Lesson 1 – Introduction to Minibridge

The Declaring side and Defending side

• Minibridge is a simplified version of Bridge, used to get the basics of the game which we will then build on over the coming weeks

• So first question – how good is my hand? • Use the Milton Work point count: A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1 • Each player adds up their points and, starting with the player who dealt (dealer) each player announces their points in a clockwise rotation • Check that points announced sum to 40 (as there are 10 points per suit)

• The partnership with the most points (21+) become the declaring side • The other partnership becomes the defending side • If the points are equally separated between the partnerships i.e. 20-20 there is a redeal

• Within the declaring side, the player with the fewest points of the two becomes the Dummy • Dummy places their hand down on the table, for all players to see, arranging their cards into suits, and then in order from top to bottom, the lowest ranking cards facing their partner: Declarer

• If the points are split equally between the declaring side e.g. 12 each the player that announced their points first becomes declarer

• It is at this point declarer must contract how many tricks they will make using both their own cards and their partner’s cards (Dummy) • It is up to the defence, working together to try and stop declarer making his contract

Scoring

• If Declarer makes his contract, then the partnership will receive points based on the number of tricks declarer makes • However, if the defending side manage to stop Declarer making their contract, they receive points based on the number of ‘undertricks’ declarer made

So how are the points assigned?

• If the declaring side has over half the points, they should be able to make over half the number of tricks • Therefore declarer must take 6 tricks (known as the Book) plus others that they contract for. So the minimum number of tricks declarer must contract for is 7 to receive a positive score • Four options exist for declarer to choose from:

Part-score Game Small Slam Grand Slam

What deems each of these?

• The first trick above the book scores 40 points and all subsequent tricks score 30 points

Tricks 1 to 6 7 8 to 13 Score 0 +40 +30 per trick

Choosing to play in part-score, declarer must take at least 7 tricks, in addition to the score they receive a 50 point bonus

Declarer need only take one trick above the book: 40

So to make part-score declarer must take at least 1+6 tricks=7 tricks

So contracting and making part-score scores at least 90 points

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Choosing to play in game, declarer must get at least 100 and receives a 300 point bonus

40+30+30, so declarer must take 3 tricks above the book

So to make game declarer must take at least 3+6=9 tricks

So contracting and making game scores at least 400 points

Choosing to play in small slam, declarer must take 12 tricks, the bonus is 500 in addition to the game bonus

So contracting and making small slam scores 990 points

Choosing to play in grand slam, declarer must take all 13 tricks, the bonus is 1000 in addition to the game bonus

So contracting and making grand slam scores 1520 points

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You cannot receive the game bonus if you did not call game even if you make it, you just continue to score, the tricks above what you contracted to make are called overtricks

Declarer contracts part-score (7 tricks) but instead makes 9:

40 for the 1st trick 60 for the other 2 tricks (2x30) 50 for contracting part-score and making it

Score: +150

However, if declarer had contracted game:

40 for the 1st trick 60 for the other 2 tricks (2x30) 300 for contracting game and making it

Score: +400

So it is in your interest to contract game if you can make it as you will get more points

If declarer is not successful, for every trick they fail to make they lose 50 points

Declarer contracts game (9 tricks) but instead makes 7:

50 below for each trick 2 tricks below the contract (2x-50)

Score: -100

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Commencing play

• Declaring side and defending side have been decided • Within the declaring side we now know which player is declarer and dummy • Dummy has put their cards down and now declarer must choose their contract: Part-score, Game, Small Slam or Grand Slam • Once declarer has done this, the player to the left of Declarer or to the right of Dummy, chooses what to play to the first trick and play commences this is the opening lead

• It is usually Part-score or Game that are the more common contracts • Note that if you contract game it is just 9 tricks, not the first 9

But what contract should declarer choose?

• Generally the sum of the points between the two hands of the declaring side is a good enough indication for what the contract should be:

Points between the declaring side Contract suggested 21-23 Part-score 24-32 Game 33-36 Small Slam 37-40 Grand Slam

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However, it is not only points that we should be looking at when considering the contract, it is the potential winners and losers too, let’s look at some examples1:

Whilst the two hands only have a combined 25 count, which would suggest only playing in game. ♠ - A532 But count your tricks! ♥ - A953 ♦ - 632 ♠ - 1 trick, the Ace ♣ - A5 ♥ - 1 trick, the Ace ♦ - 8 tricks, we can play them from the top down ♣ - 2 tricks, the Ace and the King ♠ - 7 ♥ - 6 That gives us 12 tricks, we can make a Small Slam! ♦ - AKQJT987 Why? The length of the diamond suit and the fact that ♣ - K42 the defence can never win a trick in any suit

On any lead from the defence we win with the Ace, and then just play off our winners.

