What is the beer card when playing contract bridge?

Question

It is not part of the official rules of Bridge, but there is a tradition among some players that if the declarer succeeds in making the contract and wins the last trick with the beer card, dummy must buy the declarer a beer. In the same way, if the opponents defeat the contract and one of them wins the last trick with the beer card, the opponent who wins the last trick is bought a beer by the other opponent.

Answer 1

The beer card or the 7 of diamonds is a card in the card game of bridge which is given a special importance in popular bridge sub-culture. The "beer card rule" is not an official part of the rules of bridge but it is played commonly in universities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

The basic rule is that, if a player wins the last trick of the hand with the 7 of diamonds, his partner must buy them a pint of beer. The additional requirements vary depending whether the beer card trick winner is the declarer or one of the defenders. For the declarer, the requirements are that:

Must make contract,
Must win last trick with the ♦7,
Diamonds must not be trumps (though some people play that only diamond part scores are excluded),
Must take a justifiable line on the contract to win as many tricks as possible (i.e. not lose tricks to setup the beer or in order to keep the 7 until the last trick),
For a defender, the requirements are that:

Contract must be defeated
Must win last trick with the beer card
Diamonds must not be trumps
Must try to win as many tricks as possible (i.e. not lose tricks to setup the beer or in order to keep the 7 until the last trick)
If the contract is doubled then two beers are earned. If the contract is redoubled then four beers are earned.

(See example at the site listed below)