Bridge Terms: A Beginner-Friendly Glossary

A

ACBL

The American Contract Bridge League — the main governing body for bridge in North America. It runs clubs and tournaments and awards masterpoints. Its counterpart worldwide is the World Bridge Federation.

Auction

The first phase of every deal, where players take turns bidding to decide the final contract. The auction ends when a bid is followed by three passes. See also bid, contract.

Artificial bid

A bid that doesn’t mean what it literally says. When you bid 2♣ as Stayman, you’re not showing clubs — you’re asking partner a question. The opposite is a natural bid, which shows the suit you actually bid.

Attitude signal

A card a defender plays to tell partner whether they like a suit. In standard methods, a high spot card says “yes, keep playing this,” and a low one says “please switch.”

B

Balanced hand

A hand with no void, no singleton, and at most one doubleton — the patterns 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2. Balanced hands are the natural home of no-trump bidding.

Bid

A proposal to win a certain number of tricks with a certain trump suit (or no trump). “1♠” means “I propose my side wins at least 7 of the 13 tricks with spades as trump” — the number you bid is counted beyond the first six tricks. See also book.

Bidding box

The box of printed cards used in clubs and tournaments so players can bid silently — no tone-of-voice hints allowed.

Blackwood

The most famous convention in bridge: a bid of 4NT that asks partner how many aces they hold, used when your side is considering a slam. Partner answers in code: 5♣ shows 0 (or all 4), 5♦ shows 1, and so on.

Board

In duplicate bridge, one pre-dealt hand, carried in a tray that keeps each player’s 13 cards separate so the identical deal can be played at other tables. See also duplicate bridge.

Book

Declarer’s first six tricks. Bids only count tricks beyond the book, which is why a “1-level” contract actually requires seven tricks and 7NT requires all thirteen.

C

Call

Any action you take during the auction: a bid, a pass, a double, or a redouble. Every bid is a call, but not every call is a bid.

Claim

Showing your cards and stating that you’ll win some or all of the remaining tricks, to save everyone the time of playing them out. Common courtesy once the outcome is obvious.

Contract

The final bid of the auction, which becomes the deal’s assignment: the declaring side must win at least that many tricks in that strain. Make it and you score points; fall short and the defenders score instead.

Convention

An agreed artificial meaning for a bid. Stayman, Blackwood, and Jacoby transfers are conventions. Partnerships can play as many or as few as they like — beginners need only a couple.

Convention card

The form a partnership fills out listing their bidding agreements, so opponents can know what their bids mean. Full disclosure is part of the game’s ethics.

Cue bid

A bid of a suit the opponents have shown — which obviously isn’t natural — used to show a strong hand or, in slam auctions, to show a control (an ace, king, or shortness) in that suit.

Cut

Splitting the deck before the deal. Players also “cut for partners” at casual tables: draw cards, and the two highest play together.

D

Deal

The distribution of all 52 cards, 13 to each player — and the word for one complete hand of bridge, from auction through play.

Dealer

The player who distributes the cards and gets the first chance to bid. The deal rotates clockwise around the table.

Declarer

The player who plays the contract for their side — specifically, whoever first bid the strain that became the final contract. Declarer controls both their own hand and dummy’s. See also dummy.

Defenders

The two players opposing declarer. Defense is widely considered the hardest — and most satisfying — part of bridge.

Discard

Throwing a card from another suit (not a trump) when you can’t follow suit. Your discards often carry signals for partner. See also signal.

Distribution

The pattern of suit lengths in a hand, written like 5-4-3-1. Distribution matters as much as high cards: long suits and short suits win tricks that face cards can’t.

Double

A call available when an opponent made the last bid. In its original “penalty” sense it means “I don’t think you’ll make that, and I’m raising the stakes.” In modern bidding it’s more often takeout, asking partner to bid. See also takeout double, penalty double, redouble.

Doubleton

Exactly two cards in a suit. Useful for ruffing once trumps are drawn — see ruff.

Duck

Deliberately declining to win a trick you could have won, usually to preserve an entry or disrupt the opponents’ plans. One of the first “aha” plays new players learn.

