Rex Bridge ( sv, Rexbridge) is a version of

contract bridge Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions ...

developed in Sweden in 1959 by Sten Lundberg. It gained some followers in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

but few elsewhere.

Features

Apart from its scoring system (which is slightly different on penalties but otherwise very similar), it introduced a sixth kind of bid, known as Rex (Latin for "king"). Bids in Rex come between Spades and No Trumps, and the play is equal to ordinary No Trump with the difference that Aces become the lowest cards in all suits. All other cards move one step up, and the King becomes the strongest card in each suit. (Provided the contract remains in Rex). Example of a hand, normally suitable for a 1 notrump (1 NT) opening bid: K Q 7
K J
K J 10 2
A 10 9 5
Counting 17 HCP In Rex, the same hand is equivalent to a notrump holding of: A K 8
A Q
A Q J 3
J 10 6 2 (the Ace above is now a two, all other cards has increased one step each) The hand now counts 21 HCP (the degradation of A is offset by the "promotion" of three Kings to Ace-strength) and might be worth an opening bid of 2 Rex. Naturally depending on the bidding system. And as soon as any other suit (or notrump) is likely to become the contract, the valuation of the hand is again counted according to the Contract Bridge practice. A second major difference is the possibility to bid a level 8 and 9. This may seem awkward, as it would take 14 or more tricks to make a contract at level 8 or higher. Even if the declarer takes all 13 tricks, he will still incur a one trick penalty. However, the payment for a made grand slam can still outweigh several doubled penalties. How many depends on vulnerable or not. Consciously bidding higher than what the cards says sometimes also occurs in normal bridge, and can at occasions stand to reason. A somewhat "classic" such situation is when a 4 game contract, becomes

overcall In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A ''direct'' overcall is such a bid made by the player seated immediately to the left of the opener, i.e ...

ed by a 4 contract by the opponents. If both bids are reasonable, due to wrench distribution, doubling will not be profitable. However a 5 bid and contract with a single (doubled or not) penalty pays the opponents a smaller score compared to letting them make a game. In Contract Bridge, 7 cannot be overcalled in this manner, but Rex Bridge allows impossible contracts like 8. There is no clear practice in using bids in Rex in connection with

conventions Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law * Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in ...

. For instance the

Stayman convention Stayman is a bidding convention in the card game contract bridge. It is used by a partnership to find a 4-4 or 5-3 trump fit in a suit after making a one (1NT) opening bid and it has been adapted for use after a 2NT opening, a 1NT overcall, a ...

, or the partner after an ''opening bid'' 1 NT, asks for 4 cards in the majors (/) by the 2 ? bid, can naturally be used also after a 1 Rex ''opening''. Equally can

Charles Goren Charles Henry Goren (March 4, 1901 – April 3, 1991) was an American bridge player and writer who significantly developed and popularized the game. He was the leading American bridge personality in the 1950s and 1960s – or 1940s and 1950s, as " ...

s 4? question for number of Aces after a 1 NT opening be used after a 1 Rex opening, but the reply must then be telling the number of Kings instead."Bridge", same pages

References

{{WPCBIndex Four-player card games Games of mental skill Multiplayer games Contract bridge French deck card games Swedish card games