3-player bridge

Sometimes you'll fancy a game of bridge but there are only 3 of you.

No problem.

If you know how to play bridge, you will find the 3 player game especially challenging.

You'll be pleased to know that all the normal rules for bidding and scoring apply. The huge difference is that you don't have a partner.

The dealer is chosen and deals the cards as normal in a clockwise fashion into four hands, including dealing to an invisible partner opposite.

All 3 players pick up the hands dealt to them and the remaining hand is the dummy.

The 3 players then bid, starting with the dealer, not only to win the contract but also to play with the dummy. At this stage none of the players know what cards await in the dummy. There is therefore a high degree of risk in the bidding.

Whoever wins the contract, picks up and sorts the dummy. The other 2 players now form a temporary alliance to try and defeat the contract. If they do, they each score the full penalty points. If they don't, their opponent will score points.

It pays to work together.

Scoring is the same as bridge except that when a partnership defeat a contract, they each score the full penalty.

The bidding is completely for you to develop and learn as you go along. So much depends on the opponents.

Try giving this game a go but I would advise, from experience, that you don't play for money while a little less than sober. You can lose a fortune very quickly in 3 player bridge.

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