Dummy

Declarer’s partner. After the opening lead, dummy spreads their 13 cards face-up on the table and takes the rest of the deal off — declarer plays both hands. Being dummy is the best time to refill the snacks.

Duplicate bridge

The competitive format where the same deals are played at many tables and your score is compared with everyone else who held your exact cards. Luck of the deal is removed; only your decisions count. See also matchpoints, IMPs.

E

Endplay

An advanced technique where you deliberately give an opponent the lead at a moment when every card they can play helps you. Also called a “throw-in.”

Entry

A card that wins a trick in a specific hand, letting you get to that hand when you need to. Managing entries between declarer’s hand and dummy is a core part of card play.

F

Finesse

An attempt to win a trick with a card that isn’t the highest one out, by playing toward it and hoping the missing higher card sits in front of it. The classic example: leading toward your A-Q and playing the queen, hoping the king is on your left. Works about half the time — which is why bridge players love and curse it in equal measure.

Fit

Eight or more combined cards in one suit between you and partner — the usual requirement for choosing that suit as trump. “Finding a fit” is the main mission of the auction.

Follow suit

The one iron rule of card play: if you have a card in the suit that was led, you must play one. Only when you’re out of that suit may you ruff or discard. Breaking this rule is a revoke.

Forcing bid

A bid partner is not allowed to pass. Forcing bids keep the auction alive while your side works out how high to go.

G

Game

A contract worth 100 or more trick points, earning a large bonus: 3NT, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣, or 5♦. “Bidding game” is the everyday goal of constructive auctions. Contracts below game are part-scores.

Grand slam

Bidding and winning all thirteen tricks — a contract at the 7 level. The rarest and most celebrated result in bridge. Twelve tricks is a small slam.

H

Hand

Your thirteen cards. Also used loosely to mean the whole deal (“great hand!”).

High card points (HCP)

The standard way to measure a hand’s strength: ace = 4, king = 3, queen = 2, jack = 1. There are 40 HCP in the deck, so an average hand holds 10. Most bidding decisions start with counting your HCP.

Hold up

Declining to win a trick early — typically with an ace in no-trump — to cut the defenders’ communication before they can establish their suit. Declarer’s version of the duck.

Honors

The top five cards of a suit: ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. The cards that win most of the tricks and score most of the points.

I

IMPs

International Match Points — the scoring scale used in team matches, which converts the point-swing on each deal into a more moderate number so one huge hand doesn’t decide everything. See also matchpoints.

Invitational bid

A bid that says “I’m interested in game, but I can’t insist — bid on with a maximum, pass with a minimum.” Raising 1NT to 2NT is the classic invitation.

J

Jacoby transfer

A convention after partner opens 1NT: you bid the suit below your real suit (2♦ shows hearts, 2♥ shows spades), so the strong hand becomes declarer and stays hidden. Paired with Stayman, it covers most 1NT auctions.

Jump bid

Bidding one level higher than necessary — for example 1♠ over partner’s 1♦ would be normal, so 2♠ is a jump. Depending on your agreements, jumps show either extra strength or (as preempts) extra length with a weak hand.

K

Kibitzer

A spectator watching a hand. Traditionally silent, ideally not sighing at your line of play.

L

Lead

The first card played to a trick. The player who won the previous trick leads the next one. See also opening lead.

LHO

Left-hand opponent — the player to your left, the one who plays right after you. Their counterpart is your RHO.

Limit bid

A bid that shows a narrow, well-defined range of strength and can be passed. Limit bids let partner do the math and place the contract.

Loser

A card that figures to lose a trick. Counting winners and losers before playing to trick one is the single best card-play habit a new player can build.

M

Major suits

Spades and hearts. They score 30 points a trick, so game needs only ten tricks (4♥/4♠) — which is why bidding chases major-suit fits first.

Masterpoints

The points the ACBL awards for placing well in club games and tournaments — bridge’s lifetime progress bar, from Rookie all the way to Life Master and beyond.

Matchpoints

The scoring method in pairs games: on every deal you earn points for each pair you outscored holding the same cards. It rewards squeezing out every trick, even in humble part-scores.

