Discovering trump contracts
Trump contracts
Up till now we have played bridge in no-trump contracts.
We are now going to name a suit trumps.
We are now going to name a suit trumps.
The trump is a special suit that is decided on during the auction and allows you to ruff and take the trick when you can't follow suit.
You will therefore win the trick with the 2 of trumps even if an opponent has followed with the Ace of the suit led.
You will therefore win the trick with the 2 of trumps even if an opponent has followed with the Ace of the suit led.
Having a trump suit has one major advantage and one major drawback:
- The trump suit allows you to stop the running of a solid suit by the opponent, by ruffing when you or the dummy no longer have cards in the suit led.
- Unfortunately the trump suit also allows the opponent to ruff in. To avoid opponents' ruffs, you have to hold as many trumps as possible. In general, you choose a suit in which both partners have at least 8 cards between them.
Please note that to be able to play a trump, you either have to be the first to play to the trick or have no cards left in the suit led.
- The trump suit allows you to stop the running of a solid suit by the opponent, by ruffing when you or the dummy no longer have cards in the suit led.
- Unfortunately the trump suit also allows the opponent to ruff in. To avoid opponents' ruffs, you have to hold as many trumps as possible. In general, you choose a suit in which both partners have at least 8 cards between them.
Please note that to be able to play a trump, you either have to be the first to play to the trick or have no cards left in the suit led.
The concept of points for a contract:
In this chapter, we will start indicating how many points you score depending on whether you make or go off in a contract.
In the auction, suits are also ranked.
Clubs is the weakest suit, then Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and No-Trumps.
Clubs and Diamonds are "minor" suits.
Hearts and Spades are "major" suits.
Roughly speaking, there are 5 types of contract:
In the auction, suits are also ranked.
Clubs is the weakest suit, then Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and No-Trumps.
Clubs and Diamonds are "minor" suits.
Hearts and Spades are "major" suits.
Roughly speaking, there are 5 types of contract:
Part-score
You will earn about a hundred points if you make them.
Game
You will earn 400 or 600 points (according to vulnerability) if you make them.
Small slam
You will earn 1000 or 1500 points if you make them.
Grand Slam
You will earn 1500 or 2200 points if you make them.
Contract defeated
Whatever the contract is, if you go down, you will lose 50 or 100 points per undertrick.