ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Ward Trumbull

Apr 9, 2007

Page 1 of 7


A. A Typical Scoring Pad ---------------à WE | THEY

|

|

The Line -----à -----------------

|

B. Below the Line Scoring |


The only scores entered below “The Line” are the trick points for

contracts made. The trick values are:


clubs/diamonds = 20 points each (a bid of 5 is game)

hearts/spades = 30 points each (a bid of 4 is game)

notrump = 40 points for first trick

30 points for subsequent tricks

(a bid of 3 is game)


A game is 100 points for a pair below the line.

There are two ways to score game points below the line.


1. Bid and make a game contract

2. Bid and make multiple partial game contracts whose

sum is equal to or greater than 100 points

Note: These partial game scores must be made before the

opponents make a game.


Example 1: The WE pair bids and makes 3 notrump.

WE | THEY

40 x 1 = 40 |

30 x 2 = 60 |

----- The Line --> -----------------

total 100 100 |


ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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B. Below the Line Scoring (continued)


Example 2: The WE pair bids and makes two partial scores ---

the 1st is 2 notrump and the 2nd is 2 spades.


WE | THEY

Hand 1 40 x 1 = 40 |

30 x 1 = 30 The Line --> --------------------

----- 70 |

total 70 60 |

Hand 2 30 x 2 = 60


When either pair makes a game score below the line, the scorer draws a

line below that entry all the way across both sides to indicate the end of

a game.


Example: WE | THEY

|

|

The Line --> ----------------------

70 |

60 |

End of Game Line --> ----------------------

|

|


The pair making a game is now vulnerable. A pair that has not made a

game is called “non-vulnerable”. By being vulnerable, a pair will get

larger slam bonus points than a non-vulnerable pair making the same

slam. Conversely, vulnerable pairs give up higher points when going set,

i.e., not making their contract.


ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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C. Above the Line Scoring


All other points are scored above the line. They include:


1. Overtrick points

2. Honor points

3. Slam Bonus points

* 4. Defensive Team points for setting a contract

5. Insult points (for making doubled contract)

6. Rubber Bonus points (for games)

7. Incomplete Rubber Bonus points


* The table for “Trick Setting Points” is on the last page.


C. Above the Line Scoring (continued)


1. Overtrick Points Above the Line Scoring


Example: The WE team bids 2 hearts but makes 3.

Then WE bids 1 spade but makes 4.


Hand 1 30 x 2 = 60 (contract bid) WE | THEY

+ 30 (1 overtrick) |

90 |

30 |

The Line --> ------------------

Hand 2 30 x 1 = 30 (contract bid) 60 |

+ 90 (3 overtricks) 30 |


Note: The WE pair has still not made game.

The WE pair is still non-vulnerable.


Doubled: Non-vulnerable overtricks are 100 points each.

Vulnerable overtricks are 200 points each.

ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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2. Honor Points Above the Line Scoring


In a suit contract, the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the trump suit

are called Honors. If any player (usually the declarer or dummy) has

all five in one hand, that pair gets 150 Honor points above the line.

If it’s four of the five, they get 100.

In a notrump contract, all four aces in any hand gets 150 Honor

points.


Note: Honors should be declared after the hand is played. In reality,

players are afraid they’ll forget; so they announce them as

soon as the bidding is completed.


Example: The THEY team bids and makes 4 hearts, and the

declarer has ace, king, queen and ten of hearts

WE | THEY

30 x 4 = 120 |

honors = 100 | 100

The Line --> --------------------

| 120

End of Game Line --> --------------------

3. Slam Bonus Above the Line Scoring


A small slam (12 tricks) is 500 (non-vul) and 750 (vul).

A grand slam (13 tricks) is 1000 (non-vul) and 1500 (vul).


Example: The THEY team bids and makes a 6 diamond small slam

(non-vul). Declarer’s has the10 thru ace of diamonds.

WE | THEY

honors = 150 | 150

slam n/v = 500 | 500

20 x 6 = 120 The Line --> ----------------------

| 120

End of Game Line --> ----------------------

ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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C. Above the Line Scoring (continued)


4. Defense Points Above the Line for Setting a Contract


You get 50 points for each trick set if the opponent is non-vulnerable

and 100 points each if they are vulnerable. If the contract was

doubled, the points are greater. See the table for “Trick Setting

Points” on the last page.


Example: The WE team bid 4 hearts (vul) and went set 2

tricks. So the THEY team gets 200 points


Hand 1 WE bid/make 3 notrump (100). WE | THEY

Hand 2 THEY bid/make 4 spades (120). |

Hand 3 WE set 2 at 4 hearts (200). | 200

The Line --> ---------------------

100 |

End of Game Line --> ----------------------

| 120

End of Game Line --> ----------------------

|

5. Insult Points Above the Line Scoring

If a pair makes a doubled contract, it gets 50 “insult” points.

6. Rubber Bonus Points Above the Line Scoring


A rubber ends when either team makes their second game by

scoring 100-or-more trick points below the line.


Rubber Bonus points are scored at the end of a rubber. If a pair wins

2 consecutive games, they get 700 bonus points above the line. If a

pair wins 2 out of 3 games, they get 500 bonus points above the line.

ACBL33 – General:Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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C. Above the Line Scoring (continued)

6. Rubber Bonus Points (continued)


Example: In the rubber: WE | THEY

|

Hand 1 WE made 4 hearts with 100 honors. 500 | 500

Hand 2 THEY made 4 spades. 100 |

Hand 3 THEY bid 4 clubs, were TL à -------------------

doubled and were set 2. 120 |

Hand 4 WE made 1 notrump. EGL à -------------------

Hand 5 THEY made 5 clubs. | 120

EGL à -------------------

40 | 100

ERL à --------------------

Rubber over and THEY gets 500 bonus. |

Rubber Total 760 | 720


NOTE 1: Since THEY made 5 clubs (game), the WE partial game

score of 40 gets no partial game bonus (50) above the line.


NOTE 2: The team with the most points (WE) wins the rubber, not

necessarily the team that got the two games (THEY).


7. Incomplete Rubber Bonus Points Above the Line

If a rubber game session is unfinished with neither pair making a

second game, the remaining game(s) (if any) get 300 Game Bonus

Points above the line. If at that time either team has a partial game

score (less than 100) below the line, they get 50 Partial Game Bonus

points above the line.



ACBL33 – General: Rubber Bridge Scoring Apr 9, 2007

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C. Above the Line Scoring (continued)


7. Incomplete Rubber (continued)

Example: The rubber was not finished. The WE pair had a

game, and the THEY pair had a 40 points partial

game.

WE | THEY

WE gets a 300 point bonus. |

THEY gets a 50 point bonus. 300 | 50

The Line --> ---------------------

120 |

End of Game Line --> ----------------------

| 40

End of Rubber Line --> ----------------------

Total 430 | 90

D. Table of Trick Setting Points

Down Down Down Down Down

Declarer Description 1 2 3 4 5

---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------

Non-vulnerable 50 100 150 200 250

doubled 100 300 500 800 1100

redoubled 200 600 1000 1600 2200


Vulnerable 100 200 300 400 500

doubled 200 500 800 1100 1400

redoubled 400 1000 1600 2200 2800


Note: The non-vulnerable double/redouble points are in increments of

200/400 for the 2nd and 3rd down tricks. From the 4th trick on the

increments are 300/600 points.