When people play bridge at home, scoring is often improvised. The goal is usually to keep things simple and avoid friction. Unfortunately, many common methods end up rewarding the wrong things—or nothing at all.

Here are five ways bridge is commonly scored at home, and why each falls short.

1. Rubber bridge

Rubber bridge is traditional and familiar. You score games, bonuses, and penalties over a “rubber.”

The problem is that results depend heavily on the cards. A lucky deal can decide an entire session, and there’s no comparison beyond your own table.

It’s fun, but it doesn’t say much about decision quality.

2. Chicago

Chicago shortens rubber bridge into fixed rounds. This improves pacing, but the core issue remains: outcomes are isolated.

You might play well and lose. You might play poorly and win. The scoring doesn’t help you tell the difference.

3. Total points

Some groups simply add up points made during the session.

This feels objective, but it’s misleading. Big swings dominate totals, and subtle decisions disappear. A single wild hand can outweigh an evening of solid play.

4. “We won more hands”

This is common in very casual games. Whoever feels better about the night “won.”

It avoids arguments—but it avoids learning too. There’s no structure, no context, and nothing to build on next time.

Why this doesn’t work is covered in more detail here: Why “We Won More Hands” Is Meaningless in Bridge

5. Duplicate-style comparison

Duplicate scoring compares how you did against others playing the same hands. This removes much of the luck and focuses attention on decisions.

Traditionally, this required club play: Duplicate Bridge Explained Simply

Today, tools like Bridge@Home make it possible to use duplicate-style scoring at home by playing pre-dealt hands and comparing contracts and results across tables.

Why most home scoring fails

Most home scoring methods answer the wrong question. They ask:

  • “Who won tonight?”

Bridge improvement comes from asking:

  • “How good was this result, really?”

Without comparison, scoring becomes a formality instead of feedback.

Choosing what you want from scoring

If your goal is purely social, almost any method works.

If your goal includes learning, improvement, or meaningful competition, the scoring method matters more than most players realize.

The way you score shapes the way you play—and ultimately, how much you get out of the game.