Revised May 2011

CONTRACT BRIDGE
 
 

 

 


All competitors must be at least 55 years of age by December 31 of the year of the games.

 

AGE CATEGORIES  / EVENTS:  Open team competition (open to ladies and men)

 

 

AGE

 

EVENTS

 

NUMBER OF COMPETITORS

PER ASSOCIATION

 

 

55+

 

 

Open Pairs

 

 

5 Pairs

 

TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PER PROVINCE/TERRITORY = 10

 

 

RULES INFORMATION:

 

1.                  All players must have the same partners throughout the competition.

 

2.                  Depending on the number of entrants, the tournament will be a round-robin or a modified round robin format with four hands per round.

 

3.                  The pair accumulating the highest total score during the entire tournament will be the winner.

 

4.                  All conversation shall be in English as recognized as standard procedure in international competitions.

 

 

 

OFFICIAL CONTRACT BRIDGE RULES:

 

1.                  The provisions of the Laws of Contract Bridge as published by the American Contract Bridge League shall apply.

 

2.                  North Player has first deal, followed by East, South and West.

 

3.                   A round consists of a series of four deals that have been bid and played. If a deal is passed out, the same player deals again and the deal passed out does not count as one of the four deals.

 

 

4.                  Cards may not be picked up until the deal has been completed.  If any of the four players do not have 13 cards, a misdeal is declared.  The same person will re-deal, with the player on the left remaking the cards and the one on the right cutting again.

 

5.                  A misdeal is also declared if a 10-honour card or a face card is exposed during the deal.  The same re-dealing procedure is followed. 

 

6.                  One bid’s must be played.

 

7.                  Honours must be scored before the next hand is dealt. 

 

8.                  Vulnerability is not determined by previous scores but by the following schedule (Chicago system):

                        1st Hand – Neither team is vulnerable

                        2nd Hand – Dealer’s team is vulnerable

                        3rd Hand – Dealers team is vulnerable

                        4th Hand – Both teams are vulnerable

 

9.                  For making  a game (100 or more trick points), a side receives a premium of 300 points if on that deal it is not vulnerable or 500 points if on that deal it is vulnerable. There is no additional premium for winning two or more games, each game premium being scored separately.

 

10.              Each hand is scored on its own merit (2s making 3 is 140 (90+50), 4hH vulnerable is 620, etc.). There is no accumulation of part scores or games from deal to deal during the round

 

11.              Players may not check back on the last trick once the next lead has been made.

 

12.              In playing the hand, the player may not reach across and play from the dummy before the person on their left has played.  No one else may touch or play a card from the dummy.

 

13.              The penalty for revoking (reneging) is the value of two tricks awarded to the opponent.

 

14.              The cards will be played to the last trick, unless it is obvious that one player has the remaining ‘boss’ tricks. Regardless, hands will be completely played out if requested by any player.

 

15.              There will be two score cards at each table. A member of each pair is to keep score.  After completion of the round and the totalling of scores, opponents will initial each other’s card before they move on to the next table.

 

 

 

16.              In the case of a tie for a medal position at the end of the round robin, the marshal will review the scores from only those games involving those teams that are tied to determine the winner. If, in the oft chance that a tie still exists after this, the teams tied will play an additional round (4 hands).

 

 

A qualified official to ensure fair play for all will oversee competition.

 

 

 

Contract Bridge Scoring:

                                                           

Suit Values:

 

Clubs and Diamonds                        20 points

Hearts and Spades                          30 points

No Trump – first trick                        40 points, subsequent tricks 30 points

 

If the bid is doubled, multiply by two.

If the bid is redoubled, multiply by four.

                                                           

Points needed for a game               100 (must be bid to be scored)

                                                           

Game Premiums                               Non-Vulnerable game        300 points

                                                            Vulnerable game                500 points

                                                            Part game                             50 points                       

 

 

 

SLAMS

NOT VULNERABLE

VULNERABLE

Small Slam

Grand Slam

500

1000

750

1500

 

OVERTRICKS

 

NOT VULNERABLE

 

VULNERABLE

Not doubled, each

Doubled

Redoubled

Trick Value

100

200

Trick Value

200

400

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PENALTIES – NOT VULNERABLE:

 

UNDERTRICKS

NOT DOUBLED

DOUBLED

REDOUBLED

1

2

3

4

5

50

100

150

200

250

100

300

500

800

1100

200

600

1000

1600

2200

 

 

 

PENALTIES – VULNERABLE:

 

UNDERTRICKS

NOT DOUBLED

DOUBLED

REDOUBLED

1

2

3

4

5

100

200

300

400

500

200

500

800

1100

1400

400

1000

1600

2200

2800

 

 

Making a doubled or redoubled contract:  Score an additional 50 points (Insult)

 

Honours held in one hand in bid suit:    Four Honours                    100 points

                                                                         Five Honours                     150 points

                                                     Four Aces at No Trump     150 points

 

The Draw:

 

Participants come to the Canada 55+ Games for a variety of reasons, but most importantly to play the 'sport' of their choice. When making the draw up for this event, it is important for the Host to remember that this event should last a minimum of two full days. Normally a double round robin in Contract Bridge will suffice, but dependant on the number of participants entered, this may have to be altered to a single round robin.