How a bridge deal works

1. Four players form two partnerships, North-South and East-West. Each deal has two parts: an auction, then the play.
2. In the auction the players bid in turn for the contract: how many tricks above six their side will take, and in which suit as trumps, or no trumps. Each bid must be higher than the last.
3. The side that wins the auction tries to make its contract. The declarer plays both their own hand and their partner's, which is laid face up as dummy. Each player must follow suit if they can, and the highest card wins the trick.
4. Making the contract scores points for the declaring side; falling short scores for the defenders.

Duplicate

In duplicate bridge the same deals are kept in boards and played at every table, so each score is compared with others who held the same cards: by matchpoints in pairs events and by IMPs in teams events.