TLDR
Bridge uses three main scoring formats. Rubber Bridge scores trick values below the line (20/30 per trick) with a two-game rubber bonus above the line. Duplicate scores every hand on its own, adding part-score bonuses, game bonuses, and slam bonuses directly. Chicago uses four deals with predetermined vulnerabilities and duplicate-style scoring per hand.
In this post, you’ll find the trick values, bonuses, penalty scales for undertricks, and a side-by-side comparison of the three formats.
Scoring is one of the parts of bridge that looks more complicated than it is. The same underlying trick values and bonuses apply to every format, and the differences come down to a few rules about when bonuses are awarded and whether vulnerability is fixed or earned. Once you see the numbers on a single grid, the logic falls into place.
This guide covers rubber bridge (the original social format), duplicate bridge (the tournament format), and Chicago (the four-deal compromise used at homes and many clubs). Every version starts from the same trick values. The rest is accounting.
The trick values
Every contract trick taken over the first six (book) scores a fixed number of points based on the suit.
| Contract | First trick over book | Subsequent tricks |
|---|---|---|
| ♣ or ♦ (minor) | 20 | 20 |
| ♥ or ♠ (major) | 30 | 30 |
| NT (notrump) | 40 | 30 |
Notrump gets a 40-point bonus on the first trick because declaring without a trump suit is harder. The second and subsequent tricks revert to 30, the same as majors. Doubling and redoubling multiply these values by 2 and 4 respectively.
Game and partscore
A “game” is any contract worth 100 or more contract points. That threshold defines the bidding:
- 3NT (40 + 30 + 30) = 100 points
- 4♥ or 4♠ (4 × 30) = 120 points
- 5♣ or 5♦ (5 × 20) = 100 points
A partscore is any contract that scores fewer than 100 points (2♥ = 60, 1NT = 40, etc.). In rubber bridge, partscores count toward the next game. In duplicate, a partscore earns a separate 50-point bonus but does not stack with future deals.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability is a state that boosts both bonuses and penalties. A side becomes vulnerable by winning a game in rubber bridge, or by the board’s vulnerability pre-assignment in duplicate and Chicago. Vulnerable bonuses are roughly twice non-vulnerable bonuses. Vulnerable undertricks cost more.
Game and slam bonuses
| Bonus | Non-Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| Partscore | 50 | 50 |
| Game | 300 | 500 |
| Small slam (6-level) | 500 | 750 |
| Grand slam (7-level) | 1,000 | 1,500 |
These are the duplicate bonuses. Rubber bridge uses different amounts, explained below. Slam bonuses add to the game bonus, so a vulnerable small slam gets 500 (game) + 750 (slam) = 1,250 bonus points on top of the contract value.
Undertrick penalties
When declarer fails to make the contract, the defenders score penalty points.
| Situation | First trick down | Subsequent tricks |
|---|---|---|
| Undoubled, non-vulnerable | 50 | 50 |
| Undoubled, vulnerable | 100 | 100 |
| Doubled, non-vulnerable | 100 | 200 (4th+ 300) |
| Doubled, vulnerable | 200 | 300 |
| Redoubled | Double the doubled amounts |
The doubled-vulnerable penalties (200 for one down, 500 for two down, 800 for three down) are why partnerships avoid risky doubled contracts when they are vulnerable. The “800” sacrifice at unfavorable vulnerability is often the difference between a winning match and a losing one.
Rubber bridge scoring
Rubber bridge is the original home game, played to the best of three games. Each hand is dealt, bid, and played, and contract points go “below the line” toward the first game. Bonuses go “above the line” and accumulate toward the rubber total.
- Contract points (trick values) go below the line.
- A game is scored when one side reaches 100 below-the-line points in one or more hands.
- After a game is scored, both sides’ below-the-line totals reset for the next game.
- The first side to win two games wins the rubber and scores a bonus: 700 if the losing side has no games, 500 if the losing side has won one game.
Rubber bridge rewards “taking the game” by accumulating partscores. A 2♥ (60 below-the-line) followed by a 3♣ (60) would be 120 below the line, crossing the 100-point threshold and scoring game even though neither contract was technically game-level. This partscore-stacking is one of the features that makes rubber bridge different from duplicate.
Duplicate bridge scoring
Duplicate bridge scores each hand independently. There is no rubber, no accumulation, no game-stacking. Every deal is its own event, with its own contract score, bonuses, and vulnerability. The scoring simplifies:
- Contract points + bonus points = the hand’s total score for the successful side.
- Part-score bonus (50) is awarded to any contract that makes but does not score game.
- Game bonus (300 non-vul, 500 vul) is awarded to any contract worth 100+ contract points.
- Slam bonuses are added on top of the game bonus.
