Bridge Playing Etiquette

Should she be looking over one’s shoulder at their cards???–When there is but one table of bridge, the hostess almost always plays, but when there are two or more tables, she generally does not include herself in making up her list. Thus she leaves herself free to attend to last-minute details of preparing and serving refreshments and seeing to it that her guests are supplied with cigarettes, ash trays and that the changing of partners goes off without a hitch. 

Etiquette And Courtesy Are Bridge Necessities

THE outstanding social game of the hour seems to be bridge. No matter whether some of us loathe it or not—we all should be able to play it—that is, if we want to be popular. That is why it is important that the up-to-date hostess know how to conduct a bridge party, to be prepared at any and all times with the knowledge and equipment necessary to entertain her friends successfully at bridge. 

No one should venture to entertain at bridge, nor accept a bridge invitation, who cannot play the game more than passably well. Don’t go out into public until you can do more than “play at the game”! It is not enough that the hostess provide only four well-matched players, cards and a score pad and pencil. Before the evening or afternoon game starts, there are several things that the thoughtful hostess must attend to before she can be assured of a perfect party. 

Unless she has a great deal of room at her disposal, it is far better to have a comfortable group of only four players than several crowded, noisy and unhappy tables. When there is but one table of bridge, the hostess almost always plays, but when there are two or more tables, she generally does not include herself in making up her list. Thus she leaves herself free to attend to last-minute details of preparing and serving refreshments and seeing to it that her guests are supplied with cigarettes, ash trays and that the changing of partners goes off without a hitch. 

The hostess also establishes the kind of bridge to be played, the system of changing partners and the method of scoring. The hostess’ first duty toward her guests is to provide proper equipment. This, as everyone knows, consists of a sturdy table of the correct height, four comfortable chairs, two decks of new cards, ash trays, a score pad and sharp pencil. Do be careful, too, that the lighting is good. There is nothing more disturbing than having a room too dim, or to have a light shining directly in some player’s face. 

Much can be said about the etiquette of the bridge player. Most of it can be written in one word ‘CONSIDERATION.’ There is nothing more maddening than the very slow player—or the one who explains all his plays. One should be prompt, pleasant and noiseless —but most of all, courteous. A very famous bridge authority once said, “Not everyone can play a faultless game; but everyone is certainly capable of the highest degree of etiquette and courtesy —and these two things go far toward making up for any lack of skill.”— By Deborah Ames, 1937

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia©️ Etiquette Encyclopedia