What a ranked challenge is
It is a pair against a pair. You pick a partner, the two of you queue together, and you are matched with another waiting pair at roughly your level. Both pairs bid the same eight boards, in separate rooms, with advanced robots sitting East–West against each of you. Whichever pair collects more stars wins.
It is deliberately short. Eight boards is small enough to fit in an evening and large enough that one bad hand does not decide it.
Nobody is waiting on you. The two rooms are played independently and the result is worked out once both pairs have finished.
The four ranks
Everybody starts at Jack and climbs: Jack, Queen, King, Ace. Progress within a rank is tracked by challenge stars, which are a different currency from the performance stars you earn on individual boards. Do not read across between the two.
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Win a challenge | Gain 1 challenge star |
| Draw — both pairs on the same stars | No star either way |
| Lose a challenge | Lose 1 challenge star, but never below zero |
| Win on 5 stars | Advance a rank and start again on 1 star |
| Win on 5 stars at Ace | A sixth star: the end of the ladder |
The rating behind it
Each player also carries a rating. It does the matchmaking, and it moves according to who you beat rather than merely whether you won — taking a challenge off a stronger pair is worth more than beating one you were expected to beat.
You can always see your own rating. It is on your own card and on the matchmaking screen. What is hidden is everybody else's: another player's rating only becomes visible once they have reached the sixth star at Ace.
- The top ten is ordered by lifetime challenge stars first, then rank, and only then rating.
- A perfect card cannot cost you rating. Take all 24 stars across the eight boards and a loss is worth zero rather than a deduction.
Finish within 48 hours
A ranked challenge that is still unfinished after 48 hours is closed out where it stands, and every board you did not bid is scored zero. This is the one hard deadline in the ranked system, and it is the most common way a challenge is lost without being played.
Playing one
- Open the Challenge section
From the main navigation.
- Pick your partner
A ranked challenge is played as a pair, so you choose a mutual friend before you queue. You cannot be matched into a partnership.
- Choose a ranked challenge
This puts the two of you in the matchmaking queue. It costs 8 tickets each, the same as any eight boards against advanced robots.
- Leave the page if you want
The queue looks for a pair near your level rather than the first one available, so it can take a while. You get a notification when the challenge starts.
- Bid your eight boards
You have the same time freedom as anywhere else in Cuebids, within the 48-hour deadline.
How you get matched
The queue is not first-come-first-served. It looks for a pair whose average rating is within 200 of yours and whose rank is the same as yours or next to it, taking the pair that has been waiting longest.
- Two unfinished ranked challenges with the same partner is the limit before the queue makes you wait.
- That wait is about fifteen minutes from the most recent one, and it clears as soon as you finish one of them.
Friendly challenges
Not every challenge is ranked. A friendly challenge lets you pick all four seats yourself, choose anywhere from 1 to 24 boards, and select the deal types you want to rehearse. It touches nothing: no rank, no stars, no rating.
It is also free unless you turn advanced robots on. If what you want is practice against a specific auction rather than a place on a ladder, this is the one to reach for.
Season points
Winning a ranked challenge earns Cuebids Circuit Points, the same season currency the daily and weekly events feed. The first win of a day is worth 3, the second 2, and any after that 1 each.
Fair play
Ranked challenges are a competitive area, so the same expectations apply as in events: bid the system you would bid at a club, keep artificial openings within the sort of limits the WBF or ACBL would recognize, and do not use what you know about your partner's hand from outside the auction.
If you stop playing
The ladder is meant to show active players, so it prunes itself. After 14 days without a ranked challenge you get a warning; after 21 you are hidden from the leaderboards. Nothing is lost — one ranked challenge puts you back where you were.
Common questions
How many boards is a challenge?
Eight, played with advanced robots.
Are challenge stars the same as the stars on a board?
No. Challenge stars track progress within a rank; performance stars score how well a board was bid. They are separate systems that happen to share a name.
How do I rank up?
Reach five challenge stars and win again. Ranks run Jack, Queen, King, Ace.
Can I see my rating?
Your own, always — on your card and on the matchmaking screen. Other players' ratings stay hidden until they reach the sixth star at Ace.
What does a ranked challenge cost?
Eight tickets each, because it is eight boards against advanced robots. If the player who starts the search has a Heart subscription, it is free for both.
Can a ranked challenge be drawn?
Yes. If both pairs finish on the same number of stars, neither pair gains or loses a challenge star. The rating still moves a little, because a draw against a stronger pair is a better result than a draw against a weaker one.
Can I be demoted?
No. Stars can fall to zero within a rank, but a rank you have reached is permanent.
What if I do not finish in time?
A challenge left unfinished for 48 hours is closed out and the boards you did not bid are scored zero.
Do ranked challenges use deal types?
No. The boards are dealt at random, which is what makes two pairs' results comparable. Deal types belong to practice and to friendly challenges.
What happens if I take a break?
A warning after 14 days, hidden from the leaderboards after 21, and restored as soon as you play another ranked challenge.
Where to go next
Next guide
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