Guide · Private Tables

Play Bridge With Friends Online

A kitchen-table game from four different kitchens. Every major platform lets you set up a private table and invite exactly the people you want — here is how to do it, and which platform suits a friendly four best.

Updated June 2026·6-minute read·All levels
The short answer: For a friendly game with chat and laughter, use RealBridge — live video, no install, just share a link. For a free private table on the biggest platform, set one up on BBO and invite your three friends.
private table
Invite Friends
Four seats, your guest list
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Your four, from four different homes
A private table lets you invite exactly the people you want — the closest thing to a kitchen-table game from anywhere.
RealBridge — best with videoBBO — best free tableInvite exactly who you wantFree to set up

A Private Table for Your Four

One of the quiet joys of online bridge is the private table: a game open only to the people you invite, free of strangers. It is how scattered families keep their regular game going, how friends who have moved away still play together, and how a club four can reconvene from four different homes. Setting one up takes minutes on any platform.

RealBridge — Best for a Social Game

If the point is the company as much as the cards, RealBridge is the one to use. Its live video and voice mean you see and hear your friends as you play, and because it runs in the browser there is nothing for anyone to install.

  1. Get a session linkA host (often a club or one of your group) creates a RealBridge session and shares the link. For a casual private game, one of you sets it up.
  2. Share it with your three friendsSend the link by message or email. Everyone simply clicks it — no account download required.
  3. Allow camera and microphoneEach player grants access to their webcam and mic in the browser, and takes a seat at the table.
  4. Play face to faceYou see and hear each other throughout — the closest thing to gathering around one table from four different homes.

BBO — Best Free Private Table

For a free game on the largest platform, BBO lets you set up a private table in its Casual area and reserve the seats for your friends.

  1. Everyone makes a free accountEach of the four needs a free BBO username. It takes a minute and costs nothing.
  2. Start a table in CasualFrom the Casual play area, create a table. You become the host and control who sits down.
  3. Invite or reserve seatsInvite friends by their usernames, or reserve the three other seats so only your group can join.
  4. Add a voice call if you likeBBO chat is text only, so many friends open a separate phone or video call alongside the game for conversation.
Tip: Funbridge is built around solo practice rather than live partnership play, so for a real-time game with friends, stick to RealBridge or BBO.

Which Should You Choose?

If your group wants the chat and laughter of a night together, choose RealBridge for the video — it is the closest to the real thing. If you simply want to play the cards for free on the biggest platform, set up a private table on BBO. Either way you are recreating the kitchen-table game from anywhere in the world. For how this stacks up against meeting in person, see online vs club bridge.

Key Takeaways

  • Every major platform lets you set up a private table and invite specific people.
  • RealBridge is best for a social game — live video, no install, just share a link.
  • BBO is the best free private table on the largest platform.
  • Funbridge is solo-focused, so use RealBridge or BBO for live games with friends.
  • You can gather a friendly four from four different homes in minutes.

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