 or more below the line, while 3 hearts scores only 90.
- Prefer a major suit or No Trump over a minor when you have the choice. Minor-suit game needs 5 clubs or 5 diamonds, which is 11 tricks.
- As Declarer, stop and plan the whole hand when Dummy goes down. Count your sure winners first, then decide where the extra tricks will come from.
- Draw the opponents' trumps early when your side holds most of them, so they cannot ruff your winners.
- Against a No Trump contract, lead the fourth-highest card of your longest suit to start setting up tricks there.
- Think twice before doubling for penalty when you are not sure of setting the contract: a made doubled contract gives the opponents doubled trick points plus the insult bonus.
Example: scoring one hand
You bid 4 hearts and take 11 tricks, not vulnerable and undoubled. The 4 bid tricks score 4 x 30 = 120 below the line, which completes a game. The one overtrick scores 30 above the line. Had you taken only 8 tricks, you would be down 2 and the defenders would score 2 x 50 = 100 above the line.
Frequently asked questions
Who becomes Declarer if my partner bid hearts first and I bid the final 4 hearts?
Your partner does. Declarer is the player on the winning side who first named the final contract's denomination during the auction, not whoever made the last bid.
Can Dummy say anything during play?
No. Dummy must not advise, comment or play a card unprompted, and only moves cards as Declarer directs. The defenders play their own hands and may not show cards to each other.
Do I get a slam bonus if I bid 4 spades and take all 13 tricks?
No. Slam bonuses are only scored when the slam was bid and made. Taking 13 tricks in a 4 spades contract scores 4 x 30 below the line and three overtricks of 30 above it, but no slam bonus.
What does vulnerable mean?
A side that has already won one game in the current rubber is vulnerable. Being vulnerable raises the slam bonuses and the penalties for going down, so sacrifice bids get more expensive.
Do honors count if the contract fails?
Yes. A player holding 4 of the 5 trump honors (A, K, Q, J, 10) in one hand scores 100 above the line, and all 5, or all 4 aces at No Trump, scores 150, whether or not the contract is made.
Can you play bridge with two or three people?
Standard bridge needs exactly four. Honeymoon Bridge is a two-player adaptation where each player gets 13 cards and builds the rest of their hand from the remaining 26 before a normal auction. With five or six people, players usually take turns sitting out between rubbers.
What is Chicago bridge?
Chicago is a shorter format of exactly four deals with fixed vulnerability: none on deal 1, the dealer's side on deals 2 and 3, and both sides on deal 4. Instead of a rubber bonus, each game made scores 300 not vulnerable or 500 vulnerable.
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