Bridge Hand Patterns
A bridge hand pattern is the hand's four suit lengths in descending order, and there are exactly 39 of them. The commonest is 4-4-3-2, dealt 21.6 percent of the time, and the three balanced patterns together make up 47.6 percent of all hands. The table gives every pattern with its frequency.
Updated 13 October 2026
Sort your suit lengths from longest to shortest and you have the hand's pattern. At the top of the table sits 4-4-3-2 at 21.55 percent, a little over one hand in five, followed by 5-3-3-2 at 15.52. The first ten rows show on load, and a link under the table opens all 39.
| Rank | Pattern | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4-4-3-2 | 21.55% |
| 2 | 5-3-3-2 | 15.52% |
| 3 | 5-4-3-1 | 12.93% |
| 4 | 5-4-2-2 | 10.58% |
| 5 | 4-3-3-3 | 10.54% |
| 6 | 6-3-2-2 | 5.64% |
| 7 | 6-4-2-1 | 4.70% |
| 8 | 6-3-3-1 | 3.45% |
| 9 | 5-5-2-1 | 3.17% |
| 10 | 4-4-4-1 | 2.99% |
Reading the pattern table
A pattern ignores which suit is which. The 5-4-3-1 row at 12.93 percent counts five spades and four hearts exactly as it counts five clubs and four diamonds, so any one specific arrangement is much rarer than its row. The flat 4-3-3-3 comes in at 10.54 percent, behind both 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2. Toward the bottom the figures shrink fast, and 13-0-0-0 is listed for completeness at a chance so small it rounds to zero.
Balanced hands, singletons and voids
Three patterns are balanced: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2. Together they account for 47.60 percent of hands, so very nearly every other deal gives you a hand that can open or rebid in notrump.
At least one singleton turns up in 30.79 percent of hands. A void is rarer, at 5.11 percent, or about one hand in twenty. Both feed straight into the bidding, because a short suit opposite a fit is worth tricks that the point count does not see.
Shape in the bidding
Most hand evaluation starts from points and then adjusts for pattern, and hand evaluation covers how much each feature is worth. The rule of 20 folds the two longest suits into the decision to open. To price a pattern and a point range together, the bridge odds calculator does the counting, and the high-card points table gives the point side alone.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most likely hand pattern in bridge?
- The 4-4-3-2 pattern is the likeliest, dealt 21.55 percent of the time. Next come 5-3-3-2 at 15.52 percent and 5-4-3-1 at 12.93.
- How many hand patterns are there in bridge?
- There are 39 patterns, counting each set of four suit lengths once in descending order, from 4-3-3-3 to 13-0-0-0.
- How often is a bridge hand balanced?
- A hand is balanced 47.60 percent of the time. The figure adds 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2 and 4-3-3-3 together.
- What are the odds of a void in bridge?
- A single hand holds at least one void 5.11 percent of the time, about once in twenty deals. A singleton is far likelier, at 30.79 percent.
The odds calculator combines a pattern with a point range and gives the chance of that exact hand.
Price any shape and point range- Bridge Odds CalculatorA bridge probability calculator: pick a shape and a point range and see how often a hand like it is dealt, computed over all 635 billion bridge hands.
- High-Card Point DistributionHow often a bridge hand holds each number of high-card points: 10 is the commonest at 9.4 percent, the average is exactly 10, and 15 or more comes up one deal in seven.
- Hand Evaluation in BridgeHow to count a bridge hand: high-card points, length and shortness points, quick tricks, the adjustments experts make, and how many points game and slam need.
- The Rule of 20The rule of 20 says open the bidding when your high-card points plus the lengths of your two longest suits reach 20. How it works, the rule of 22 refinement, and hands at the border.