Play Bridge Online Free — Bridge Card Game vs the Computer
Play bridge online free, right in your browser. This free bridge card game puts all 4 hands at the table: you sit South with a computer partner in the North seat, against two computer opponents, East and West. The game deals, keeps score the classic rubber bridge way and never rushes you: a new deal starts only when you say so. There is no signup and nothing to install, and it works on a computer, a tablet or a phone.
The computer bids a simple Standard American system (five-card majors, 1NT shows 15 to 17 points). Tap any bid, yours or a robot’s, and the game tells you in plain English what it means. When Partner wins the contract, you choose whether to play both hands yourself or let Partner play. Made a mistake? Press Undo. Your game is saved as you play, so you can close the page and carry on later.
How to Play Bridge
Bridge is a card game for four players in two partnerships. Partners sit opposite each other: here that is you and Partner (North–South) against East and West. A normal deck of 52 cards is dealt out, 13 cards each. Aces are high: A, K, Q, J, 10 down to 2.
Tricks
Each deal is played in 13 tricks. The first player puts down a card (the lead) and the others play one card each in turn, clockwise. You must follow suit if you can; if you can’t, you may play any card. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump was played: then the highest trump wins. The winner leads to the next trick.
Bidding: who plays, and in which suit
Before the play there is an auction. Starting with the dealer, each player in turn makes a bid, or says Pass. A bid names a number and a suit, or NT (no trumps). The number is how many tricks above six your side promises to win: a bid of 4♠ promises 10 tricks with spades as trumps. Each bid must be higher than the last one: either more tricks, or the same number in a higher suit. The order, low to high, is ♣ clubs, ♦ diamonds, ♥ hearts, ♠ spades, then NT.
You may also Double an opponent’s bid (you think they will fail, and the score will count more), and the other side may Redouble. When a bid is followed by three passes in a row the auction is over, and the last bid is the contract. If all four players pass at the start, nobody plays and the cards are dealt again.
A simple guide to your hand’s strength: count 4 points for each ace, 3 for a king, 2 for a queen and 1 for a jack. With 12 points or more you usually open the bidding. Partners together need about 25 points to bid a game.
Declarer and dummy
The player who first named the contract’s suit for the winning side is the declarer. The player on declarer’s left makes the opening lead. Then declarer’s partner, the dummy, lays all 13 cards face up on the table, and declarer plays both their own hand and the dummy for the rest of the deal. The other two players defend and try to make the contract fail.
Scoring in rubber bridge
If declarer’s side wins at least the number of tricks it bid, it scores points below the line for each trick bid above six:
| Contract | Each trick bid | Game needs |
|---|---|---|
| ♣ Clubs, ♦ Diamonds | 20 | 5♣ or 5♦ |
| ♥ Hearts, ♠ Spades | 30 | 4♥ or 4♠ |
| NT (no trumps) | 40 for the first, then 30 | 3NT |
- Game: 100 points below the line wins a game. Smaller contracts (part-scores) add up until one side reaches 100.
- Rubber: the first side to win two games wins the rubber and a bonus: 700 if the other side has no game, 500 if it has one. Then a new rubber starts.
- Vulnerable: a side that has already won a game is vulnerable. Its bonuses are bigger, and so are its penalties.
- Extra points go above the line: tricks won beyond the contract (overtricks), bonuses for bidding and making a slam (12 or 13 tricks), and, if you choose, honours for holding four or five of the top trumps.
- Going down: if the contract fails, the defenders score for every trick it falls short: 50 each, or 100 each when declarer is vulnerable, and more when the contract was doubled.
The side with more points in total, above and below the line, wins the rubber. The game adds it all up for you: the score sits in the top right corner of the table, and a tap on it opens the full scorecard.
