Game, Slam, Double: Reaching Higher in the Auction!

1. Game contracts: your first major objectives
To encourage players to bid higher and take calculated risks, bridge scoring awards bonus points for certain contracts known as game contracts. These are “threshold” bids that yield a large bonus when fulfilled. Each corresponds to a specific number of tricks and a type of contract:

• 3 No-Trump: you must make at least 9 tricks (6 + 3).
• 4♥️ or 4♠️: you must make at least 10 tricks (6 + 4), with Hearts or Spades as trump.
• 5♣️ or 5♦️: you must make at least 11 tricks (6 + 5), with Clubs or Diamonds as trump.

2. Which game to choose: majors, No-Trump… and minors as a last resort
Making game with a minor suit (Clubs or Diamonds) is more difficult: you need 11 tricks, whereas you need only 10 tricks in a major (Hearts or Spades), and only 9 tricks in No-Trump. This is why players prioritize game in a major suit or in No-Trump whenever possible.
In practice, you and your partner will first look for a fit in Hearts or Spades. Reaching 4♥️ or 4♠️ is often the easiest game to make, thanks to the ability to ruff in the trump suit.
If you have no major fit, you examine whether 3NT is feasible: it requires only 9 tricks to score the game bonus—though without the safety of ruffs.
Only if you have neither a strong major nor a good No-Trump contract will you consider 5♣️ or 5♦️ as a game contract.

3. Slams, doubles, and redoubles: maximum bonuses… and maximum challenges
Beyond game, there are even more ambitious contracts: slams.
A small slam corresponds to bidding at the 6-level in any strain: your side must then take 12 tricks.
A grand slam corresponds to bidding at the 7-level: you must take all 13 tricks. These contracts are rare but award extremely high bonuses – provided that you and your partner hold truly exceptional combined strength.
You also encounter two special bids: the Double and the Redouble.
A Double challenges the opponents’ contract: you indicate that you do not believe they will make it. If they go down, the penalty increases; if they make it, their reward increases.
A Redouble is a counter-challenge: after being doubled, you express confidence in your contract, increasing the points at stake even further.
Although their advanced uses vary, the key idea is that they greatly magnify bonuses and penalties.
You now know all the major contract types in bridge: games, slams, and competitive bids (double, redouble).