How to Clarify the Contract in a Bridge Game
Bridge is a complex and often confusing card game. In the round of bidding that precedes actual cardplay, one partnership arrives at a contract--a bid to take a certain number of tricks--which it must make in order to score positively. Given that the conventional language of bidding is potentially confusing, various rules are in place to allow clarification of the bidding process.
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Instructions
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Note the conventions that you and your partner use on a convention card. A convention is a bid that does not mean what it appears to mean. For example, the commonly used "Blackwood" convention is a bid of four clubs that implies no suit or hand strength but instead asks your partner how many aces she holds.
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View the other partnership's conventions before the bidding starts. You can also view its convention card during the auction.
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Ask the player to your left for clarification on her partner's bid if desired. You may do this only when it is your turn to bid. For example, if the player to your right made a bid that you are unsure of, ask the player to your left whether the bid was natural or conventional. During your turn, you may also ask for a recap of the bidding up until that point.
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Ask for a clarification of the bidding and contract after the round of bidding, during the hand. If you are the declarer, you may do this until you play out of the dummy hand. If you are defending, you may do this when it is your first turn to play a card.
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Tips & Warnings
Depending on the context, these regulations might be modified or--in the case of very casual play--disregarded completely. Make sure to inquire about the process of clarification before you begin playing.
