Bridge scoring is keeping score in contract bridge. There are two common methods of scoring a single deal: "duplicate" and "rubber" scoring. These two methods are similar, but differ in how the components of the score are accumulated.
In duplicate scoring, the score is a single number resulting from the addition of points awarded in accordance with either of two cases:
In rubber bridge, the score is tallied by its component parts on a scoresheet divided into several segments where each partnership accumulates points either "above the line" or "below the line". Only points for a successful contract (exclusive of overtricks) are entered below the line; all other points whether for the declaring side (for overtricks, part-score or game-score bonus, slam or grand slam bonus, honours, or a bonus for making a doubled or redoubled contract ("insult"), if applicable) or the defending side (for underticks or honours, if applicable) are entered above the line.
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In general, if the contract was made, the score consists of the following components:
If the contract was not made, the side that defeated the contract receives
Contract points are awarded for the level of the contract, and depend on the denomination and whether the contract was doubled/redoubled (but not on vulnerability):
| Denomination | Points per trick | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Undoubled | Doubled | Redoubled | |
| No trumps | 30 + an extra 10 for 1st trick | 60 + an extra 20 for 1st trick | 120 + an extra 40 for 1st trick |
| Majors (♥ and ♠) | 30 | 60 | 120 |
| Minors (♣ and ♦) | 20 | 40 | 80 |
There are four types of level bonus, awarded for part score, game, small slam and grand slam. A game is any contract which is worth 100 or more contract points; for example, 4♥, 5♣, 2♠ doubled, and 1NT redoubled are games. A part score (or partial contract) is a contract worth less than a game. The bonuses for games and slams depend on vulnerability. The part score and game bonuses apply to each hand separately in duplicate and Chicago bridge, but not in rubber bridge; in rubber bridge, a different type of "game bonus" is assigned at the end of the rubber (or at the end of the playing session if the rubber is not completed).
| Level | Vulnerable | Non-vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| Partscore | 50 | 50 |
| Game | 500 | 300 |
| Small slam | 750 | 500 |
| Grand slam | 1500 | 1000 |
Slams are also games, so when scoring a slam, both game bonus and appropriate slam bonus are added. Other level bonuses are not cumulative.
When a (re)doubled contract is made, an additional bonus is added to the level bonus. It is colloquially referred to as an "insult", meaning that the opponents have "insulted" the pair by saying that the declarer will not make the contract. 50 points are awarded for a doubled contract made, and 100 for a redoubled contract made.
When the declarer scores overtricks, each overtrick scores the same as contract points (30 for NT and major suits, 20 for minor suits) except when the contract was doubled or redoubled, in which case their value increases ("adding salt to the insult") and also depends on vulnerability:
| Vulnerable | Non-vulnerable | |
|---|---|---|
| Doubled | 200 | 100 |
| Redoubled | 400 | 200 |
When the contract is defeated, regardless of its level and denomination, the only score is the penalty points assigned to the pair who defeated the contract. The penalties are summed up for every undertrick, and depend on number of undertricks, (re)double and vulnerability:
| No. of undertricks | Vulnerable | Non-vulnerable | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undoubled | Doubled | Redoubled | Undoubled | Doubled | Redoubled | |
| 1st undertrick | 100 | 200 | 400 | 50 | 100 | 200 |
| 2nd and 3rd | 300 | 600 | 200 | 400 | ||
| 4th and further | 300 | 600 | 300 | 600 | ||
Without double and redouble, every undertrick has fixed cost of 100 or 50 points. The figures for (re)doubled undertricks are set up so that after the first vulnerable undertrick, n vulnerable undertricks cost as much as n+1 non-vulnerable ones; for example, 4 doubled undertricks non-vulnerable cost (100+200+200+300) = 800, the same as 3 undertricks vulnerable (200+300+300).
In duplicate bridge (and the type of "friendly games" known as Chicago), all the categories are summed up, resulting in a single figure. The following table shows some examples (X denotes a double and XX a redouble):
| Contract | Tricks made |
Vulnera- bility |
Contract points |
Level bonus |
(Re)double bonus |
Overtrick points |
Penalties | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ♥ | 8 | any | 2×30 = 60 | 50 | - | - | - | 110 |
| 2 ♥ X | 8 | Nvul. | 2×(2×30) = 120 | 300 | 50 | - | - | 470 |
| 3 NT | 11 | Vul. | 10+(3×30) = 100 | 500 | - | 2×30 | - | 660 |
| 1 ♦ X | 8 | Nvul. | 2×(1×20) = 40 | 50 | 50 | 1×100 | - | 240 |
| 5 ♠ XX | 12 | Vul. | 4×(5×30) = 600 | 500 | 100 | 1×400 | - | 1600 |
| 6 NT | 13 | Nvul. | 10+(6×30) = 190 | 300 + 500 | - | 30 | - | 1020 |
| 4 ♦ | 7 | Nvul. | - | - | - | - | 3×50 | –150 |
| 4 ♦ X | 7 | Nvul. | - | - | - | - | 100+(2×200) | –500 |
| 4 ♦ X | 7 | Vul. | - | - | - | - | 200+(2×300) | –800 |
Rubber bridge uses the same values for tricks, bonuses and penalties,[1] but they are divided into two categories:
In addition, special (rummy-like) bonuses (referred to as "honors") are awarded in rubber bridge for particular holdings in one hand, regardless of the outcome of the deal:
As of 1987, World Bridge Federation imposed the following scoring changes for duplicate bridge, and as of 1993 also for rubber bridge (however, since there are no official competitions, rubber bridge players accept them as they see fit):
Since a vulnerable small slam bid and made is worth between 1370 (6 of a minor) and 1440 (6 no trump), this change also means that for a non-vulnerable sacrifice, a result of down five (-1100) would show a profit, down six (-1400) might be a small loss or a small gain, and down seven (-1700) would be a loss. Under the old scoring rules, down seven (-1300) would have been a gain, down eight (-1500) would have been a loss.