This article is a reference document and provides a summary of bridge style recommendations put forth by various sources. The article does not try to make specific recommendations for adoption by WikiProject Contract bridge of any particular style features - that debate is left for the discussion pages of Wikipedia:WikiProject Contract bridge/Manual of Style. Here we only summarize what others have put in their manuals of style.
Style recommended by Richard Pavlicek and the World Bridge magazine
Use the following lower case words: notrump, spade(s), heart(s), diamond(s), club(s)
Do not use the abbreviations NT, S or s, H or h, D or d, C or c
World Bridge
Use lower case for the suit names
Pavlicek
Use the following lower case words: two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, jack, queen, king, ace; use the numeral 10, not the word "ten"
When referring to a specific card, prefer "the heart three was lead" over "the three of hearts was lead". Other examples: "the heart queen fell", "the spade 10 was followed by the club king"
Do not use the following words: deuce, trey or knave
Optionally, when stating hypothetical holdings, use a lower case "x" when indicating the rank of an unknown or insignificant card or describing generic hand patterns
Bridge World
Use "two" rather than "deuce", "three" rather than "trey", "jack" rather than "knave"
Use either "spade three" or "the three of spades" as convenient; be consistent or produce variety
Consensus and recommendation
Use the following lower case words: notrump, spade(s), heart(s), diamond(s), club(s)
Do not use the abbreviations NT, S or s, H or h, D or d, C or c
Consensus and recommendation
Use the following lower case words: two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, jack, queen, king, ace; use the numeral 10, not the word "ten"
Do not use "T" for "10"
Do not use the following words: deuce, trey or knave
Use either "spade three" or "the three of spades" as convenient; be consistent or produce variety
When using symbols or abbreviations in diagrams, templates, tables or in-line text
Pavlicek
Use the following solid colored suit symbols: ♠, ♥, ♦, ♣
Use "NT" for notrump
Do not use the abbreviations S or s, H or h, D or d, C or c
Do not use the suit symbol alone to indicate a suit, e.g. "West's signal called for a ♥ lead."
Pavlicek
Use the numerals 1 through 10 or the capital letters J, Q, K or A
Do not use "T" for "10"
When referring to a specific card, use the designation for the denomination followed by a non-breaking space and the card rank, e.g. ♠ 8, ♥ Q. Use a non-breaking space to avoid separation between lines. This format is preferred when writing to a bridge audience.
The space between the suit symbol and card rank is controversial and may be omitted. Pavlicek prefers to apply the use of the space because it looks better to him and is grammatically correct.
Never mix text and symbol formatting, e.g. Use "♣ 4" but not "club 4" or "♣ four"
For two or more cards, the card ranks should be separated by a hyphen, e.g. "holding ♠ 10-9, West led the nine"
Optionally, when stating hypothetical holdings, use a lower case "x" when indicating the rank of an unknown or insignificant card or describing generic hand patterns
When describing one hand in in-line text, use the format of the following example, "West, with ♠ A-K-5 ♥ Q-J-6♦ K-9-8-6 ♣ K-5-3 held a typical one notrump opening bid."
The suits are listed in rank order, spades first
There is a non-breaking space between the suit symbol and the card ranks and hyphens separating card ranks within a suit.
The template {{BridgeHandInline}} was used to provide the foregoing hand result.
For hand patterns, 4-3-3-3 means any hand containing only one 4-card suit and three 3-cards suits and 4=3=3=3 means the hand has four spades, and three cards in each of the other suits.
Deals are not presented in in-line text.
When using symbols or abbreviations in diagrams, templates, tables or in-line text
Pavlicek
For a single hand, a four-line presentation is preferred, as follows:
♠ A K 4 3
♥ 8 6 2
♦ Q 10
♣ J 9 6 5
There is a non-breaking space between the suit symbol and the card ranks and also separating card ranks within a suit.
Present a partnership's hands rotated as West and East in diagram form similar to the following:
♠
10 6
W E
♠
Q 9 5
♥
A Q 9 5 3
♥
K 4
♦
A J 9 8 3 2
♦
K 7 5 4
♣
—
♣
Q 10 7 3
Use a non-breaking space between card ranks and an em-dash to show a void.
The template {{BridgeHandWE}} was used to provide the foregoing result. Refer to the Pavlicek Article for the precise form of his diagram.
Pavlicek
A full four-hand deal is presented in diagram form similar to the following:
South in 4♠
♠
A K 4 3
♥
8 6 2
♦
Q 10
♣
J 9 6 5
♠
10 6
N
W E
S
♠
Q 9 5
♥
A Q 9 5 3
♥
K 4
♦
A J 9 8 2
♦
K 7 5 4
♣
—
♣
Q 10 7 3
West to lead
♠
J 8 7 2
♥
J 10 4
♦
3
♣
A K 8 4 2
Make South declarer unless reporting on a specific tournament hand where required for complete accuracy.
Use a thin space between card ranks and an em-dash to show a void.
The template {{BridgeHandNWES}} was used to provide the foregoing result. Refer to the Pavlicek Article for the precise form of his diagram.
Similar diagrams to present partial deals may be used to display hands helds by any two or three positions.
Use the following lower case words: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Follow with the full word for the denomination, e.g. "North opened one heart, East overcalled two diamonds and South bid three notrump"
When using a spelled-out bid as an adjective, always use the singular form and include a hyphen, e.g. "South overcalled the two-club opening"
Pavlicek
Use the following lower case words: double, redouble, pass
Do not use "No bid" or "no bid"
Do not use "x", "X", "xx" or "XX" in text formats
Pavlicek
Short auctions may be presented in in-line format. Abbreviate pass as "P" and omit the final "All Pass". Use a semi-colon to separate rounds of bidding. Example; "1 ♠ P 2 ♠ P; 4 ♠
World Bridge
When an auction is in text, use em-dashes with spaces around them to separate calls; place the other sides' calls in parenthesis, e.g. one club — (double) — one heart — (pass) — one spade
When using symbols or abbreviations in diagrams, templates, tables or inline text
Pavlicek
Use the numerals 1 through 7 for the level followed by a non-breaking space and either a suit symbol or "NT", e.g. 3 ♠, 4 ♥ and 3 NT
Never mix text and symbol formatting, e.g. Use "4 ♣" but not "4 clubs" or "four ♣"
Symbols or abbreviations are not used except in a bidding table
Pavlicek
Longer bidding sequences (more than five calls) should be presented in a table similar to the following:
West
North
East
South
1 ♦
Pass
1 ♠
Pass
4 ♠
Pass
4 NT1
Pass
5 ♥2
Dbl3
5 ♠4
All Pass
1 RKCB 3014 2 Two keycards without the queen of trump 3 Lead directing 4 Two keycards missing
West (preferred) or South should always be placed in the first column to ensure that East is always to the right of West
First letters are capitalized
There is a space between the level and denomination designations
Use "Dbl" for double, "Rdbl" for redouble and "Pass" for pass in a bidding table
Use "All Pass" after the last non-pass call to end the auction in a bidding table
Annotations, if desired, should be added in footnote style using numerals
Play diagrams should follow the exact order in which cards are played starting with the lead
Number the tricks
Showing direction of each leader is optional but preferred
Cards are shown by suit and rank with a space between except when following to the suit lead, only the rank is given
Do not show all 13 tricks; continue the play diagram only until the remainder becomes trivial and conclude with a summary statement such as "South wins the rest"
