Better Bridge in Barry County May 28 2015 Part Two

Bids
		Rubber Bridge Scoring
	We			They			Vulnerable:  Won 1 game
							Not Vulnerable: No games won.
							Penalties for not making bid.
							Not Vul	50pts/trick
							Vulnerable 100pts/Trick
							Overtricks are scored above line.
							Extra tricks made above bid.
							Honors: A,K,Q,J,10
							4 Honors in Trump: 100 pts
							5 Honors in Trump 150 pts
							Honors in NT: 4 Aces 150 pts
							A Rubber is 2 out of 3 games.
							Rubber: 2 successive games=700
							2 games to 1 game=500
					The Line!
							Scoring
							Book	First 6 tricks
							C and D	20 pts/trick
							H and S	30 pts/trick
							NT	40 pts 1st trick; then 30pts/trick
							Game	Tricks Needed
							C and D	11	6+5	100
							H and S	10	6+4	120
							NT	9	6+3	100
							Bid and Made
							1C or D	20
							1 H or S		30
							1NT			40
							2 C or D	40
							2 H or S		60
							2NT			70
							3 C or D	60
							3 H or S		90
							3 NT	Game		100
							4 C or D	80
Total Points			Total Points				4 H or S	Game	120
							5 C or D Game:       100

Better Bridge in Barry County May 28 2015

Learning How to Score Rubber/Contract Bridge

By Gerald Stein

 

In today’s column, we will examine the third part of playing bridge: the scoring aspect. Too often some Contract/Rubber bridge players allow someone else to score the points for them. They are oblivious to the ways that bridge scoring is done. In all types of bridge playing, there are three parts: the bidding, the playing and defending the hand, and the scoring of the hand. In a two-part series, we will see how important it is to know all three parts of playing successful bridge. Knowing how to score is an important goal for every bridge player.

The object of bridge is to bid each hand and work together with your partner to gain 100 points or more to win a game. To earn those game points, certain values are assigned to the four suits and to no trump. Making a “game” results when your team has successfully earned 100 points or more by bidding, playing, and making the contract. The scoring will happen last after each hand.

In the convenient chart above, it is important to know certain terms that are used every time you are playing bridge. A “Vulnerable” status indicates that your team has won one game. Your team will be held to higher penalties as well as higher rewards because your side has won one game. A “Not Vulnerable” status indicates that your team has not yet won a game, and so the penalties and rewards are significantly lower. Getting set one trick when you are vulnerable will cost your team 100 points. Getting set one trick when you are not vulnerable will cost you 50 points.  Whether you are playing for pennies or M and M’s, it could make a difference!

Bridge is unique in that the first six tricks are called “the book.” Each time a player bids, the understanding is that the first six tricks are automatically included in the bid. Thus, a bid of 1C means that you are planning to take seven tricks: the “book” of six plus one, the bid that you have just made. You are communicating with your partner that you are interested in the club suit, and that you can make seven out of the 13 total tricks in each hand.

Tricks bid and won are counted as follows: the minor suits of clubs and diamonds are worth 20 points each. To reach a game of 100 or more, the goal for winning bridge games, in clubs or diamonds,  it will take you 11 tricks out of the 13 tricks possible for each hand, (“6 for book” and 5 tricks at 20 points each), a daunting task. Those points go below the line and are known as game points.

To reach a game of 100 or more in the major suits of hearts and spades, you need only four tricks plus “book of six” since major suits are worth 30 points each. (4 tricks at 30 points equals 120 points.) Those points also go below the line. Only ten tricks are needed for a game in a major instead of the more difficult 11 in clubs and diamonds, the minor suits.

To reach a game of 100 or more in no trump, you need only three tricks plus “book of six” since the first trick of no trump is worth 40 points. Each subsequent trick in no trump is worth 30 points. So 40 + 30 + 30 = 100. You can quickly see that experienced bridge players try for games in 3NT and 4♥ and 4♠ because of the lower number of tricks needed for game. Nine tricks in no trump is often easier than 11 tricks in clubs or diamonds.

Part scores happen often in Contract/Rubber Bridge, so learning to score and watching the scorecard is important. Part score hands may be played, scored and added until one side reaches the 100 or more points, the goal for each game. Bidding too high when your side has a part score on your side of the ledger and then going set is an aggravation to your partner. Learn to watch the score.

Contract/Rubber Bridge is based on winning the best of three games. Called a rubber, the team that wins the first two games is awarded bonus points for doing so. If your team wins the first two games without giving up a game to your opponents, happily take 700 bonus points above the line in addition to your game points below the line. If each team has won a game (vulnerable both), and your team wins the third game, then happily take a 500 point bonus. The rubber is over as soon as two games are won by either pair.

