🃏 Bridge Glossary
Complete guide to Bridge card game terminology
A
Ace
The highest-ranking card in each suit, typically worth 4 high card points in hand evaluation.
Alert
A notification to opponents that a bid has a special or conventional meaning that they might not expect.
Auction
The bidding phase of Bridge where all four players have the opportunity to bid or pass.
Avoidance Play
A technique to prevent a dangerous opponent from gaining the lead.
B
Balanced Hand
A hand with no void, no singleton, and at most one doubleton. Common distributions are 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2.
Bid
A call during the auction specifying a number of tricks and a trump suit (or notrump).
Blackwood
A convention used to ask partner about the number of aces held, typically bid at 4NT.
Book
The first six tricks won by the declaring side, which do not count toward the contract.
Bridge
A trick-taking card game played by four players in two partnerships, using a standard 52-card deck.
C
Contract
The final bid of the auction, determining the number of tricks declarer must win and the trump suit.
Convention
An agreed-upon artificial bid that conveys specific information to partner.
Cover
To play a higher card than one already played to the trick.
Crossruff
A play technique where declarer alternates trumping in both hands instead of drawing trumps.
Cue Bid
A bid in the opponent's suit or a bid showing control of a suit (typically an ace or void).
D
Deal
The distribution of all 52 cards to the four players, 13 cards each.
Dealer
The player who distributes the cards and makes the first call in the auction.
Declarer
The player who first bid the denomination of the final contract and plays both their hand and dummy.
Double
A call that increases the scoring value and penalties of the last bid by the opponents.
Doubleton
Holding exactly two cards in a suit.
Draw Trumps
To lead trump cards to remove opponents' trumps from play.
Dummy
The declarer's partner, whose hand is placed face-up on the table after the opening lead.
E
Entry
A card that allows a player to gain the lead in a particular hand.
Endplay
A technique that forces an opponent to lead, typically giving declarer an advantage.
Establish
To make low cards into winners by forcing out higher cards.
F
Finesse
An attempt to win a trick with a card that is not the highest held in that suit.
Fit
When partnership hands have at least 8 cards combined in the same suit.
Follow Suit
The requirement to play a card of the same suit as the card led if possible.
Forcing Bid
A bid that requires partner to bid again.
G
Game
A contract that scores 100 or more points below the line: 3NT, 4 of a major, or 5 of a minor.
Grand Slam
A contract to win all 13 tricks (bidding 7 of any suit or notrump).
Guard
A high card that protects lower cards in the same suit from being captured.
H
Hand
The 13 cards dealt to each player, or one complete deal of Bridge.
High Card Points (HCP)
A method of evaluating hand strength: Ace=4, King=3, Queen=2, Jack=1.
Hold Up
Refusing to win a trick early to disrupt opponents' communication.
Honor
Any of the five highest cards in a suit: A, K, Q, J, or 10.
I
IMPs
International Match Points, a scoring method used in team competitions.
Inferential Count
Determining the distribution of unseen cards based on bidding and play.
Invitational Bid
A bid that suggests game but allows partner to pass with minimum values.
J
Jack
The fourth-highest ranking card in each suit, worth 1 high card point.
Jump Bid
A bid one or more levels higher than necessary.
Jump Shift
A jump bid in a new suit, typically showing a strong hand.
K
King
The second-highest ranking card in each suit, worth 3 high card points.
Knock Out
To force out a high card, typically an ace or king.
L
Lead
The first card played to a trick.
LHO
Left Hand Opponent - the player to your left.
Limit Bid
A bid that precisely describes the strength of a hand within a narrow range.
Long Suit
A suit containing more cards than any other suit in the hand.
M
Major Suit
Hearts or Spades, which score 30 points per trick.
Minor Suit
Clubs or Diamonds, which score 20 points per trick.
Misfits
When partnership hands have no good trump fit and unbalanced distributions.
N
Notrump
A contract played without a trump suit, where all suits rank equally.
Negative Double
A conventional double of an opponent's suit bid showing support for unbid suits.
O
Open
To make the first bid of the auction (other than pass).
Opening Lead
The first card played to the first trick, made by the player to declarer's left.
Overcall
A bid made after an opponent has opened the bidding.
Overtrick
A trick won by declarer in excess of the contract.
P
Part Score
A contract worth less than 100 points.
Pass
A call indicating no desire to bid at that turn.
Point Count
A method of hand evaluation based on high card points and distribution.
Preempt
A high-level bid made with a long suit but limited high card strength to obstruct opponents.
Q
Queen
The third-highest ranking card in each suit, worth 2 high card points.
Quick Tricks
Tricks that can be won on the first or second round of a suit (A, AK, AQ, KQ).
R
Rebid
A second bid in the same suit by the same player.
Redouble
A call that further increases the scoring value after an opponent's double.
Response
Partner's first bid after an opening bid.
Revoke
Failure to follow suit when able to do so (illegal play).
RHO
Right Hand Opponent - the player to your right.
Ruff
To trump a trick when void in the suit led.
Rule of 20
A guideline for opening: if HCP plus the length of two longest suits equals 20 or more, consider opening.
S
Sacrifice
Bidding a contract expected to fail to prevent opponents from making their contract.
Singleton
Holding exactly one card in a suit.
Slam
A contract to win 12 tricks (small slam) or 13 tricks (grand slam).
Stayman
A conventional 2♣ response to 1NT asking opener about four-card major suits.
Stopper
A holding that will prevent opponents from running a suit (typically A, Kx, Qxx, or Jxxx).
Strip
To eliminate cards in one or more suits from declarer's and dummy's hands.
T
Takeout Double
A conventional double asking partner to bid their best suit.
Tenace
Two honor cards with one rank missing between them (like AQ or KJ).
Top
The best possible result on a board in matchpoint scoring.
Transfer
A conventional bid asking partner to bid a specific suit.
Trick
Four cards played in sequence, one from each player.
Trump
The suit named in the contract that outranks all other suits.
U
Unbalanced Hand
A hand with a void, singleton, or more than one doubleton.
Underlead
Leading a low card from a suit headed by an honor.
Undertrick
Each trick by which declarer falls short of making the contract.
Uppercut
A ruff with a high trump to promote partner's trump holding.
V
Void
Having no cards in a particular suit.
Vulnerability
A condition that increases both bonuses for making contracts and penalties for failing, rotating based on the deal number.
W
Weak Two
An opening bid of 2♦, 2♥, or 2♠ showing a six-card suit and 5-11 points.
Winner
A card that will win a trick when led.
X
X
Double, in print or manuscript representation of the auction (where alternatives are "D", "Dbl", etc.) or the final contract. Used in bidding boxes, private scores, and occasionally elsewhere.
XX
Redouble, in print or manuscript representation of the auction (where alternatives are "R", "Rdbl", etc.) or the final contract. Used in bidding boxes, private scores, and occasionally elsewhere.
Y
Yarborough
A hand with no card higher than a nine (very rare).