Undertrick Penalties in Bridge
The undertrick penalty is what the defenders score when a contract fails. It depends on how many tricks short declarer finished, whether the contract was doubled or redoubled, and whether declarer was vulnerable. The table below covers every case from one down to seven down.
Updated 13 October 2026
Down one doubled and vulnerable costs 200, and from there every further undertrick costs another 300. Undoubled penalties are flat and modest by comparison. The table shows all of them, one down to seven down, with the doubled and redoubled figures beside the plain ones.
| Result | Undoubled NV | Undoubled V | Doubled NV | Doubled V | Redoubled NV | Redoubled V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down 1 | 50 | 100 | 100 | 200 | 200 | 400 |
| Down 2 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 500 | 600 | 1000 |
| Down 3 | 150 | 300 | 500 | 800 | 1000 | 1600 |
| Down 4 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1100 | 1600 | 2200 |
| Down 5 | 250 | 500 | 1100 | 1400 | 2200 | 2800 |
| Down 6 | 300 | 600 | 1400 | 1700 | 2800 | 3400 |
| Down 7 | 350 | 700 | 1700 | 2000 | 3400 | 4000 |
How doubled penalties grow
Undoubled, each undertrick costs the same amount. That is 50 a trick not vulnerable and 100 a trick vulnerable, so three down vulnerable is 300.
Once the contract is doubled, the tricks are no longer priced alike. Not vulnerable, the first undertrick costs 100, the second and third 200 each, and every one after that 300. The running totals are 100, 300, 500 and then 800 for four down. Vulnerable, the first costs 200 and each later one 300. A redouble doubles every doubled figure, so one down redoubled vulnerable costs 400.
The shape of that schedule is what makes a penalty double attractive. The defenders gain a little on the first undertrick and a lot on every later one.
Sacrifices and penalty doubles
A sacrifice works when the penalty is smaller than what the opponents would score. Suppose they can make 4♠ vulnerable for 620. Going three down doubled not vulnerable costs 500, which is cheaper. Going two down doubled vulnerable also costs 500, but against their non-vulnerable game of 420 that loses points. Most players treat favorable vulnerability, you not vulnerable and they vulnerable, as the time to look for a save. The game and slam odds put the other side of the decision in numbers.
Doubling a part score has its own risk. If 2♥ doubled makes, the trick points come to 120 and the opponents score a game, 470 not vulnerable. The double needs to be right far more often than it is wrong. Every case can be checked on the scoring calculator, and the scoring guide covers the rest of the rules. The printable chart carries this table on one page, and the IMP table says what a doubled set costs in a team match.
Common questions
Short answers to what readers ask most.
- How much is down one doubled vulnerable?
- Down one doubled vulnerable costs 200. Each further undertrick adds 300, so two down is 500 and three down 800.
- What is the penalty for going down not vulnerable?
- Undoubled it is 50 for each undertrick. Doubled it is 100 for the first, 200 each for the second and third, and 300 for each one after, so four down costs 800.
- How are redoubled undertricks scored?
- A redoubled undertrick costs twice the doubled figure. One down redoubled is 200 not vulnerable and 400 vulnerable.
- Is it worth going down to stop the opponents' game?
- It can be, when the penalty is smaller than their game. Three down doubled not vulnerable costs 500, which is less than the 620 they score for a vulnerable 4♥ or 4♠.
Practice: undertrick penalties
Eight quick questions on what you just read. For a longer session, take the hundred-question quiz.