Minor suits

Clubs and diamonds. They score 20 a trick, so game needs eleven tricks (5♣/5♦) — harder work, which is why minor-suit hands often aim for 3NT instead.

N

Negative double

A double by responder after an opponent overcalls, used not for penalty but to show the unbid suits and some values. One of the most useful modern conventions.

No-trump (NT)

A contract played with no trump suit at all — the highest-ranking strain in the bidding. Pure card-power bridge: aces, kings, and long suits, with no ruffing to the rescue.

North, South, East, West

The four seats at the table, named like a compass. North–South play against East–West. Bridge columns and apps use these names so any deal can be described precisely.

O

Opening bid

The first bid of the auction (passes don’t count). The player who makes it is “opener,” and their partner becomes “responder.” A typical opening shows about 12+ HCP — or a long suit for a preempt.

Opening lead

The very first card of the play, made by the defender to declarer’s left before dummy comes down. Widely considered the hardest single decision in bridge.

Overcall

A bid made after the opponents have opened the auction — muscling into their conversation with a decent suit. See also takeout double.

Overtrick

Any trick you win beyond your contract. Small change in team games; solid gold at matchpoints.

P

Part-score

A contract below game — 1♣ through 2NT and friends. Modest bonus, honest work. See also game.

Partnership

You and the player facing you. Bridge is a conversation between partners — the opponents just get to listen in.

Pass

“No bid from me for now.” Passing doesn’t end your participation — the auction continues until a bid is followed by three straight passes.

Passed out

A deal where all four players pass and no contract is reached. In duplicate it’s scored as a flat zero for everyone; at home you just redeal and blame the shuffler.

Penalty double

A double that means exactly what it sounds like: “You’re not making that, and now it’s going to cost you extra.” See also takeout double.

Preempt

A high-level opening bid — like 3♣ with seven clubs and little else — designed to steal bidding space from the opponents before they can talk. Annoying to face, delightful to make.

Q

Quick tricks

Honor combinations that will almost certainly win early tricks: an ace, or A-K and K-Q pairs. A quick way to judge the defensive value of a hand beyond raw HCP.

R

Raise

Supporting the suit your partner bid — 1♠ then 2♠ from you. The warmest word in the bidding language: “I like your suit, let’s make it trump.”

Rank

The pecking order of cards (ace high down to the two) and of strains in the bidding: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then no-trump. A bid must outrank the previous one — higher strain at the same level, or any strain at a higher level.

Rebid

Opener’s second bid, which paints a much clearer picture of their strength and shape. Many beginner bidding wobbles are really rebid problems.

Redouble

The rarely-used comeback to a double: it doubles the stakes again. Either supreme confidence or a specialized conventional message.

Responder

The partner of the player who opened the bidding.

Revoke

Failing to follow suit when you could have — against the rules, and it carries a trick penalty when caught. Also called a “renege.”

RHO

Right-hand opponent — the player on your right, who acts just before you do.

Rubber bridge

The traditional home format: first side to win two games takes the “rubber” and a fat bonus. Duplicate has taken over clubs and tournaments, but rubber is still how many families play.

Ruff

To play a trump on a trick when you’re out of the suit led. The small thrill that never gets old — winning an ace with a two.

Rule of 11

A defender’s trick: when partner leads their fourth-best card, subtract its rank from 11 to learn how many higher cards the other three hands hold. Old-school arithmetic that still works.

Rule of 20

A guide for borderline openings: add your HCP to the lengths of your two longest suits, and if the total reaches 20, open the bidding. It’s how experienced players open “light” without guessing.

Run a suit

To cash winner after winner in an established long suit while the opponents helplessly discard. The payoff for all that careful entry management.

S

Sacrifice

Deliberately bidding a contract you expect to fail because going down (even doubled) costs less than the game the opponents would have made. Bridge’s version of a professional foul.

Sequence

Two or more touching honors, like K-Q-J. Sequences make safe, attractive opening leads — you drive out the higher card without giving away a trick.

Set

To defeat the contract. “We set them two” means declarer fell two tricks short. See also undertrick.

Short suit

A void, singleton, or doubleton. Short suits are an asset in trump contracts (ruffing!) and a liability in no-trump.

