Playing for the Best Result

Best Results Are the Only Thing That Matters.  Remember that what you're after is the best result in each individual hand. 'Best result' means either the highest plus score or the lowest minus score.

For example, going down 1400 is a big minus score, but it's a winner for you against those who let their opponents   make 1430.  You can actually win with minus 1400 !

Following is a table to help you see the implications of going down vs. allowing your opponents to make a contract. Look it over briefly now. Sooner than you think, this table will become a part of your bridge knowledge.  It will become automatic to you to compute in your head the scoring possibilities in every hand -- while you bid.  But you can't play competitively if you don't learn how Duplicate scoring operates.  Don't even try.

No Fighting. Don't fight it; learn it. The most important penalty numbers are in bold type because they represent scores larger than your opponents can make in a game contract.

Duplicate Scores

Tips: Print this table and memorize it.  Learn the scores in Bold type first.

Level

Contract

Trick Score

Partial Score

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Scores

Slam Scores

Minors

      

Not Vul

Not Vul

Vul

Vul

Not/Vul

Not/Vul

1

 Club or Diamond

20

70

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

 Clubs or Diamonds

40

90

-

-

-

-

-

-

3

 Clubs or Diamonds

60

110

-

-

-

-

-

-

4

 Clubs or Diamonds

80

130

-

-

-

-

-

-

5

 Clubs or Diamonds

100

-

300

-

500

-

400/600

-

6

 Clubs or Diamonds

120

-

300

500

500

750

-

920/1370

7

 Clubs or Diamonds

140

-

300

1000

500

1500

-

1440/2140

Level

Contract

Trick Score

Partial Score

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Scores

Slam Scores

Majors

Not Vul

Not Vul

Vul

Vul

Not/Vul

Not/Vul

1

 Heart or Spade

30

80

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

 Hearts or Spades

60

110

-

-

-

-

-

-

3

 Hearts or Spades

90

140

-

-

-

-

-

-

4

 Hearts or Spades

120

-

300

-

500

-

420/620

-

5

 Hearts or Spades

150

-

300

-

500

-

-

-

6

 Hearts or Spades

180

-

300

500

500

750

-

980/1430

7

 Hearts or Spades

210

-

300

1000

500

1500

-

1510/2310

Level

Contract

Trick Score

Partial Score

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Bonus

Slam Bonus

Game Scores

Slam Scores

No-trump

Not Vul

Not Vul

Vul

Vul

Not/Vul

Not/Vul

1

 Notrump

40

90

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

 Notrump

70

120

-

-

-

-

-

-

3

 Notrump

100

150

300

-

500

-

400/600

-

4

 Notrump

130

-

300

-

500

-

-

-

5

 Notrump

160

-

300

-

500

-

-

-

6

 Notrump

190

-

300

500

500

750

-

990/1440

7

 Notrump

220

-

300

750

500

1000

-

1520/2320
Overtricks Undertricks

Not Doubled

Not Doubled

Doubled

Doubled
Same as trick score

   Going Down

Not Vul

Vul

Not Vul

Vul
Minors -- 20 points each

1

50

100

100

200
Majors/Notrump -- 30 points each.

2

100

200

300

500
Notice the relationship between scores for Vulnerable and Non-vulnerable games vs. going down 2 or 3 tricks.

3

150

300

500

800

Non Vul Game in a Major = 420
Down 2 doubled, not Vul = 300, so down 2 doubled wins, or down 8 not doubled!

Vul Game in a Major = 620
Down 2 doubled, Vul = 500, so down 2 doubled wins, or down 5 not doubled!

4

200

400

800

1100
5 250 500 1100 1400
6 300 600 1400 1700
7 350 700 1700 2000

(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998  All Rights Reserved