A contract is a bid with an optional double or redouble.
Meaning of a contract[]
The bid of the contract contains a level and a denomination. The level specifies the number of odd tricks the declaring side need to take beyond the book. The minimum level is 1 and the maximum level is 7. The denomination specifies the trump suit, if any.
If the bid is followed by a double or a redouble, the stakes are increased.
Determining the contract[]
Main article: auction
In auction bridge and contract bridge, the contract is determined via an auction. Players call in turn, starting from the dealer. If there are three passes in turn after a bid, the last bid, along with any double or redouble after it, becomes the final contract.
The contract is won by the player who bids the denomination first in the side making the last bid.
| North | East | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♣ | 2♣ | / | 3♣ |
| / | / | X | / |
| / | / |
In this case, the winning side is East-West, and the first player who bids among East-West is East, therefore, East becomes the declarer and West becomes the dummy. After South places the opening lead, West put down all his cards on the table and East plays them. North and South are the defenders in this case.