by Jude Goodwin
Rubber Bridge is a variant of the card game bridge that is most often used during a friendly game of kitchen bridge. The scoring is simple, and indeed forms the foundation of all bridge scoring.
This form of bridge gained a lot of publicity after a celebrated match, referred to as the “Bridge Battle of the Century“, was held December 1931 to January 1932 between teams led by Ely Culbertson and Sidney Lenz. A total of 150 rubbers were played, and the match was ultimately won by the Culbertson team by a margin of 8,980 points. The purpose of the ‘battle’ was to pit Culbertson’s new bidding system agains the Official System, and it’s a great story!
The mechanics of Rubber Bridge are the same as Duplicate Bridge and Chicago Bridge. There’s a deal, a round of bidding, an opening lead, and then play of the hand. If you know the basics of bridge, you can sit down and play Rubber Bridge with no problem. In fact, many bridge teachers might recommend starting with Rubber Bridge. The difference is the scoring and learning how to manipulate the scoring and outcomes to your advantage. Let’s take a look.
Rubber bridge scoring combines both below-the-line and above-the-line points, a system that rewards both contract fulfillment and overtricks while penalizing underperformance.
In the image at left, you can see a very common rubber bridge score pad. You see We and They and a line for below and above the line points. Most score pads will have the value of tricks and other point awards also on the pad for easy reference.
When you score 100 points or more below the line, you have a ‘game.’ Two games and you win a bonus, and the rubber is over. Time for round two! The only way you can score points below the line is to bid and make a contract. Overtricks are scored, but above the line. And of course, if you don’t make your contract, the opponents score but below the line. Here’s a basic outline:
A key consideration when playing Rubber Bridge is whether or not you, or the opponents, are Vulnerable. The term “vulnerable” refers to a pair (or a team) that has already won a game within the current rubber. A rubber is a match that consists of the best of three games. Being “vulnerable” affects scoring and strategy, as penalties for failing to make a contract are higher when vulnerable, and bonuses for making certain contracts are also increased. A pair becomes vulnerable after winning a game within the rubber and remains so until the end of the rubber.
Here is how vulnerability works in Rubber Bridge:
But don’t let strategy put you off. You can sit down with a rubber bridge score pad and 4 people and have a really enjoyable time even if it’s your very first game. Beyond the rules and strategies, Rubber Bridge is a social game. It’s often played in homes and clubs, where the competition is friendly. The game’s structure makes it accessible to players of different skill levels, allowing everyone to participate and enjoy.
Do bridge players play for money? Did you win any money? This is a common question from my friends and family. And the answer is ‘no.’ I play duplicate bridge in clubs and tournaments and I don’t win money – I win masterpoints. And personal pride in my accomplishments of course. But is there such a thing as money bridge? The answer is yes, and it’s called Rubber Bridge. Typically it involves playing “a penny a point” or some variation of that.
Bridge has many different terms, and there are some great glossaries out there, including this one on the American Bridge Association website. But here are a few I remember from my childhood during the 1950s while listening to my mother talk bridge with her neighbours.
I had a leg up: “A leg up” means being vulnerable vs. non-vulnerable opponents. “Cut off their leg” means becoming vulnerable vs. opponents who are already vulnerable.
We started with a Fast Rubber: A rubber completed in two games is called a Fast Rubber. A Slow Rubber is completed in three games.
Table Up! Cut in and cut out: In rubber bridge, it is customary on completion of a rubber to invite other players in the room to play in the next one, often by a cry of “Table up”. The players in the completed rubber draw cards to determine who will withdraw; the one or more who draw the lowest card or cards are said to cut out, and their replacements to cut in.
Goulash: This is a style of dealing, usually at home games, where the cards are not thoroughly shuffled between deals and are dealt in groups. It results in “wild” card distributions. I think I remember playing this style of deal at a few Midnight Swiss games as well – back in the ‘old days.’
I recommend that you definitely call your bridge friends together and play a whole lot of Rubber Bridge as part of your learning journey. See you at the table!