Vulnerability in duplicate is pre-assigned by the board (1-16 for the basic pattern, rotating through None, NS, EW, Both every four boards). Partnerships use the scoring differences to decide when to sacrifice and when to double.
Chicago scoring
Chicago (also called Four-Deal Bridge) is a home format that uses four deals with pre-assigned vulnerabilities, scored duplicate-style per hand. It is faster than rubber bridge and more social than duplicate.
| Deal | Vulnerability |
|---|---|
| 1 | Neither side vulnerable |
| 2 | Dealer’s side vulnerable |
| 3 | Dealer’s side vulnerable |
| 4 | Both sides vulnerable |
Each deal is independently scored with duplicate bonuses. Partscores that do not make game still get the 50-point partscore bonus but do not stack across deals. A cumulative total across four deals decides the “Chicago” score, and the winning partnership is the one with the higher net.
Chicago is especially popular because the four-deal round takes 25-35 minutes, fits neatly into an evening, and avoids the session-long commitment of a full rubber.
Common scoring mistakes
1. Forgetting the notrump first-trick bonus
3NT scores 40 + 30 + 30 = 100, not 3 × 30. The first trick in notrump is worth 40, every subsequent trick 30. Beginners often miscount and think they need 4NT to score game in notrump. 3NT alone is game.
2. Miscounting undertricks in doubled contracts
Doubled undertricks escalate quickly. Non-vulnerable doubled, one down is 100, two down is 300 (100 + 200), three down is 500 (100 + 200 + 200). Vulnerable doubled, one down is 200, two down is 500, three down is 800. Sacrificing two tricks at unfavorable vulnerability can cost more than making the opponents’ game.
3. Missing the “insult” bonus in rubber bridge
A doubled making contract gets a 50-point bonus for “insult” (the opponents doubled you and you made it). A redoubled making contract gets 100. These bonuses are sometimes overlooked in casual scoring.
4. Not awarding the partscore bonus
In duplicate, every made partscore gets an extra 50-point bonus. New players sometimes score 2♠ as 60 points only, forgetting to add 50 for the partscore bonus. The correct total for a made 2♠ is 60 + 50 = 110.
5. Confusing tricks and overtricks
A contract of 3♥ requires nine tricks (6 book + 3 contract). Making 10 tricks is an overtrick, which scores the usual trick value (30 for a major) but does not count toward game. Overtricks score above the line in rubber bridge and are simply added to the hand total in duplicate.
A worked example
North-South bid and make 4♠, vulnerable. The scoring goes:
- Contract tricks: 4 × 30 = 120
- Game bonus (vulnerable): 500
- Total: 620
If they made 5♠ (one overtrick): add 30 for the overtrick, total 650. If they bid 4♠ and made only 9 tricks (one down, vulnerable, undoubled): they lose 100. Simple arithmetic, applied consistently.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rubber and duplicate scoring?
Rubber bridge scores the entire session as one contest, with partscores accumulating toward games and the first partnership to two games winning a rubber bonus. Duplicate scores each hand independently, with game and partscore bonuses awarded per deal. Duplicate is the tournament format. Rubber is the social home format.
How many points is a bridge game?
A game is any contract worth 100 or more contract points. Three notrump (100), 4♥ or 4♠ (120), and 5♣ or 5♦ (100) all qualify. Below 100 is a partscore.
How much is a slam worth?
A small slam (6-level) earns a 500 bonus non-vulnerable or 750 vulnerable, in addition to the game bonus. A grand slam (7-level) earns 1,000 non-vulnerable or 1,500 vulnerable. So a vulnerable grand slam in spades is worth 7 × 30 + 500 + 1,500 = 2,210 total points.
What does vulnerability do in scoring?
Vulnerability roughly doubles both the bonuses for making a contract and the penalties for failing. A vulnerable game bonus is 500 vs 300 non-vulnerable. A vulnerable undertrick undoubled is 100 vs 50. The incentive is to bid aggressively when non-vulnerable and cautiously when vulnerable.
Why is 3NT considered a better game than 5 of a minor?
3NT requires nine tricks for 100 contract points. Five of a minor requires eleven tricks for the same 100 points. Two extra tricks at the same reward makes 3NT the more efficient contract when both are makeable. Skilled partnerships prefer 3NT to 5♣ or 5♦ whenever the stoppers allow it.
What is an “insult” bonus?
When declarer makes a doubled contract, there is a 50-point “insult” bonus for successfully playing past the double. A redoubled making contract earns 100. The idea is that making a doubled contract is a particularly satisfying accomplishment, and the scoring recognises it.
How do I score a failed slam?
A slam that fails is scored by its undertricks only, using the standard penalty table. There is no slam-specific penalty. A vulnerable 6♠ that goes one down costs 100 points. The slam bonus is only awarded when the contract makes.