On the Subject of Bridge

Wow, you’re really into bridge, huh? Like the Golden Gate Bridge?

Calculate how many High Card Points a 7-card bridge hand is worth, then bid accordingly.

Your hand consists of the 7 cards along the bottom of the module.

To pass, press the Pass button only. To make any other bid, first press the level (numerical value) of the bid, then the denomination (a suit or NT). Pressing an incorrect button will incur a strike and reset the button input sequence.

High Card Points

Your High Card Points (HCP) start at 0. Then add:

• 1 for each Jack in your hand or J in the serial number;
• 2 for each Queen in your hand or Q in the serial number;
• 3 for each King in your hand or K in the serial number;
• 4 for each Ace in your hand or A in the serial number.

If there are 6 or more batteries present, add the number of batteries.

If a lit SIG or BOB indicator is present, subtract 6. If your HCP would be below 0, set your HCP to 0 instead.

Vulnerability

If there are more lit than unlit indicators, “your” vulnerability is green. Else, “your” vulnerability is red.

If there are more ports than batteries, “their” vulnerability is green. Else, “their” vulnerability is red.

Your vulnerability coefficient can be found from this table:

Vulnerability Coefficient		Your Vulnerability
		Green	Red
Their Vulnerability	Green	0	-1
	Red	+1	0

Making a Bid

If you have fewer than 6 HCP:

• If you have a suit with 4 or more cards, add together your HCP, the number of cards in that suit, and the vulnerability coefficient. Subtract 5. If this level is 1 or lower, pass. If you would bid 2C, pass. If the level would be higher than 7, it is equal to 7. Make a bid in that suit, with the level equal to that number.
• Otherwise, if you have 0–1 HCP, an RJ-45 port is present, and your vulnerability is green, bid 1NT.
• Otherwise, pass.

Otherwise, if you have 12 or more HCP:

• If your longest suit contains no more than 2 cards, bid 2NT.
• Else, bid 2C.

Otherwise, if your longest suit contains at most 3 cards and you have cards in every suit:

• If you have 6–8 HCP, bid 1NT.
• If you have 9–11 HCP, bid 1 of your longest suit (see below for details), then press the “NT” button.

Otherwise, bid 1 of your longest suit (see below for details).

Bidding 1 of your Longest Suit

Never bid 1H or 1S with fewer than 3 hearts or spades respectively. This takes precedence over the rest of this section. If you would need to do so, instead bid 1C or 1D. Bid 1D if your diamonds are longer than your clubs, otherwise bid 1C.

If one of your suits is longer than all the others, bid 1 of that suit.

If there is a tie for longest suit, where the tied suits have 2 cards, bid the lowest tied suit. If there is a tie for longest suit, where the tied suits have 3 cards, bid the highest tied suit.

From lowest to highest, the order of the suits is: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades.