Bridge is a trick-taking game using a standard 52-card deck. It is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table.  

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The game consists of several deals each progressing through four phases. The cards are dealt to the players, and then the players auction or bid to take the contract  specifying how many tricks their partnership receiving the contract needs to take to receive points for the deal. It is during the auction where partners communicate information about their hand, including its overall strength and the length of its suits, although similar conventions for use during play exist. The cards are then played, the declaring side trying to fulfill the contract, and the defenders trying to stop the declaring side from its goal. The deal is scored based on the number of tricks taken, the contract, and various other factors based on the variation played.

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Rubber bridge is the most popular variation for casual play, but most club and tournament play involves some variant of duplicate bridge, where the cards are not re-dealt on each occasion, the same deal being played by two or more different sets of players to enable comparative scoring.

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Millions of people play bridge worldwide in clubs, tournaments, online and with friends at home, making it one of the world's most popular card games.