Every Puzzle Gets a Star Rating
When you solve a puzzle on BridgeDummy, your answer is graded on a 1 to 5 star scale. Five stars means you found an optimal or co-best play. One star means your choice was far from ideal. The grades in between reflect how close you got.
Your star rating is based on how your chosen bid or lead compares to every possible option, scored through double-dummy analysis over a large set of generated deals. The grading is data-driven, so you are not being judged by opinion - you are being measured against math.
Matchpoint Scoring vs. IMP Scoring
BridgeDummy uses two scoring methods borrowed from tournament bridge: matchpoints (MP) and IMPs. Each one rewards a different style of thinking, and both appear across puzzles, daily challenges, and leagues.
In matchpoint puzzles, your option is judged by matchpoint-style performance across the sample. Small edges matter a lot. Overtricks count. The goal is frequency: how often does your choice beat the alternatives? Your matchpoint-style score helps determine your star rating.
In IMP puzzles, the scoring focuses on the size of the swing. A small gain or loss barely moves the needle, but a big one does. This means bold, high-risk plays can pay off more than they would in matchpoints. Your average IMP gain (for bidding) or defeat rate (for lead) determines your stars.
How Lead Puzzles Are Scored
Lead puzzles put you on defense. You are always South, making the opening lead against a contract. The scoring depends on whether the puzzle uses MP or IMP format.
For Lead MP puzzles, the system measures the average number of tricks the declarer takes after your lead. Fewer tricks means better defense, so a lower number earns more stars. For Lead IMP puzzles, the key metric is defeat rate: how often does your lead result in the contract going down? A higher defeat rate earns more stars.
This distinction matters. In Lead MP, you want to hold declarer to as few tricks as possible on average. In Lead IMP, you want to beat the contract outright as often as you can. Same puzzle type, different strategic priorities.
Your Competitive Rating
For regular practice, BridgeDummy tracks your star averages, points, level, streak, and category breakdowns. Those are the main signals for day-to-day improvement.
Competitive modes also use a separate Challenge ELO. Friend challenges update it after head-to-head matches based on the result and the rating gap between players. Daily Challenge leaderboard bonuses and Weekly League promotion or demotion can also move this rating.
For most day-to-day progress, the numbers you will check most often are your stars, points, level, category averages, and Challenge ELO. Together they show both single-puzzle accuracy and longer-term competitive strength.
Stars and Ratings Work Together
Stars give you instant feedback on a single puzzle. Challenge ELO gives you a longer-term view of your competitive results. Both are useful in different ways.
Your average star rating is tracked in your profile and broken down by category: Lead MP, Lead IMP, Bidding MP, and Bidding IMP. This helps you spot which formats you are strong in and where you need work.
How BridgeDummy Helps You Improve
After regular puzzle answers, you can see how your choice stacked up against the alternatives. If you earned 4 stars, the system shows you what the 5-star option was and how close you came. If you scored lower, you can review the full breakdown.
Over time, your star averages and rating trends reveal patterns. Maybe your bidding is strong but your leads need work. Maybe you play well in matchpoints but struggle with IMP decisions. BridgeDummy gives you the data to focus your practice where it matters most.