The first phase of the game is called the "bidding". Players exchange information about their hands and set up a contract that can bring them the highest reward. The pair that offers the highest contract wins the bidding. They become the declaring side, and the other pair becomes defenders.

The dealer starts the bidding. Players offer the contracts in a clockwise direction. If a player doesn't want to make a bid, (s)he can pass and let other players compete. The bidding continues until 3 consecutive players pass. The last bid before 3 consecutive passes becomes the final contract.

Players can choose to double the contract. If the final contract is doubled, it increases the rewards and penalties. Double can be used for strategic reasons too because it is not counted if players make another bid. If the opponents double, you can redouble. Redoubling the final contract raises the stakes, but you can redouble to pass information about your hand to your partner. That all depends on the partnership agreements.

You must have a strategy to find the best possible contract for your side. Each bid can have a specific meaning and provide necessary information about your hand. Each pair can have its own strategy, we call it the bidding system. 

Bidding systems can be simple or very complicated. It purely depends on you which system and agreements you choose. But, all the agreements in bridge must be shared and explained to the opponents if they ask. In competitions, players must have their convention card filled to describe the most common bids.

MM Bridge Academy offers several bidding systems based on the difficulty. Learning the bidding system is similar to learning a foreign language. It is wise to start with an easier style and build your knowledge. It is crucial to play the same system with your partner otherwise you will not understand each other.

The bid with a specific meaning must be "alerted". The partner must alert the bid to notify the opponents that the bid is artificial and has a specific meaning. The player on turn can ask the meaning, but you can wait and ask for the whole bidding at any stage of the game, including the card play.

You must use a "stop" card when you skip one or more levels. The following player must wait for a while not give information about his hand by hesitation. You can find more about it in the rules of bridge.