Bidding in 45s
The auction decides who names trump, and how many points their team has to take to avoid going backwards.
The auction
After the deal, bidding starts with the player on the dealer's left and goes clockwise, once around the table. On your turn you either:
- pass, or
- bid a higher amount than anyone has bid so far.
Bids go up in steps of five: 15, 20, 25, 30. Each one is the number of points (out of 30 in the hand) your team promises to take. Once you pass, you're out of the auction for that hand.
The dealer's hold
The dealer bids last, and gets an advantage for it. Instead of bidding higher, the dealer can hold: take the bid at the same amount. ("I'll hold your 20.")
When the dealer holds, the player whose bid was held gets another chance. They can raise, and the dealer can hold again or raise. The two go back and forth until one of them passes, and the other gets the bid.
Nobody can raise past 30, so a hold at 30 ends the auction (unless the outbid team is allowed to bid 60).
Getting bagged
If everyone passes, including the dealer, the dealer is bagged. They're stuck with the lowest bid and must name trump and play it, whatever their hand looks like. That's the price of dealing.
Naming trump
The winning bidder names the trump suit. You must hold at least one card of the suit you name. The ace of hearts only counts toward hearts, so you can't name diamonds on the strength of the alone.
Then the bidder picks up the kitty, and everyone discards and draws (see discard and draw).
Bidding 60
A bid of 30 means taking every trick, and at most tables it scores double: 30 for 60. Many tables also allow a team that's below zero to bid 60. It beats a 30 bid, and a team that takes every trick scores 120, enough to go straight from the hole to winning. If it fails, the team loses 60. See 60 for 120.
How much is my hand worth?
You're bidding on your five cards plus what you hope to get from the kitty and your partner. Some rough guides:
- Count your top trumps. The 5, the jack and the ace of hearts will each win a trick almost every time. Two of them in the same suit, plus another card of that suit, is a solid start.
- The 5 is worth more than one trick. Nothing beats it, so the trick it wins is always the 10-point trick.
- Length helps. With four cards of one suit, you're likely to draw more trumps from the kitty, and opponents will be short.
- Count on your partner for about one trick. Not more.
The strategy page goes further into bidding, including when to bid to stop the other team.