A brilliant introduction to bridge in just a few minutes
If you've never played bridge before, it can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly what the game is all about.
What do the bids mean?
Why does one player put their cards on the table?
What's a contract?
And how do four people playing cards turn into such a fascinating game?
This short animated film by Max Chauvet is a great place to start.
Watch The Game of Bridge
The animation takes you through the basic structure of the game in a simple and entertaining way. It shows how four players form two partnerships, how the bidding determines the contract and how the subsequent play of the cards works.
It is short enough to watch over a cup of coffee — and you may find yourself watching it again once you've started to understand the game!
The English Bridge Union recommends The Game of Bridge as an introduction to the basics, alongside other beginner resources.
Four people. Two partnerships.
At the heart of bridge is a wonderfully simple idea.
You and your partner are playing against another pair.
But unlike most card games, you have to work with your partner without being able to see their cards.
The bidding allows you to exchange information with your partner. Once the contract has been decided, one player's partner places their cards face up on the table — becoming the dummy — and the declarer plays both their own cards and the dummy's cards.
Meanwhile, the defenders work together to try to stop the contract being made.
That combination of partnership, communication, deduction and competition is what makes bridge so unusual.
Don't worry if it seems complicated!
When you first watch people playing bridge, the bidding can appear mysterious.
That's perfectly normal.
You don't have to understand everything in the video straight away. Think of it as an introduction — a chance to see how all the different pieces of the game fit together.
Once you've played a few hands, you'll start to recognise what you saw in the animation and it will begin to make much more sense.
A great next step
If the animation has made you think "I'd like to try that", there are several ways to start learning.
You can begin with MiniBridge, a simplified version which allows beginners to learn the fundamentals of playing the cards without having to learn the full bidding system immediately.
Or you can simply get in touch with Llandudno Bridge Club.
We welcome people who are completely new to bridge as well as those who have played before and would like to get back into the game.
You don't need to be an expert.
You don't even need to know the rules yet.
All you need is an interest in finding out more.
Why not watch the animation and see what you think?
You may discover that bridge isn't nearly as complicated as it first appears — and that there's a fascinating game waiting to be discovered.
Good cards. Great company.