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If all four pass in the first round, the deal is passed out and there is a new deal by the next dealer in turn. If any player makes a bid in the first round, the bidding is opened.
Passing: When a player does not wish to bid, to double or to redouble, he says "Pass."
Bidding: Each bid must name a certain number of tricks in excess of six (called odd-tricks) which the bidder agrees to win, and a suit which will become the trump suit, if the bid becomes the contract; thus: "One spade" is a bid to win 7 tricks (6 plus 1) with spades as trumps. A bid may be made in no-trump, meaning that there will be no trump suit. The lowest possible bid is one, and the highest possible bid is seven.
Each bid must name a greater number of odd-tricks than the last preceding bid, or an equal number of a higher denomination. No-trump is the highest denomination, outranking spades. Thus, a bid of two no-trump will overcall a bid of two hearts; a bid of four diamonds is
required to overcall a bid of three hearts.
Doubling and Redoubling: Any player in turn may double the last preceding bid if it was made by an opponent. The effect of a double is to increase the value of odd-tricks, overtricks and undertrick penalties (see Scoring Table, page 243) if the doubled bid becomes the contract.
Any player in turn may redouble the last preceding bid if it was made by his side and doubled by an opponent. A redouble again increases the scoring values.
A doubled or redoubled contract may be overcalled by any bid which would be sufficient to overcall the same contract undoublcd; thus, if a bid of two diamonds is doubled and redoubled, it may still be overcalled by a bid of two in hearts, spades or no-trump and by a bid of three clubs.
Information as to Previous Calls: Any player in turn may ask to have all previous calls made in that auction restated, in the order in which they were made.
Final Bid and the Declarer: When a bid, double or redouble is followed by three consecutive passes in rotation, the auction is closed. The final bid in the auction becomes the contract. The player who, for his side, first bid the denomination named in the contract becomes the declarer. If the contract names a trump suit, every card of that suit becomes a trump. Declarer's partner becomes dummy, and the other side become defenders.
The Play
Leads and Plays: A play consists of taking a card from one's hand and placing it, face up, in the center of the table.
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