Card games
Duplicate Bridge
The same boards at other tables: outscore them board by board
Duplicate Bridge is how clubs and tournaments play: every board is dealt once and played at several tables, so the luck of the cards cancels out and only the bidding and the play count. At Masa your partnership plays 8, 12 or 16 boards while the other tables play the very same cards; each board is scored on its own and compared — in IMPs against one other table, or in matchpoints against four. Dealer and vulnerability follow the board number, as in every club.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 40–60 min per game
- Type
- Card games
Play Duplicate Bridge online with friends
At Masa, Duplicate Bridge is a game of its own right next to Bridge: pick it in the games list, open a table and share its code or link with your friends, or sit at a house table. Bots fill the empty chairs, and voice chat keeps the table talking.
How to play
- 1
Four players in two partnerships: North–South against East–West. Your partner sits opposite you. In every deal one side promises to win a number of the 13 tricks (the contract) and the other side tries to stop it.
- 2
The dealer calls first, then everyone in turn. A bid is a level (1–7) and a suit or notrump: "2 Hearts" promises 8 tricks (6 + 2) with hearts as trumps. Every bid must be higher than the last one; at the same level the suits rank clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then notrump. You may also Pass, Double (X) an opponent’s bid or Redouble (XX). Three passes after a bid end the auction: the last bid is the contract.
- 3
The declarer is the player of the winning side who first named the contract’s suit (or notrump). The player on declarer’s left makes the opening lead; then declarer’s partner, the dummy, lays their cards face up and declarer plays both hands. Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or discard. The highest trump wins the trick, else the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads next.
- 4
The same boards are dealt at other tables and played there by Masa’s computer-controlled players. Every board stands on its own: a part-score earns 50, a game 300 (500 vulnerable), slams as usual, no honors. The dealer and the vulnerability follow the board number; a passed-out board scores 0.
House rules
Pick any of these when you create a table; a table that changes none plays the rules above.
- Bidding system — SAYC · 2/1 · Acol · Precision
- Two-level openings — Weak · Strong
- 1NT opening — 13–15 · 14–16
- Boards — 8 · 12 · 16
- Scoring — IMPs · Matchpoints
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicate Bridge the same game as Bridge?
No. Duplicate Bridge is played at the same kind of table as Bridge, but with rules of its own — see “How to play” above. At Masa it is a game of its own, with its own tables, stats and achievements.
Can I play Duplicate Bridge online with friends?
Yes. Open a Duplicate Bridge table and share its code or link. Empty seats fill with other players or bots, so a game always starts.
Is Duplicate Bridge free to play?
Yes. You play with Chips, which have no cash value: nothing can be won or cashed out.
Who plays the same boards at the other tables?
Masa’s computer-controlled players, in your table’s bidding system. Their results appear after each board, and the side with more IMPs or matchpoints after the last board wins.
