How to Play Mini Bridge (lesson 1)

Mini bridge is a fun game for four players.  Anyone can play and it is a good game for children as it involves counting and adding up.  If you have never played bridge but want to learn, Mini Bridge is a good way to start.

The players sit around a table. There are two pairs of players, known as partners.  Each player sits opposite their partner.  For ease of reference the four players are called by the points of the compass, North, South, East and West.  North and South are partners and sit opposite each other, similarly for East and West. 

Deal all the cards - each player should have 13 cards in their hands.  Each player sorts their cards into suits (hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs).  To make it easy to read the cards, sort them into a red suit, then a black suit, then a red suit, then a black suit.

Next add up the points value of your hand.  4 points for each ace, 3 points for each king, 2 points for each queen and 1 point for each jack.  Starting with the dealer, and working clockwise around the table, each player announces the number of points in their hand.  The total should add up to fourty.  If it doesn't - count again!!

Now add the value of your hand to that of your partner.  The pair with the highest point score becomes the declaring side.  If both pairs have a total of 20 points then deal the cards again.

The person with the most points in the declaring side becomes the declarer and their partner becomes the dummy.  (If both partners have the same number of points, then the person who announced their score first becomes the declarer.)

If you can't wait for lesson 2 - sign up to the mailing list on the right of this blog and download  the FREE beginner's bridge notes, which contain instructions for playing mini bridge.