Taking extra tricks beyond your contract feels good. It looks skillful, and it often is. But in bridge, overtricks are sometimes crucial—and sometimes almost irrelevant.
Understanding when overtricks matter is a key step toward better judgment.
What an overtrick really is
An overtrick is any trick taken beyond what the contract requires. Whether that trick is valuable depends on the scoring method and the broader context of the hand.
In isolation, an overtrick always adds points. In comparison-based scoring, its value can range from decisive to meaningless.
When overtricks matter a lot
At matchpoints, overtricks are often critical.
Because scores are compared to other tables, an extra trick can be the difference between:
an average result and a top
beating half the field or almost all of it
If most tables are making the contract, overtricks become the main way to separate results.
This is why matchpoint play often feels sharper and more aggressive: IMPs vs Matchpoints: How Strategy Changes Everything
When overtricks matter very little
At IMPs, the focus shifts.
Once a contract is made, small differences usually don’t change the IMP score much. One extra trick might gain nothing—or very little.
As a result, IMP strategy prioritizes:
securing the contract
avoiding unnecessary risk
minimizing losses if things go wrong
This explains why players often choose safety plays at IMPs.
The danger of chasing overtricks
Going after an overtrick isn’t free. It often involves risk:
delaying a safety play
taking a finesse that might fail
exposing the contract to danger
At matchpoints, this risk is often justified. At IMPs, it usually isn’t.
This tension shows up constantly in declarer play: Safety Play vs Greed: Choosing the Right Line
Why context matters more than tricks
An overtrick only matters relative to what others are doing.
If:
everyone takes the same overtrick, it changes nothing
few players take it, it can be decisive
no one can realistically take it, risking the contract is a mistake
This is why comparison is essential to evaluating results: How Comparing Results Across Tables Improves Your Bridge
Bringing this insight home
In home games, overtricks often get celebrated without context. Players remember the extra trick, not whether it actually mattered.
With shared hands and visible results, tools like Bridge@Home help players see when an overtrick was valuable—and when it wasn’t worth the risk.
The takeaway
Overtricks are neither always important nor always irrelevant.
They matter when scoring rewards them and when comparison makes them decisive. Knowing which situation you’re in is what separates solid bridge from consistently strong results.