Bridge Bidding Rules: How the Auction Works
Before you can bid well you need to know what is legal. These are the procedural rules of the bridge auction — the order of bids, the calls you are allowed to make, and how the bidding finishes.
What the Bidding Rules Cover
The auction is the part of bridge bidding where the four players decide the final contract — how many tricks one side will try to make and in which trump suit (or no-trump). The rules here are not about what a bid means to your partner; they are about which calls are legal and how the auction is conducted. Learn them once and they become second nature.
There are only three kinds of call: a bid (a number plus a denomination, such as 1♥ or 3NT), a pass, and the competitive calls double and redouble. The dealer calls first and the turn rotates clockwise.
The Ranking of Bids
Every bid names a level (1 to 7) and a denomination. The denominations rank from low to high, and within a level a bid must beat the previous one by going up in rank or up in level.
Denominations, Low to High
So 1♠ is higher than 1♥, and 2♣ is higher than 1NT. A "level" is the number of tricks above six that you contract to win — a 1-bid promises seven tricks, a 7-bid all thirteen. Because there are five denominations and seven levels, there are 35 possible contracts, mapped out in our bidding chart.
Pass, Double and Redouble
You are never forced to bid — you may pass on any turn, and bid later if the auction comes back to you. The competitive calls add two more options:
The Non-Bidding Calls
A double can only be made over an opponent’s bid, and a redouble only over an opponent’s double. The meaning of a double depends on partnership agreement — for the common conventional uses see takeout doubles and negative doubles.
How the Auction Ends
The auction continues clockwise until a call is followed by three passes in a row. The last bid then becomes the contract, and the side that made it must try to win that many tricks.
If all four players pass on the opening round — four passes with no bid — the hand is "passed out" and thrown in with no score, then the next deal is played.
Insufficient and Illegal Bids
A bid must be higher than the last bid. A call that is not — for example 1♣ over an existing 1♦ — is an insufficient bid and is not allowed. In casual play you simply correct it; in duplicate bridge the director is called and a rectification is applied. You also cannot bid out of turn or change a call once it has been accepted.
None of this should intimidate a beginner. At the kitchen table the rules are forgiving: keep the bids climbing, take turns clockwise, and let three passes close the auction.
Reading the Final Contract
Once the auction ends, the contract tells you everything about the goal. The declarer is the player on the winning side who first named the final denomination; their partner becomes the dummy. The player to the left of declarer makes the opening lead, and play begins.
Common Rule Misunderstandings
- Thinking a pass ends your bidding. A pass only ends your current turn — you can bid again when the auction returns to you.
- Believing no-trump ranks below the suits. No-trump is the highest denomination, so 1NT outranks 1♠.
- Doubling your own side. You can only double a bid made by an opponent, never partner.
- Forgetting three passes are needed. One pass does not end the auction after a bid — it takes three consecutive passes.
Key Takeaways
- The dealer bids first and the turn rotates clockwise.
- Denominations rank ♣ < ♦ < ♥ < ♠ < NT; each bid must be higher than the last.
- The legal calls are bid, pass, double and redouble.
- The auction ends after a bid is followed by three passes.
- The final bid is the contract; the player who first named that denomination is declarer.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
From lowest to highest the denominations rank clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then no-trump. No-trump outranks every suit at the same level, so 1NT is higher than 1 spade.
The auction ends when a bid is followed by three consecutive passes. The last bid becomes the contract. If everyone passes on the first round, the hand is passed out with no score.
Yes. A pass only declines to act on your current turn. If the auction comes back around to you, you may bid, double or pass again.
An insufficient bid is one that is not higher than the last bid, such as bidding 1 club after 1 diamond. It is not legal and must be corrected or rectified.
You can double only a bid made by an opponent. A double increases the scoring stakes, or by agreement asks partner to bid as in a takeout double. A redouble can only follow a double by an opponent.
The declarer is the player on the winning side who first named the final denomination. Their partner is dummy, and the opponent on the left of declarer makes the opening lead.