BRIDGETTE

OBJECTIVE OF BRIDGETTE: The objective of Bridgette is to have the highest score at the end of the game.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 Players

MATERIALS: One 52-card deck, 3 distinct joker cards, a way to keep score, and a flat surface.

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game

AUDIENCE: Adult

OVERVIEW OF BRIDGETTE

Bridgette is a trick-taking card game for 2 players. The goal of the game is to have the most points after 6 deals.

Bridgette uses a 55-card deck with 3 special jokers. These jokers are called Colons and each rank with a specified group.

SETUP

A dealer is chosen randomly and then each round after will exchange between players. The dealer shuffles the 55-card deals each player 13 cards, a single card at a time, counterclockwise.

The remaining cards form a stockpile. The top card is revealed and is the up-card.

There is an exchanging of cards and then the bidding will begin. The exchange starts with the non-dealer. The non-dealer draws the first two cards of the stock. The dealer draws based on the up-card. If the up-card is a numeric card or the Little Colon, the dealer draws 4 cards. An up-card of a face card or the Royal Colon, they draw 8 cards. If the up-card is an ace or the Grand Colon, the dealer draws 12 cards. After drawing the players each must choose a hand of 13 cards and discard the rest.

Card Rankings and Trumps

In Bridgette, the ranking of cards is traditional Ace (high), King, Queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 (low).

The suits also rank, but this is used only for bidding. No trumps (high), spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs (low).

There are also 3 additional cards in the deck called the colons. They are distinct and will be named by the players. One will be the Grand Colon, the Royal Colon, and the Little Colon. The colons each correspond with a group of cards from the deck. The Grand Colon corresponds with Aces, the Royal Colon corresponds with the face cards, and the Little Colon corresponds with the numeric cards 2 through 10. Colons affect gameplay and can be sued in certain circumstances to either win tricks or set you up to win the next. (see below in Gameplay).

BIDDING

After the exchange is complete, a bidding round will occur. It starts with the dealer and continues with their opponent. Each player may either bid a number of tricks they think they can win this round and a trump suit, or they may pass. Bids are made with the knowledge that you must win at least 6 tricks, so when you bid you bid how many tricks over 6 you will win. 0 (aka 6 tricks) with no trumps is the lowest ranking bid. A bid of 7 (aka 13 tricks) with no trumps is the max. Players will go back and forth outbidding each other until one player pass. A higher number of tricks always outbids the other player bid or a higher-ranked suit with the same number of tricks. 

Bid Restrictions

To make a bid you must follow certain restrictions, however. You must have at least 2 cards of the suit you are trying to make trumps, or if trying to make of bid of no trumps, must have a card of each suit. If you wish to jump bid or make a bid higher than necessary to beat the previous one, you must have 4 cards of the suit you are making trump.

A player may also call for a double or redouble instead of increasing the bid. When an opponent makes a bid, you may on your turn the double it (meaning to double the score at the end) or if a double has been made on your bid you may redouble it. Once a new deal is made, however, the double and redouble disappear and must be remade. Once a player passes the other player has won the bid and must collect at least as many tricks as they bid with the trump suit, they called to score.

GAMEPLAY

After the bidding has finished, the 13 tricks are played. The first player is the opponent of the winning bidder and may lead any card they wish. Following players must follow suit if able. A trick is won by the highest ranked trump played to it or by the highest ranked card of the suit led. The won tricks are kept by the winner and the winner of a trick leads the next.

When playing colons, you may either lead them or play them to certain tricks.

To follow to a trick with a colon, you must play a colon of the same range as the led card. So, if it’s an ace you must play the Grand Colon. The colon will always lose the trick when following but it prevents the player from leading the same suit to the next trick.

When leading with a colon, the following player may play any card they want to the trick. If they play a trump or a card that falls into the colons range, they win the trick. if they cannot, however, you win the trick.

After the final trick is won the scoring begins.

SCORING

After all, tricks have been played players will score their points.

A Successful Bid

A successful bid means the bid winner will score for each trick over 6 they won. They score points based on the trump suit that was chosen. For a bid of 0 tricks of no trumps or 1 of any suit, they score 150 points. For a bid of 1 or 2 of no trumps, 2 or 3 of any suits, or a bid of 4 of clubs or diamonds they score 250 points. for a bid of 3 or 4 of no trumps, 4 of hearts or spades, or a bid of 5 of any suit, they score 750 points. A bid of 5 of no trumps, or 6 of any suit, is worth 1500 points. A bid of 6 no trump or 7 of any suits, is worth 2200 points, and finally a bid of 7 no trumps is worth 2500 points.

Bonuses

There are also bonuses.

If the bidder got exactly the number of tricks they bid, they score 250 for bids of 0 no trumps to 5 no trumps and only 100 points for 6 of no trumps or 6 of any suit. Any bid higher scores no bonus.

If you score exactly 3 tricks over your bid you score 350 points.

You also score 400 additional points for completing a doubled bid and 1000 additional points for completing a redoubled bid.

If the bid was doubled, double the end score, and if it was redoubled quadruple the score.

A Failed Bid

If the bidder failed, their opponent scores based on how many tricks below their bid they did not win.

For 1 under the opponent wins 100 for a base bid, 200 for a doubled bid, and 300 for a redoubled bid. For 2 tricks under the scores are 200, 500, or 700. A loss of 3 tricks is worth 300, 800, or 1100. 4 tricks under is worth 400, 1100, or 1500, 5 tricks under is worth 700, 2000, or 2700. And for a bid loss of 6 or 7 the opponent scores 1000, 3000, or 4000.

END OF GAME

The game ends after 6 deals. The player with the highest score wins. If there is a tie a 7th hand is played. 

Amber Crook
Latest posts by Amber Crook (see all)