Your first complete bridge deal
This example connects hand evaluation, bidding, player roles, trick play and scoring in one deal.
The four hands
♥ A Q 5
♦ K J 8 4
♣ 9 6 3
♥ 6 4 2
♦ 10 3 2
♣ A 10 8 5 4
♥ K 8 3
♦ Q 6
♣ J 7 2
♥ J 10 9 7
♦ A 9 7 5
♣ K Q
Step 1: evaluate the hands
South holds 15 high-card points and five spades, so opens 1♠. North has 11 points and three-card spade support. Together the partnership has at least eight spades and enough strength to invite game.
Step 2: the auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♠ | |||
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 4♠ |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
This is a simplified natural auction: North's 3♠ invites game and South accepts. Because South first named spades for North–South, South is declarer. North is dummy. West makes the opening lead.
Step 3: opening lead and plan
West leads the ♥J. North places dummy face up. South needs ten tricks. Declarer can see five spade tricks once trumps are drawn, three heart winners and two diamond winners after the ace is removed: ten likely tricks.
There appear to be three possible club losers plus the diamond ace. One club can later be discarded on North's extra diamond winner, reducing the losers to three.
Step 4: play safely
The result
North–South win ten tricks, so 4♠ is made exactly. The important lesson is not the individual cards but the process: count the target, count likely winners and losers, draw trumps when safe, and use a side-suit winner to remove a loser.
Your turn: open RVLbridge Just Play, use Hint when uncertain, and try to identify the contract target before playing the first card from dummy.