The Rules

Of

Back Alley Bridge

♦ General Rules
1. A standard deck of 52 playing cards is required, along with 2 Joker cards, one labeled
BIG and the other labeled LITTLE.
2. At least 2 players are required. By dividing the number of cards (54) by players one
determines the maximum number of rounds that may be played during a game. For
example, if there are 7 players, 7 rounds may be played as 7x7=49, but 7x8=56.
3. The number of cards dealt per round is equal to the round number, and each round is
played twice during the game. (# of cards dealt should look something like 1,2,3 . . .
3,2,1)
4. The scorekeeper begins play by shuffling and dealing the cards for round 1. After each
round is completed the dealer then becomes that person seated to the left of the previous
dealer.
5. After all cards are dealt the remaining cards are placed in the middle face down, and the
top card is turned over to reveal the trump suit. This is important as the trump suit
always beats the suit that is led. (If the card flipped is either the BIG or the LITTLE, then
place that card at the bottom of the pile and turn over the next card.)
6. Bidding for points starts with the person seated left of the dealer and continues in the
clockwise direction. One bids the number of tricks he/she believes they will win during
the round. This occurs before any cards are played, and the person with the highest
number of bids lays the first card.
7. The person who won the previous trick lays the first card for the next trick, and play
continues in this manner (always rotating in the clockwise direction) until all cards have
been played for that round.

♦ Notes On Playing
1. Card hierarchy goes Ace thru 2 for the standard cards, with the BIG and LITTLE Jokers
the highest trump cards, in that order.
2. There can be no re-negging! You must follow with the suit that is led. If you don’t have
that suit in your hand then anything else can be laid, including the trump suit.
3. The winner of each trick is the person who laid the highest card in the suit led unless
trump has been played. If trump has been laid then the trick goes to the person with the
highest trump.
♦ Special Rules For Big and Little Jokers
1. If the BIG is led, each player must lay the highest trump card in his/her hand. Likewise,
if the LITTLE is led, each player must lay the smallest trump card in his/her hand.
2. If you have the LITTLE and the BIG is led, then you must lay down the LITTLE.
3. If the LITTLE is led and a player has only the BIG as their trump card then that player
must lay down the BIG, and in this case the player who laid the BIG would win the trick.

♦ Scoring
5 pts for each trick bid and won during a round.
1 pt for each additional trick won during a round.
-5 pts for each trick bid if number of tricks won during a round is less then that bid.
15 pts additional for Boarding (win all tricks for a round). Must say “Board” when bidding.

Sample Scorecard
Player 1 Player 2
Cards Dealt Tricks Bid Pts Tricks Bid Pts Comments
1 B 20 0 0 Player 1 wins all tricks with Board
2 1 15 1 6 Player 2 wins 2 tricks
3 2 25 0 7 Player 1 wins 2 tricks, Player 2 wins 1 trick
: : : : : :
: : 42 : 35 :
3 1 37 3 50 Player 2 wins all tricks without Board
2 1 43 0 50 Player 1 wins 2 tricks
1 B 23 0 51 Player 2 wins 1 trick