Glossary : Bridge Online
Alert
a signal to your opponents that your partner's bid is not natural
Auction
the process of bidding
Balanced hand
a hand with no void or singleton, 1 doubleton at most and no 5-card major
Blackwood
4NT bid asking for the number of aces in partner's hand
Contract
the final bid in the auction
Convention
a bid with a special meaning. For example an opening bid of 2C showing a strong hand and not promising any clubs.
Cue bid
a bid of an opponent's suit. This may be for various purposes
Dealer
the player who starts the bidding with a call or a pass
Declarer
the player who firsts nominates the trump suit or notrumps
Defender
declarer's opponent
Discard
a card played when you cannot follow suit
Doubleton
two cards in a suit
Dummy
declarer's partner whose cards are displayed face-up on the table
Following suit
playing a card in the same suit that has been led
Forcing bid
a bid which partner is not permitted to pass, such as a new suit response to an opening bid
Gerber
4C another form of ace-asking. Best used only over 1NT or 2NT
Game
a contract of 3NT, 4♥/♠,5♣/♦ or higher. Gives you a bonus of 300 or 500 according to vulnerability.
Grand slam
a contract at the 7-level requiring all 13 tricks
High card points
A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1
Honours
Aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens.
Invitational bid
a bid asking partner to bid game or slam with a maximum hand
Limit bid
a bid made in a suit already bid by any player, or a notrump bid. Limit bids are precise as to shape and strength. For example, 1♥ - 2♥ 1♥ - 1NT
Major suit
spades and hearts
Minor suit
clubs and diamonds
Non-vulnerable
lessens the game bonus (300) and the penalty for going down (50 per trick)
Notrumps
a hand where no one suit has a special value
Opener
the first person to bid anything other than 'Pass'
Opening lead
a card played by the person left of the declarer before dummy is spread
Overcall
a bid made after an opponent has bid.
Partscore
a contract below the level of game
Penalty double
a bid indicating that you do not expect your opponents to make their contract. It increases your score if the contract fails and also increases their score if the contract makes.
Raise
making a bid in the same suit as your partner's
Responder
the opener's partner
Reverse
an auction showing an unbalanced hand where the longer suit is the lower-ranking
Revoke
failure to follow suit when you have a card in that suit
Ruff
another word for winning a trick with a trump
Shortage
a void, singleton or doubleton in an outside suit - valuable with a trump fit
Sign off
a bid which indicates no interest in a higher contract.
Small slam
a contract at the 6-level requiring 12 tricks
Splinter bid
a double jump in a new suit. Promises a singleton or void in that suit and 4 trumps. E.g. 1♥ - 4♣
Stayman convention
a bid of 2♣ after a 1NT opener. Asks for a 4-card major
Take-out double
a double asking partner to choose the trump suit by bidding his or her longest suit
Transfer bid
made after 1NT or 2NT showing a 5-card major. Partner is obliged to bid the next suit up. For example, 1NT 2♥ (alert) shows 5 spades and partner must bid 2♠. 3NT by responder now shows 5 spades and values for game
Trump
winning a trick with a card from the trump suit when you can't follow suit
Unbalanced hand
contains a void, singleton or 2 doubletons
Trick
4 cards played by each player in rotation
Void
no cards in a suit
Vulnerable
increases the game, slam and grandslam bonuses and also the penalty for going down.