Understanding the Score… and Enjoying the Journey!

1. Scoring basics: tricks and the trump suit
The goal in bridge is to score as many points as possible – or lose as few as possible. The declaring side scores points when it makes its contract, and the defenders score if declarer goes down.
You only score for tricks above six. The value of each trick depends on the trump suit:

• No-Trump: 40 points for the 7th trick, then 30 points for each subsequent trick.
• Majors (♥️ and ♠️): 30 points for the 7th trick and each one after.
• Minors (♣️ and ♦️): 20 points for the 7th trick and each one after.

Examples:

• A contract of 2♥️ just made (8 tricks → 2 above 6) scores 2 × 30 = 60 points.
• A contract of 3♣️ making 10 tricks (4 above 6) scores 4 × 20 = 80 points.

2. Games, slams, and undertricks
Some contracts give special bonuses if they were bid and made. This encourages players to aim higher and then work hard to succeed.

• Part-scores: 50-point bonus
• Game (5♣️, 5♦️, 4♥️, 4♠️, or 3NT): 300-point bonus
• Small slam (6♣️, 6♦️, 6♥️, 6♠️, or 6NT): 800-point bonus
• Grand slam (7♣️, 7♦️, 7♥️, 7♠️, or 7NT): 1,300-point bonus

Example: bidding and making 6♥️ (12 tricks) gives:
6 × 30 trick points + 800 bonus = 980 points.

If declarer goes down, the defenders score 50 points per undertrick.
If the contract was doubled, all scores (winners and penalties) are increased; if redoubled, they are increased again.
Put simply: double and redouble amplify everything – when you’re wrong it hurts, but when you’re right it’s a jackpot!

3. Scoring examples… and a lifetime to enjoy the game
A few examples to anchor the ideas:

• 2♥️ just made (8 tricks): 2 × 30 + 50 → 110 points
• 3♦️ making 10 tricks: 4 × 20 + 50 → 130 points
• 3NT making 11 tricks (remember: the first trick = 40, the next four = 30):
  40 + 4 × 30 + 300 → 460 points
• 5♦️ down 3: Defenders score 3 × 50 → 150 points
• 5♠️ making 12 tricks: 6 × 30 + 300 → 480 points

In this last example, you score trick points and the game bonus, but not the small-slam bonus, because you did not bid 6♠️. The rule for bonuses is simple:

“If you didn’t take the risk of bidding it, you don’t get the bonus.”

The good news is that you can absolutely play bridge for a long time without worrying about the finer points of scoring—let the software or the score sheet handle it at first. What truly matters for improving is the joy of the auction… and above all, the joy of the play.

Bridge is a social mind sport that people discover year after year and never exhaust. You now have everything you need to begin: have fun, get your friends to play… and let bridge accompany your life!

• Play a few deals
• Learn in a nearby club
• Continue your journey online