In addition, other bonus points include honors if you remember to claim them. Having 4 of the 5 top cards in a trump suit will give you a 100 bonus points above the line. Having 5 of the top 5 cards (A K Q J 10) will give you 150 bonus points. Having all four aces in one hand will also give you 150 bonus points if you are the declarer in no trump. Remember to claim them or you lose them.

Overtricks are tricks won above the contract; they are put above the line. Only tricks bid and made are counted towards the 100 point game goal. The extra tricks, counted as their given value, are put above the line and are counted as bonus points. Undertricks are tricks where the contract was not made. Those points go to your opponents for setting you. Those points also go above the line.

Finally, at the end of a rubber, the final steps are to count up the total points from the top part where the bonus points are stored as well as the game points. The team having the highest total number of points is declared the winner of the rubber.

Learning to score can be mastered with a little practice. Make sure you and your partner both know how to score and then teach someone how to score if they do not know how. This will make everyone a better bridge player!

 

Gerald Stein

May 20, 2015

Number of words: 1088

 

Bridge notes: Next time, Part Two of Scoring will look at scoring small slams, grand slams, and doubled and redoubled contracts. Until then, practice scoring on games and part scores, and see how much better you will be as a bridge player.

 

Better Bridge in Barry County May 7 2015

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

	North ♠  K 7 5      ♥  K Q  ♦  K 2  ♣  K J 10 9 6 3
West ♠  A 8 6 2    ♥  10 9 7  ♦  J 9 6  ♣  7 5 4		East ♠  Q 10 9  ♥  A 8 5 4 3  ♦  Q 10 7 4 3  ♣  ---
	South ♠  J 4 3  ♥  J 6 2  ♦  A 8 5  ♣  A Q 8 2

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

East North/South 10♥

 

North   2♣! 3NT	East Pass Pass Pass	South 1♣ 2NT Pass	West Pass Pass Pass

In today’s hand, it looks like North and South have a great fit in the club suit, but making a game in clubs with a 5♣ bid spells disaster almost immediately. Instead of trying for eleven tricks in the club suit, consider the possibility of a game in no trump. 3NT requires nine tricks instead of the eleven tricks, and the long clubs will be a most useful help in making this contract. Let’s take a look at the bidding and the play of the hand.

After a pass by East, South opened a rather weak hand with one club. There does not seem like there is a second bid available for South. Even 1NT looks scary with two jacks in the majors. North, however, used a 2♣ bid as an Inverted Minor bid, a forcing bid that promised clubs as well as points and forced South to bid 2NT. South complied, and North placed the final contract at 3NT.

West on lead had not much of a choice but elected to use the 10♥, the top of a three-card sequence, to see if he could reach his partner. Down came the dummy hand, and South began her plan, thanking her partner for the 15 high card points and the long clubs. There appeared to be six club winners, two diamond winners, and a heart winner or two as well as a possible spade winner. 3NT should be made easily if all went well.

South played the Q♥ on the 10♥ and saw East win the trick with the A♥. Back came a small heart, and South won with the K♥ in the dummy. The next six tricks were club tricks starting with the short side first with the A♣ and the Q♣ and finishing with the winners in the North hand. So far seven tricks had been accounted for, and the three remaining winners would bring the total up to ten tricks. Would there be another overtrick with the spade suit? Let’s see how South managed to play the remaining cards.

After playing the last club winner, South first played the K♦ from the North hand. Did it make a difference? You bet! A small diamond was then led to the A♦ in the South hand, and then South played the good J♥ for trick number ten. At this point, spades had not yet been played. Where was the A♠? This was the question in South’s mind. With nothing to lose as the contract had been made, South led the J♠ tempting West to take the trick and then West would have to lead a final spade to the waiting K♠ in the North hand. West did not cover the J♠, and then South was in a quandary. Was West being cagey? South decided to go up with the K♠, and it won the eleventh trick. The last trick would indeed go to West’s A♠.

For their efforts, North and South took eleven tricks, scoring well in an online tournament. Three NT was the contract of choice while those few who ventured into a 5♣ contract saw it go down to defeat with the loss of the A♥ and two spade losers. When your minor suits show up, always consider a 3NT contract before blasting off to a 5♣ or 5♦ contract. The long minor suits will be useful in no trump, and overtricks will pay big rewards when the final scores are tallied. Nine tricks most of the time are easier to take than eleven tricks. A useful way to remember this is to know that 3NT and 4H and 4S can make their games usually on 25-26 high card points. Games in the minors with 5♣ and 5♦ require 29 high card points and eleven tricks. With only 40 high card points in the deck, make your games in no trump and the majors. You will be a bridge winner!

 

Gerald Stein

April 25, 2015

Number of words: 811

 

Bridge Notes: A beginning bridge course has just started at Kellogg Community College’s Life Long Learning Program. The first class met this past Monday, but there is still time to join in for the next seven lessons. Call KCC at their office at 269-965-4134 for further information.