______

The two hands have a combined 25 count, which would suggest playing in game But count your tricks! ♠ - 4 ♥ - 9642 ♠ - 0 tricks, we have no high cards ♥ ♦ - AQ63 - 5 tricks, the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten ♦ ♣ - AT75 - 3 tricks, the Ace, King and Queen ♣ - 3 tricks, the Ace, King and Queen

♠ - T6 That gives us 11, we should contract for game, STOP! ♥ - AKQJT ♦ - K82 How many spades do you think the defenders are ♣ - KQ4 going to be able to cash before we can get in?

Surely more than 4, which means we will go down – we should only contract for Part-score.

1 Hands are displayed with Dummy’s cards at the top (North) and Declarer’s at the bottom (South) and the suits are given in reverse alphabetical order

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We’ve just seen that, whilst points are only a guide to what the contract to be in.

We should be counting our tricks before we make a decision about the contract that we should be in.

So, we need to think about how we are going to play the hand before we decide what contract we should be in.

Planning the Play

We can make tricks by: Power Length Position

Tricks by Power

• These can either be quick tricks:

♠ - AKQJT We can simply cash all 5 spades – quick tricks by power ♠ - 43

• Or slow tricks:

♠ - KQJT This time we must knock out the Ace – 3 slow tricks by power ♠ - 432

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What about this holding?

♠ - AQJ6 We have 4 quick tricks by power. ♠ - K32

• But what happens if we play the Ace, Queen and Jack? • The King will win the third trick and we now only have 3 quick tricks2

How can we prevent this?

• If we play the King first and then low to the Ace, we get all 4 tricks • So remember:

HONOURS FROM THE SHORT HAND FIRST!

Tricks by Length

• These tricks develop when opponents have run out of cards in the suit, meaning that all our smaller cards will now win tricks

♥ - AK764 We have 4 quick tricks by power, but then the ♥7 will be a trick by length as the opponents will have run out of hearts. ♥ - QJ32 HONOURS FROM THE SHORT HAND FIRST!

• Tricks by length are not always certain, but knowing some basic odds can help

We have 3 quick tricks by power, and can get 2 tricks by ♥ - AK764 length if the 5 outstanding hearts are divided 3-2 (68%)

♥ - Q53 HONOURS FROM THE SHORT HAND FIRST!

2 Unless spades are 3-3 which is about 33%, whereas if we play honours from the short hand first we have 4 tricks 100%

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Tricks by Position

• These tricks are developed if the correct opponent holds a particular card

♦ - KQ5 Here there is one slow trick by power, but we may be able ♦ - 76 to make another trick by position.

• How can we get this second trick? • If West has the ♦A we can lead toward the honours to gain two tricks

So remember:

LEAD TOWARDS HONOURS!

Probably one of the most common way to make tricks by position is using a technical play called a Finesse:

♣ - AQ64 Here there is one slow trick by power, but we may be able to make another trick by position. ♣ - 54

How can we get this second trick?

• What happens if West has the ♣K? • If we hope that they do, then we can play a low club to the Queen to score our second trick by position • In isolation, this occurs 50% of the time

So… once Dummy has gone down, we should think about how many tricks we are going to make by P.L.P BEFORE deciding what the contract should be.

Then we should think about what order we will play the different suits in to try and make as many tricks as possible.

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Practice your declarer play

The quickest way to improve at playing hands to play as many hands as possible in between the lessons as shortly we will leave the play aspect behind and move onto bidding (Lessons 3 to 7).

A program exists, which you are able to download FOR FREE (unfortunately it is only available for Windows users) to play Minibridge on your computer:

http://www.bluechipbridge.co.uk/MiniBridge.htm

• Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link to download the zip file • When the program loads select option 1: “Practise your no-trump play” (we are going to cover defence and trumps next week) and click ok:

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• Your hand will then be presented to you:

• Click play and Dummy will go down • The computer will put you in what it believes to be the correct contract • The open lead will be made • It is then up to you to make your contract REMEMBER PLP!

• There is a Hint button, should you get stuck • There is also a button to let you take back your card • Neither of these options exist in the real game!

THE SCORING ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM IS WRONG SO IGNORE IT!

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