Contra and recontra in belot

What contra and recontra are

Contra is called by the defending side against the opponents’ contract. It doubles the result of the deal. Recontra is the answer of the team whose contract was doubled – it quadruples the result.

What matters is not only the multiplier but that under contra the deal becomes “all or nothing”: the team with more points records the points of both teams, the other records nothing – regardless of who bid. Without contra each team keeps its own points when the contract is made.

Who can double and when

• Contra can only be called against the last bid, and only if it belongs to the opposing team. You cannot double your partner’s contract.
• Contra is called once. After it the only step up is recontra by the bidding team – either partner may call it.
• Any contract can be doubled: a suit, No trumps and All trumps.
• If someone makes a higher bid after a contra, the contra is cancelled and the new contract starts from scratch – it can be doubled again.
• The bidding ends when three players in a row pass – after a bid and also after a contra or recontra. So after a contra the turn always comes back to the bidding team, which gets its chance to recontra.

A contra often makes the opponents “run” to a higher contract. If they do, your contra has done its job – the contract you didn’t believe in is gone.

How points are counted with contra

Whether the contract is made is decided on the raw points, before multiplying: cards, the last ten, declarations, belot and capot if there is one. The bidders need strictly more than their opponents.

All the points of the deal are multiplied – declarations, belot and the capot bonus included. The sum is then divided by 10 and rounded. On a hanging deal under contra all the multiplied points go to the team that wins the next deal – see the hanging deal.

Worked examples

When to call contra

You don’t double because “I have lots of points”. You double when you can count the tricks the opponents will not take. In a suit contract without declarations the deal is worth 162 points – if you can see that you and your partner will take 81 or more, the contract fails or hangs.

• You hold the jack or the nine of their trump suit, especially if you sit after the bidder – he cannot get around you.
• You have one or two side aces that are sure tricks.
• Your partner bid earlier in the auction – so there is strength you can count on.
• The opponents bid No trumps or All trumps on just five cards, and you hold exactly the aces or jacks they will need.

On the other hand, don’t double when your strength is in points rather than tricks: two tens without their aces are a target, not a defence. Be especially careful in All trumps – it has the most points and every mistake is multiplied.

Contra and the race to 151

Because the losing side records nothing under contra, a contra can cost you your own points. Example: you have 146 and need 5. The opponents bid diamonds. Without contra, even if they make it, you still record your 60–70 points, i.e. 6–7 game points, and pass 151. With contra, if their contract goes through, you record 0 and the game goes on.

The opposite case is when the opponents are far ahead: if an ordinary made contract will take them to 151 anyway, a contra hardly increases your loss, but if the contract fails you take it doubled and you are back in the game.

When to call recontra

Recontra rarely makes sense: only when you are sure of your contract and believe the opponents doubled on a bluff or on points rather than tricks. If an opponent who bid earlier still doubles, he usually holds something specific – then recontra is stubbornness, not strategy.

Remember the arithmetic of example 3: a failed recontra in a suit contract gives the opponents 65 game points. It is the only call at the table that can turn a game around in a single deal.