Rummy Versus Bridge

Rummy and Bridge are longstanding, popular card games that each cater to different styles of players. While they are both perfect games for killing time, practicing strategy, and making memories, they’re fundamentally different.

Rummy isn’t played in teams, and the goal is to complete runs of cards before your opponents. Bridge is played in partnerships, and the goal is to accurately predict how well your team will do in the course of the game.

If you’re looking for an alternative to playing free Hearts games online, this article might help you jumpstart an interest in Rummy or Bridge!

Rummy

Rummy uses a standard fifty-two-card deck and can be played by two to six players. Each player is dealt seven cards. The remaining cards are placed in a face-down pile between players. The top card is turned face-up and laid next to the deck, starting the discard pile.

The Rules

The player to the left of the dealer starts, and the structure of each turn is the same every time. First, the player draws a card. They may draw this card from the face-down top of the deck or from the discard pile.

Then, the player places face-up on the table any melds they have in their hand. Finally, the player discards one card, and their turn is over. If a player drew from the discard pile, they may not discard that card on the same turn.

Melds players can play include groups of three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, and any run of three or more cards of the same suit.

Scoring

The game ends when a player has no cards in hand, either by melding and playing the remaining cards in their hand or playing the remaining cards in their hand, and discarding their final card.

When the game is over, each player adds up the total number of points of each card they played. Face cards are all worth ten points, aces are worth one point, and every other card is worth its numerical value. Players add up the cards they played, then subtract the value of all the cards remaining in their hand.

Rummy is usually played until one player reaches a designated score, such as 250.

Bridge

Bridge is a much more complex game than Rummy, which makes it both more and less appealing to players, depending on the time frame and level of engagement desired. Bridge is played by two teams of two players. The goal of the game is to accurately bid how many points you think your team will score.

The Rules

Each player is dealt thirteen cards. Next, each player may bid or pass. If all players pass, a new hand is dealt.

Just like knowing what cards to pass in Hearts is a part of its strategy, knowing how to bid in Bridge is integral. The minimum bid is six, so if a player expects to win four tricks, they would bid ten (six plus four). Each bid must also include a suit that the player wishes to be the trump suit.

Players must bid a higher number than the bid made before them. Bidding continues until three of the four players choose to pass. The suit paired with the winning bid is the trump suit for this round.

The player that won the bid plays the first card. They play any card from their hand face-up, and each player must play a card of that suit. If they have no cards of that suit, they may play any card. The winner of each trick takes the stack of cards played and leads the next trick.

Scoring

When all cards have been played, each team adds up the total number of tricks they took. Scoring in bridge is complicated, and teams are penalized for exceeding their bid.

The Game for You

Rummy and Bridge are both timeless games that promise hours of entertainment. Once you get the hang of them, after a few rounds, you’ll know which one is best for you and your friends!

If you’re looking for other ways to relax and pass the time, don’t miss our post on games to kill time that you can play in your browser.