HOME > BRIDGE LESSONS > STANDARD AMERICAN LESSONS
Vulnerable or not vulnerable
Vulnerability is a system of varying the scoring in a bridge game and with each hand in duplicate bridge the North-South partnership and the East-West partnership are designated as either vulnerable or not vulnerable and this is assigned by a label on the bridge board or on the bidding pad (in computer bridge)
What does it mean?
Being vulnerable increases bonuses when you make a contract and conversely increase the penalties for going light in your contract. Vulnerability also affects strategies for a partnership bids and play.
Vulnerability:
Going Light Contract (undertricks)
If your contract goes down 1 trick (known as going light) and you are not-vulnerable (not vul) you give your opponents 50 points per trick that you go light.
If you are vulnerable (vul) and go down the same 1 trick, you give your opponents 100 points ( -100 for your side).
This is why you should be careful about overbidding when vulnerable.
Bidding & Making your contract
If you are not vulnerable (not vul) and bid and make “game” contract you will score a bonus of 250 points as well as the extra points for each trick won.
If you are vulnerable (vul) and bid and make “game” you will be awarded a bonus of 450 points as well as additional points for all the tricks you won.
New Guided Bridge Hand to Play EVERY DAY
Non-Vulnerable (not-vul) Under tricks penalties:
Down 1 = -50 points
Down 2 = -100 points
Down 3 = -150 points
Down 4 = -200 points
Vulnerable (vul) Under tricks penalty
Down 1 = -100 points
Down 2 = -200 points
Down 3 = -300 points
Down 4 = -400 points
If you found this lesson useful, you’ll find the extra features in our members only lessons especially valuable. The above video demonstrates how our lessons appear in our members area. The ‘members only’ version of our lessons includes popup glossaries for Bridge terms, an instant quiz to test your new Bridge knowledge, and multiple practice hands with full commentary. Access our members area with a full featured free trial.
Doubling
Doubling adds extra bonuses or penalties whether you are vulnerable or not, the difference is the amount of points you or the opposition are awarded.
You are doubled for penalties and you make your contract with overtricks!
Sometimes the partnership doubling for penalties gets it all wrong and the declarer not only makes the contract they make it with overtricks. For these overtricks when doubled massive amounts of bonus points are earned.
For each doubled overtrick, non vulnerable = 100 points
For each doubled overtrick, vulnerable = 200 points
How to determine which pair/s are Vulnerable or Not Vulnerable…
Subscribe to see the full version of this lesson.