Contrée: how much is your hand worth? Evaluating before bidding 80, 90 or 100

First, what a failed contract costs

A contract of 90 that is made earns 90 plus the points taken, say 100: 190 for the team. The same contract failed gives 250 to the opponents (160 + 90), 500 if they doubled. The gap between making it and failing is therefore not 190 points but 440, and 690 when doubled. That imbalance is what makes Contrée: you have to bid what you hold, not what you hope for. An 80 bid “to see what happens” costs 240 when it goes down.

The 162 points of the deal, and where they are

In the trump suit, the jack is worth 20, the nine 14, the ace 11, the ten 10, the king 4, the queen 3: 62 points. The three other suits are worth 30 each (ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2), or 90, plus the dix de der (the last-trick bonus): 162. Three practical consequences:

• The jack and nine of trumps are 34 points between them, plus the cards they capture: they are the basis of any contract.
• An outside ace is worth 11 points plus what it captures (often an opponent’s ten): count 15 to 20 points per ace, if it isn’t trumped.
• A bare ten (without the ace) is a weak point: it falls under the opponents’ ace and gives away 10 points.

The evaluation grid

Add up the following elements to get the “raw” value of your hand, without counting your partner:

Then add an average contribution from your partner: 20 points if they have said nothing, 35 if they have supported you, 0 if they passed over a strong opposing bid. The total gives an estimate of the number of points the team will make; bid the ten below, and never more than 10 points above what you hold on your own.

Three hands, three bids

Hand 1: jack, nine, king of trumps (hearts), ace of spades, 10-9 of diamonds, 8-7 of clubs. Value: 25 for the jack, 20 for the nine with the jack, 15 for the ace of spades, or 60. No ace of trumps, only three trumps, and the bare ten of diamonds is worth nothing. With 20 from the partner, that comes to 80: it is a bid of 80 hearts, no more. If the opponents go up to 90, we pass.

Hand 2: jack, nine, ace, queen of trumps (spades), ace and ten of hearts, 7 of diamonds, 8 of clubs. Value: 25 + 20 + 12 + 10 (fourth trump) + 15 (ace of hearts) + 10 (ten with its ace) = 92, with two short suits. Silent partner: 112. A bid of 100 spades, and we support at 110 if the partner speaks.

Hand 3: nine, ten, king, queen of trumps, ace of diamonds, 9-8 of hearts, 7 of clubs. No jack: the nine is only worth 15, and the ten of trumps will fall under the opponents’ jack. Value: 15 + 10 + 15 + belote 20 counted separately = 40 excluding the belote. With 20 from the partner, 60. We pass, or bid 80 only if the partner has already indicated the suit.

The lead: whoever leads controls the deal

The player to the left of the dealer plays the first card, and this partance (the lead) changes the value of a hand. If you lead, you play your outside ace immediately, before it can be trumped, and you can bring down the opposing trumps with your jack. If you are in last position, your ace may well be trumped on the second round of the suit. Our rule: +10 evaluation points when you have the lead, −10 when it belongs to the opponent on your left (who plays before you and sees your card). The counter records who had the lead at each deal; a look at the history soon shows whether your failed contracts come from the deals where you were not leading.

When to double

A double doubles the deal: contract made, the opponents score double; failed, you score 2 × (160 + contract). You double when you know the contract will go down, not when you hope it will: at least two master trumps (the jack, or a nine backed by other trumps) in your own hand, or an opposing evaluation that is plainly too high (a 120 bid when you hold the jack and nine of trumps). The redouble, which quadruples, is kept for hands where you hold the contract for certain — it only brings in 320 to 640 more points, but it can decide the game on its own.

160 and capot: bidding the exploit

Bidding 160 means announcing that the opponents will not score a single card point, without necessarily taking every trick. A declared capot (all the tricks) is worth 250 at most tables, 500 at others, always on top of the contract. With a hand of seven trumps and the outside ace, you can think about it; without the jack of trumps, never. The counter offers both bids with an adjustable bonus, because the value of a declared capot is one of the conventions that vary the most.

Frequently asked questions