What Are the Scoring Rules for Chicago Bridge?
Chicago players can score after a contract, when overtrick and contract points are assigned, and via two types of bonus: the slam bonus and another bonus in the event a redoubled or even doubled bid is made. A defeated trick gets penalty points.
Contract points have various values. The first trick gets 40 points. Every trick after the first receives 30 points. Tricks in the major suits, hearts and spades, receive 30 points, while tricks in the minor suits, diamonds and clubs, receive 20 points. When an overtrick is made by a declarer, the points that are distributed are the same as basic contract points. If the overtrick is doubled then the point values are 200 when vulnerable and 100 when not. During a double point, values are doubled once, and in a redouble, point values are doubled again.
Penalty points are given to the defending players when a contract loses. For vulnerable undertricks the points given out are 100, but undertricks that are not vulnerable receive 50 points. For the first undertrick in a double and redouble, the point values work in the same manner, but for the second and third undertricks, vulnerable doubles are tripled instead and redoubles double that value. Undertricks that are not vulnerable are quadrupled instead and redouble double the value. Every fourth and following undertrick rewards the same points when doubled and redoubled for both vulnerable and not vulnerable contracts.
The slam bonus is broken down into two sections. The small slam happens when 12 out of a possible 13 contracts are won. When not vulnerable, the player receives 500 points, and when vulnerable, the player receives 750 points. The grand slam is awarded to those that have all 13 of their contracts are won. Grand slam point values are double that of small slams.
