The basic formula is:
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EXAMPLES: |
2![]() |
3![]() |
1NT = 50 + 10 + 30 = 90 |
2NT = 50 + 10 + 2 × 30 = 120 |
2![]() |
Contract Independence.
As long as you make
your contract, your score depends only on the number of tricks
you made, and not on the contract you bid. For example,
1 making 3 and 3
making 3 are both worth
140 points. Therefore, it is in your interests to bid a
low-level contract, and it is in your opponents' interests to
force you into a high-level contract.
Game. Certain high-level contracts are worth bonus points. For example:
Bidding and making a game contract is worth 250 bonus points. |
The game contracts are as follows:
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Note that you must bid a game contract (or higher) to
get the 250 point bonus (e.g. 1 making 4 is only worth 170). This is an
important exception to the principle of "contract
independence".
EXAMPLES: |
4![]() |
5![]() |
3NT making 3 = 50 + 10 + 3 × 30 + 250 = 400 |
Note that 3NT making 3 is worth the same as 5 of a minor
making 5. However, 3NT only requires you to take 9 tricks,
while you must take 11 tricks to make 5 or 5
. For this reason, when
you have a minor-suit fit, it is often better to be in 3NT than
in minor-suit game.
Slam. A slam is a contract at the 6-level or 7-level. Slam contracts are worth additional bonus points (beyond the game bonus):
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For example, 7
making 7 is worth 50 + 7 × 30 + 250 + 1000 = 1510 points.
NOTE: When
calculating such values, it is often easier to recall that 4 making 4 is worth 420.
For example:
7![]() |
Going Down. When you fail to make your contract, it is called going down, and the extra tricks that you failed to take are called undertricks. When you go down in a contract, your opponents receive points:
50 point penalty for each undertrick. |
Doubles. If your opponents think you will go down, they can double you to increase the penalty. Penalties for going down in a doubled contract are quite severe:
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However, if your opponents double and you make the contract, then you receive extra points:
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Note that 2 of a major doubled is game, as is 3 of a minor or 2NT. When you bid such a contract and are doubled, you have been doubled into game, and you receive the full game bonus.
EXAMPLES: |
1. 3![]() ![]() |
2. 3NT is worth 50 + 10 + 3 × 30 = 150 points as a partscore, so 3NT doubled is 2 × 150 + 250 = 550! |
Note that the more silly the opponents' double, the
more points you get. For example, 2 doubled making 4 is worth 670, but 4
doubled making 4 is only
worth 590. Therefore, once the opponents double you into
a game contract, there is no reason to bid further unless you
think you can make slam.
Redoubles. If your opponents double a contract you think you will make, you can redouble for even more points:
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However, it is disastrous to go down in a redoubled contract:
Going down in a redoubled contract is worth twice the penalty of going down doubled. |
Vulnerability. About half of the time, you will be vulnerable. This has three important consequences:
1. You get more bonus points for making game or slam:
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2. You lose more points for going down:
100 point penalty for each vulnerable undertrick. |
3. All doubles are more costly:
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On the other hand:
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