GLOSSARY OF BRIDGE TERMS Acol A bidding system popular in the UK. Balanced Hand A balanced hand has cards in all suits and does not have shortages (voids, singletons) and/or length in any one suit. More specifically, a balanced hand is defined as a hand where the 2 longest suits contain no more than 8 cards between them (excluding 4-4-4-1 distribution). Opener should bid No Trumps within the first 2 rounds to show a balanced hand. Biddable suit At one time a biddable suit in Acol had to be 4 cards headed by at least one of the top 3 honours, but in modern Acol it is acceptable to bid any 4 card suit irrespective of quality. In fact, with two 4 card minor suits it is recommended to bid the weaker one to discourage a lead in that suit against a No Trumps contract. Bidding The first stage of a deal, when players take part in an auction to determine the final contract. Contract The final bid of the auction. It is a statement by Declarer of the intent to make the given number of tricks. Control A card enabling the holder to win a trick when the suit is led. In a trump contract an ace or void is a first round control, a guarded king or singleton is a second round control. Convention An artificial bid or series of bids carrying a meaning other than the apparent natural one. Cross-ruff A playing technique in trump contracts, where extra tricks are gained by ruffing in both hands alternately. Cue Bid A bid in a suit after the trump suit has been agreed, which shows first round control in that suit. Declarer The player that makes the final bid in the auction and plays the hand. Delayed Game Raise A jump bid to game in opener s suit. Discard To play a card that is neither of the suit led, nor a trump, and therefore cannot win the trick. Distributional Hand A hand where the 2 longest suits contain at least 9 cards between them. Opener not bidding No Trumps within the first 2 rounds infers a distributional hand with at least 5 cards in the first bid suit and a least 4 in the second.
Distributional Points When supporting partner s suit with at least an 8 card fit, add 1pt for a doubleton, 3pts for a singleton, 5pts for a void. When partner supports your suit, add 1 point for a doubleton, 2pts for a singleton, 3pts for a void (as long as it is not in a suit bid by partner). See also Honour Points. Double Jump / Double Raise A bid at one level higher than needed to beat the previous bid. Doubleton A holding of only 2 cards in a suit. Draw To extract, usually trumps. To remove the opponents' trump cards is to "draw trumps." Dummy The partner of the Declarer. Dummy's cards are placed face up on the table and played by the Declarer. Finesse A technique that attempts to gain a trick by taking advantage of a favourable lie of the opponents' cards, e.g. as third in hand, playing the Queen from an Ace-Queen holding hoping that left hand opponent doesn t hold the King. Fit Good mutual support for a suit in both hands. An 8 card fit is usually desirable for a trump contract. Follow suit To play a card of the same suit as the one that was first led to the trick. Forcing Bid A bid that demands a reply from partner. Could be a one round force or a game force. Forth Suit Forcing A bid of the forth suit used as an artificial one round force. Game A contract bid and made, worth 100 points or more. Game contracts are 3NT (40 for the first trick + 30 for each subsequent trick); 4 of a major suit, spades and hearts (30 points per trick); 5 of a minor suit, clubs and diamonds (20 points per trick). In rubber bridge, game can be made over several hands by a combination of part scores. Grand Slam A contract to make all 13 tricks. Honours Ace, King, Queen, Jack Honour Points / High Card Points Points used to evaluate the strength of a hand. Ace = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1. There are 40 honour points in the pack, so 11 points represents a hand of above average strength and a combined 21 points with partner indicates you have the balance of the points. Also see Distributional Points and Long Suit Points. Intervening bid A bid made by an opponent after one player has bid and before his partner has responded.
Jump Bid A bid made at a higher level than needed to beat the previous bid. Limit Bid A bid showing the full values of a hand, both upper and lower. Long Suit Points Count an extra point for each card more than 4 in a long suit. Loser A card which apparently cannot take a trick. Major suits Hearts and Spades. Master The highest card of a suit that is yet to be played. Minor suits Clubs and Diamonds. Misfit Two partnership hands, neither of which can support the other's long suit. Negative Response A forced response showing weakness or lack of a specific holding in reply to a forcing bid by partner. Nottingham Club A bidding system popular in the UK in which a 1 Club opening bid signifies a holding of at least 16 points. In response partner will bid a negative of 1 Diamond if holding less than 8 points. No Trumps A contract, or a bid that names a contract without a trump suit. Not vulnerable The state of a rubber when the pair has not yet won a game and both bonuses and penalties are smaller. Opening Bid The first bid of an auction, other than a pass. Over-trick Tricks made over and above the number bid for the contract. Overcall A bid made by the player on the left of the opening bidder. Part-score In rubber bridge, points made for a contract at below game level, i.e. less than 100. Penalty Double A business double, intended to increase the penalty when it anticipated that opponents contract will be defeated. See also Take-out double. Playing Trick An expected trick for the side gaining the contract, as distinct from a defensive trick.
Point Count The scale of values used to judge the strength of a hand. Positive Response A response to partner s forcing bid showing positive as opposed to negative values. Pre-emptive Bid A bid at an unnecessarily high level with the specific intention of obstructing opponent s bidding space, or stopping them from reaching a contract. Preference Bid A bid showing mere preference for one of partner s bid suits as compared with a supporting raise. Protective Bid A bid made by forth-in-hand when two passes have followed the opening bid. Quick Tricks (Ace = 1QT, KQ = 1, AK = 2, KQJ = 2, etc. (A, K or Q in partner s suit is usually worth a QT too). Queens, jacks & 10's count as 'plus values' with 2 plus values making up ½QT. No suit can contain more than 2 QT. Raise A bid made in support of partner s suit (or NT). Re-biddable Suit A suit long and strong enough to bid twice without support from partner (minimum 5 cards in Acol). Re-Double A bid which doubles the already augmented values of tricks or penalties for a doubled contract. Responder Partner of the opening bidder. Reverse bid A bid by opener or responder in a suit higher ranking than the first suit bid by that player and which forces partner to bid at the 3 level if he wishes to give preference to the first suit. Revoke Failure to follow suit as required when a player is able to do so. Rubber In rubber bridge, a set of successive deals that ends when one of the pairs wins two games. Ruff To play a trump on a trick when a plain suit was led. Sacrifice Bid An intentional over-bid made in the hope of preventing an even worse score if opponents gain the contract. Singleton A holding of only 1 card in a suit. Sign-off Bid A bid that indicates the hand has no additional values other than those already shown.
Small Slam A contract to make 12 tricks. Solid Suit A suit strong enough to run without interruption or (in the bidding) that requires no fit with partner. Split The distribution in the opponents' hands of the cards in a suit. Squeeze A playing technique that forces the opposition to discard a vital card. Stop or Stopper Any card or combination of cards that will prevent the run of a suit by opponents. Take-out Double A conventional double requiring partner to show his best suit in response. Trial Bid A bid used to investigate if partner can assist with a weak spot. Trump A card in the trump suit whose trick-taking power is greater than any plain suit card. Void A holding of no cards in a suit. Vulnerable The state of a rubber when the pair has won a game and both bonuses and penalties are greater. Winner A card that is expected to take a trick on a given hand. Yarborough A hand with no card higher than a nine.