BRIDGE FOR TWO PLAYERS .
Here the bidding rules are (almost) the same as in ordinary bridge, the way to score is the same but the game with the cards is different. There is a dummy but both players can use it even if declarer (thanks to "the secret card", see below) has more control. (The exact order given for the players A and B in the description below need only to be followed if you play for a stake.)
A shuffles and B cuts putting the deck face down on the table. A picks up the top card and looks at it. If he wants it he keeps it and may then only look at the next card. If he doesn't want the first card he must take the next card. B then goes through the same procedure. Then it is A again etc. All cards not taken and only looked at are put face down on the table. In the end A and B have 13 cards each and there are 26 cards (face down) on the table. A now shuffles the cards on the table without lifting them (i.e. as you shuffle playing domino). B then divides the 26 cards (also without lifting them )in two parts of 13 each. One part constitutes the dummy while the other part will not partake any more in this deal. (Note that B is expected not to look directly at the cards while A shuffles and the same goes for A when B divides them.)
A now starts to bid. He may not pass and his bid must be on the one-level. After this the bidding is free. If a bid is followed by a pass it may be raised. When raising a suit-bid it must be raised in the same suit or into NT while a NT-bid may only be raised in NT. The bidding is over when a bid is followed by two passes or when a raise (or 7NT!) is followed by one pass. (Doubles and redoubles are of course counted as bids.)
Let us say A won the bidding. He picks up dummy's cards and looks at them. Then he selects one of dummy's cards (= "the secret card") and puts it face down on the table.
B now leads a card after which the rest of dummy's cards are put face up on the table. It is now B:s turn to play one of dummy's open cards and he must show which card he intends to play.
The secret card follows the same rules as the other cards but can only be played by declarer. The declarer may now (if the rules allow it) stop B from playing the card he wants and instead play the secret card.
As long as the secret card is in dummy declarer always has the same right to use it to stop B from playing one of the open cards. One special case of this is when B has won a trick with one of dummy's cards. He then shows which card he intends to continue with but A can stop this by playing the secret card. If A or dummy wins this trick A has taken over the play.
As long as B has the lead in an unbroken row counting from the opening lead, dummy plays second in the trick but as soon as either A or dummy wins a trick the order changes (and remains changed till the end of the hand). Now if A or B leads in the trick they play from dummy last and when a card is led from dummy the player doing this plays last in the trick.
The way to score is exactly the same as in (non-rubber) bridge. As for vulnerability both players start by being nonvulnerable. When a player scores his first game he becomes vulnerable. When a player who his vulnerable scores game (his second) both players become unvulnerable and so on in the same way. (Note that it is customary that the player who won the last deal shuffles for the next thus giving him/her the disadvantage to start the bidding at the one-level.) An additional rule is the following: When one of the players picks up an ace he/she must say "ace". If the ace was the first card it must be put (face down) on the table and the next card picked up. If it was a second card it must also be put on the table and the first (rejected ) card instead picked up. This "aceprocedure" is only done once. Without it dummy tends to become too weak.
Page 1 of 1
2-handed bridge Created to teach the basics but a good game in its own right.
Page 1 of 1