Signal

The messages defenders send with the cards they choose to play — attitude (“I like this suit”), count (“I have an even number”), and suit preference (“switch to the higher suit”). Legal table talk, conducted entirely in cards.

Singleton

Exactly one card in a suit. Lovely in a trump contract, worrying in no-trump.

Slam

A 6-level contract (small slam, 12 tricks) or 7-level contract (grand slam, all 13). Big bonuses, big risk — slam bidding is why conventions like Blackwood exist.

Squeeze

An advanced endgame play that forces an opponent to discard a winner because every card they hold has become essential. When you execute your first squeeze on purpose, you’re officially hooked.

Stayman

The 2♣ response to a 1NT opening, asking “partner, do you have a four-card major?” The first convention almost everyone learns. See also Jacoby transfer.

Stopper

A holding that prevents the opponents from running a suit against no-trump — an ace, a guarded king, or similar. “Do we have a spade stopper?” is the eternal question before bidding 3NT.

Strain

The five things a contract can be played in: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, or no-trump. Also called “denomination.”

Suit

One of the four families of cards — ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ — thirteen cards each.

T

Takeout double

A double that, by agreement, isn’t looking for penalties at all — it says “I have a decent hand and support for the unbid suits; partner, pick one.” How you compete when you have the values but no clear suit to overcall.

Tenace

A broken honor combination like A-Q or K-J, whose value depends on who leads to it. The reason position matters so much in card play — and the raw material of the finesse.

Trick

Four cards, one from each player in clockwise order. Highest card of the suit led wins — unless someone ruffs. There are exactly thirteen tricks in every deal, and the whole game is about who wins how many.

Trump

The boss suit for the deal, chosen by the auction. Any trump beats any card of any other suit, no matter how small. Contracts can also be played with no trump at all. See also no-trump.

U

Unbalanced hand

A hand with a void, a singleton, or lots of cards in one or two suits. Unbalanced hands want to play in a trump suit, not no-trump.

Undertrick

Each trick by which declarer falls short of the contract. Undertricks score for the defenders — more when doubled, more still when vulnerable.

V

Void

Zero cards in a suit. The most dramatic form of shortness — first-round ruffing power in a trump contract.

Vulnerability

A per-deal condition that raises both bonuses and penalties. In duplicate it rotates automatically by board; in rubber bridge you become vulnerable after winning a game. Vulnerability should temper your wilder sacrifices.

W

Weak two

An opening bid of 2♥ or 2♠ (often 2♦ too) showing a good six-card suit but a weak hand — a mild preempt. The modern meaning of two-bids that were once strong.

Winner

A card you can count on to take a trick. Card play begins with counting your winners — and figuring out how to grow more.

X

x (small card)

In bridge writing, a lowercase x stands for any insignificant low card: “K-x-x” means the king and two small ones. Now you can read bridge columns without wondering who X is.

Y

Yarborough

A hand with no card higher than a nine. Named for the Earl of Yarborough, who famously offered 1,000-to-1 odds against picking one up — the true odds are about 1,827-to-1, so the Earl had an edge. If you’re dealt one, you’ve earned the right to grumble.

Bridge terms FAQ

What are the most important bridge terms for beginners?

Start with the mechanics: trick, trump, follow suit, and lead. Then the auction words: bid, contract, declarer, and dummy. With those eight, you can play your first hands and understand what’s happening at the table.

What’s the difference between a bid, a call, and a contract?

A bid proposes a number of tricks in a strain (“2♥”). A call is any action in the auction, including passes and doubles. The contract is whatever the final bid turns out to be — the assignment the declaring side has to deliver.

Do I need to memorize conventions to play bridge?

No. You can play real, satisfying bridge knowing zero conventions. Most players eventually add Stayman and Blackwood because they’re so useful, but conventions are seasoning, not the meal.

What’s the fastest way to actually learn these terms?

Use them. Reading definitions plants the seed, but playing hands makes them stick. The Tricky Bridge app introduces each idea as it comes up in real deals, so terms like finesse and fit become things you’ve done, not just read. Start with the basics in our how-to-play guide, then jump in.