Lesson 19 of 19
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019 – The ‘Play’ Phase of a Bridge Game

019

"The Play"

After the bidding is finished, the players enter the second phase of the game called “The Play.” This phase consists of 13 rounds where each player plays one card in a clockwise order.

The opening lead

The player who plays the first card is one of the opponents who did not win the “auction” (the bidding). Each pair aims to win as many rounds as possible.

The pair who won the auction are called the “Declarer” and “Dummy,” while the other pair are called the opponents or the opposition.

The aim of the Declarer is, at a minimum, to win the number of rounds they estimated during the bidding. The opposition tries to stop the Declarer from achieving this goal.

Tricks

In Bridge, a round where each player plays one card is called a “trick,” so we will be referring to them as “tricks” from now on.

In the “Play” phase, you must follow suit if you can. If you cannot follow suit, then play a low-value card of another suit.

Watch this game and then play it later

*Audio- turn your sound on to hear commentary




Instant Progress Quiz - Select the correct answer


  True

  False

Exercise: Your contract is 3NT and North is declarer

North’s Hand – Declarer in this Game

  • A J
  • A K 7 5
  • J 5 2
  • Q T 2

South’s Hand – Dummy laid on the table for this game

  • K T 8 5
  • T 4 3
  • T 8 3
  • K 3

Answer: East leads KD next to play is Dummy, then West and finally North

Glossary

refers to  the playing of the cards  part of the game

this is the player who has won the auction and whose partnership has made the highest bid, they get to play their own hand plus their partners hand

after winning the contract this player participates in the bidding with partner but  when the card playing happens they put their cards face up on the table and their partner gets to play them

a trick is a round played where each  player contributes one card

the partnership that don’t win the auction and whose job it is is to try and win as many tricks  from declarer as possible

when individual players are entering bids into the bidding pad on the table

is the first card played to a game and it is always the opposition who lost the auction who have this opportunity

Responses

The Acol Bidding System

*If you live in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand Acol is the most widespread system Acol has the following characteristics:
  • It is a natural system: most opening bids, responses and rebids are made with at least 4 cards in the suit bid, and most no trump bids are made with balanced hands.
  • It is a four-card major system: only four-card suits are required to open 1 or 1, unlike Standard American and many other systems where five-card suits are typically required.
  • It makes extensive use of limit bids: limit bids describe the hand so closely, in terms of high card points (HCP) and shape, that the one who makes the limit bid is expected to pass on the next round, unless partner makes a forcing bid.
  • Understanding and correct use of limit bids and forcing bids is fundamental to applying the system: all no trump bids below the level of 4NT are limit bids, as are all suit bids that merely repeat a suit already bid by the partnership; changes of suit may be forcing or not depending on the approach bids.
  • The level of the 1NT opening bid influences other bids: the normal choice is between a “weak no trump” (12–14 HCP) and a “strong no trump” (15–17 HCP).
  • All 1 of a suit opening bids then promise at least 4 cards in the bid suit
  • Notrump follow-up conventions include Stayman, Jacoby transfers Blackwood and Gerber Convention.