At the end of the trick taking process, the person in charge of the scoring either calculates the contract points, reads the contract points from the back of the bidding box card, or reads the contract points from a summary table:
Calculate Points
Bidding Box Card
Front of card:
Back of card:
Summary Table
Calculating Contract Points
1) CONTRACT - The commitment by a partnership to take a specified number of tricks (or more) using the specified suit or No Trump.
For example:
• Contract of 1 ♣ means the partnership must take 6 tricks (book tricks) plus 1, for a total of 7 tricks, where clubs is the trump suit.
• Contract of 2 ♥ means the partnership must take 6 tricks (book tricks) plus 2, for a total of 8 tricks, where hearts is the trump suit.
• Contract of 3 NT means the partnership must take 6 tricks (book tricks) plus 3, for a total of 9 tricks, where the game is played without a trump suit.
• Contract of 4 ♠ means the partnership must take 6 tricks (book tricks) plus 4, for a total of 10 tricks, where spades is the trump suit.
• Contract of 6 ♦ means the partnership must take 6 tricks (book tricks) plus 6, for a total of 12 tricks, where diamonds is the trump suit.
2) TRICK Points - If the partnership wins the number of tricks they stated in their contract, the partnership is awarded trick points for that successful effort – they made their bid, or made their contract.
• Minor suit (clubs or diamonds) tricks are worth 20 points per trick.
• Major suit (hearts or spades) tricks are worth 30 points per trick.
• No Trump (there are no suits as trump suits) tricks are worth 40 points for the first trick, and 30 points for each successive trick.
Trick points are awarded for only those tricks taken in excess of the first 6 tricks (the book). For example, the following are the trick points awarded for making the following contracts:
• Contract of 1 ♣ (6 tricks plus 1 trick): 1 times 20 points = 20 trick points.
• Contract of 2 ♥ (6 tricks plus 2 tricks): 2 times 30 points = 60 trick points
• Contract of 3 NT (6 tricks plus 3 tricks): 1 times 40 points for the first trick plus 2 times 30 for the next 2 tricks = 100 trick points.
• Contract of 4 ♠ (6 tricks plus 4 tricks): 4 times 30 points = 120 trick points
• Contract of 6 ♦ (6 tricks plus 6 tricks): 6 times 20 points = 120 trick points
Yellow highlighted contracts are "game level contracts".
Overtricks Each trick that is taken in excess of the contract level is called an "overtrick". The value of the overtrick is displayed in the accompanying table. Overtricks are not used to determine if a Game Bonus or a Slam Bonus is warranted.
3) VULNERABILITY - When a partnership has not won a game, the partnerships is considered "Not Vulnerable". As soon as a partnership bids and makes a game-level or a slam-level contract, the partnership is considered "Vulnerable". This state of vulnerability determines the amounts of BONUS points and PENALTY points that are awarded for making a contract or not making a contract.
In duplicate bridge, the state of vulnerablility is pre-determined for each team in each board.
4) Game-Level Bonus Points: Game-level contracts are color-coded in the table to the right. A game-level contract generates 100 or more Trick Points. If the game-level contract is bid and made, the partnership is awarded Trick Points plus a Game Bonus depending upon vulnerability:
• Not Vulnerable: 300 pts game bonus
• Vulnerable: 500 pts game bonus
5) Slam Bonus Points: If a slam is bid and made, the partnership is awarded Trick Points, plus a Game Bonus, plus a Slam Bonus depending upon slam level and vulnerability:
Small Slam (6-level contract)
• Not Vulnerable: 500 pts slam bonus
• Vulnerable: 750 pts slam bonus
Grand Slam (7-level contract)
• Not Vulnerable: 1,000 pts slam bonus
• Vulnerable: 1,500 pts slam bonus
Partial Score: Refer to the table at the right.
Contracts that generate less than 100 Trick Points are not subject to Game-Level bonuses. Instead, they receive a part-score bonus of only 50 points (vulnerability is not a factor). Consequently, the Contract Points for a part-score contract is the Trick points plus the 50 points for part-score.
If a team takes more tricks than promised, they will receive trick points for those over-tricks, but will not be entitled to a Game-Level bonus since they did not bid a game-level contract.
6) Double Toward the end of the bidding session, one of the players might call "Double" after the previous player's bid. This is a penalty double which means "I do not think you can make that contract !" If the next three players call PASS, the penalty double goes into affect.
• If the declaring team makes the contract, they receive double the trick points. It is possible that the new trick points will be above 100, so the game bonus is then added. There is an additional 50 points referred to as "insult points".
• If the delaring partnership does not take the number of tricks required by their bid, the declaring team receives no points. Instead, the oppostition receives more the normal Penalty points.
7) Redouble Toward the end of the bidding session and after the opposition calls a "Double" on the declarer's contract, the declarer or the declarer's partner can call "Re-Double" which means "I can make the contract in spite of your double !". If the next three players call PASS, the "Re-double" goes into affect.
• If the declaring team makes the contract, they receive four times the trick points. It is possible that the new trick points will be above 100, so the game bonus is then added. There is an additional 100 points referred to as "insult points".
• If the delaring partnership does not take the number of tricks required by their bid, the declaring team receives no points. Instead, the oppostition receives a lot more than the doubled Penalty points.
8) Penalty Points
When the delaring partnership does not take the number of tricks required by their contract, the declaring team receives NO Points. Instead, the oppostition receives Penalty Points.
The amount of penalty points depends upon:
• how many tricks the declaring team was short of making their contract,
• their state of vulnerbility • if they were doubled or redoubled.
9) Examples of Contract Made:
Calculation 3 ♣
Calculation 3 ♣ with 1 overtrick
Back of Bid Box Card - 3 ♣
Calculation 3 ♠
Calculation 3 ♠ with 1 overtrick
Back of Bid Box Card - 3 ♠
Calculation 4 ♥
Calculation 4 ♥ with 1 overtrick
Back of Bid Box Card - 4 ♥
Calculation 6 NT
Calculation 6 NT with 1 overtrick
Back of Bid Box Card - 6 NT
10) Penalty Points on Call Cards. Awarded to the defending team that prevented the Declaring team from making their contract.
Front of PASS Card
Back of PASS Card
Columns
• Left Column - number of tricks the declaring team went down
• Middle Column (I) - penalty points when when declaring team was Not Vulnerable
• Left Column (II) - penalty points when when declaring team was Vulnerable
Front of DOUBLE Card
Back of DOUBLE Card
Columns
• Left Column - number of tricks the declaring team went down
• Middle Column (I) - penalty points when declaring team was DOUBLED and Not Vulnerable
• Left Column (II) - penalty points when declaring team was DOUBLED and Vulnerable
Front of RE-DOUBLE Card
Back of RE-DOUBLE Card
Columns
• Left Column - number of tricks the declaring team went down
• Middle Column (I) - penalty points when declaring team was RE-DOUBLED and Not Vulnerable
• Left Column (II) - penalty points when declaring team was RE-DOUBLED and Vulnerable
Back of card:
Yellow highlighted contracts are "game level contracts".
When the delaring partnership does not take the number of tricks required by their contract, the declaring team receives NO Points. Instead, the oppostition receives Penalty Points.
