Bridge lessons · Lesson 4 of 26
Declarer and Dummy
Updated 16 October 2026
When the auction ends, one player from the side that won it becomes declarer and plays the hand, and which partner it is depends on who bid the contract's suit, or notrump, first. Declarer's partner is dummy. The defender on declarer's left makes the opening lead, and only then does dummy lay all 13 cards face up, for declarer to play from both hands while the two defenders try to stop the contract.
Who becomes declarer?
The side that made the last bid has won the auction, and its contract names a suit as trumps or says notrump. Of those two partners, the declarer is the one who mentioned that suit (or notrump) before the other did. Declarer plays the hand. The partner becomes the dummy, and the other side are the defenders.
Who made the final bid makes no difference. In the auction below, North opens and later makes the final bid, yet South is declarer, because South was the first to bid hearts.
The opening lead and the dummy
The play starts with the defender on declarer's left, who makes the opening lead. That player chooses the card without seeing dummy, using only their own hand and what the auction told them. At a club the lead is usually made face down. Any questions about the auction are answered first, and only then is the card turned over, so a lead from the wrong seat can be put back before anyone has seen it.
Only after the opening lead does dummy spread their whole hand face up on the table. The cards go down in four columns, one per suit, each sorted by rank, with the trump suit on declarer's left. From then on, everyone at the table can see 26 cards: their own 13 and dummy's 13.
So the opening leader works blind, while every card played after that is chosen with dummy in full view. Declarer sees the side's combined 26 cards and can plan the play of both hands together, which is the great advantage of being declarer.
What declarer, dummy and the defenders do
Declarer plays both hands, choosing a card from dummy when it is dummy's turn and a card from their own hand when it is theirs. Declarer names the card ("small club", "the king of spades") and dummy plays it. Online, declarer clicks the card in dummy. The rules of the play are the same as before. Dummy must follow suit when it can, and a trick won by dummy is a trick for declarer's side. The hand that wins a trick leads to the next one, so declarer has to think about which hand is on lead.
Dummy's job is mostly to sit still. Dummy may not suggest a card, frown at a play, or comment on the hand until the deal is over. Dummy may do a few small things to keep the play legal. Dummy can stop declarer from leading out of the wrong hand, and if declarer fails to follow suit, dummy may ask "no spades, partner?" to save the side from a revoke. Many players use the free moment to watch and learn.
The two defenders each see their own hand and dummy. They play together against declarer, and the cards they choose are their only way of telling each other what they hold. Their aim is to take enough tricks to stop the contract from making.
| Player | Sees | Plays |
|---|---|---|
| Declarer | Own hand and dummy | Both hands |
| Dummy | Own hand, face up | Nothing by choice, only the cards declarer names |
| Opening leader | Own hand only, until the lead is made | Own hand |
| Other defender | Own hand and dummy | Own hand |
A deal from both sides of the table
Follow a deal with South as declarer in 4♥. Watch how the lead comes before dummy appears, and how South chooses cards from both hands.
South opens 1♥ and North raises to 3♥. South goes on to 4♥, and three passes end the auction. South bid hearts first, so South is declarer, North is dummy, and hearts are trumps.
Your job at the table
When the auction ends, work out the roles before anyone plays. Find the side that won, find the partner who named the suit first, and the player on that partner's left leads. If you are dummy, lay your cards down neatly and stay quiet. If you are declarer, look at both hands before you call the first card from dummy, and keep track of which hand is on lead.
For more on choosing the first card as a defender, see opening leads. For the names of the players and their roles, see bridge positions.
Practice: declarer and dummy
Eight quick questions on what you just read.