lead

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An auction in card games refers to a process where players bid or compete to determine the terms of play, such as the trump suit, the number of tricks to be taken, or who will have control of the game. Auctions are common in games like Bridge, where players bid based on the strength of their hands. Each player takes turns making bids, often stating how many tricks they believe they can win, and the highest bid usually determines the game's rules for that round. The auction phase helps set up the gameplay and strategy for the players involved.

What is an "auction"?

auction

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Bidding is the process in card games, particularly in games like Bridge, where players make offers to communicate the strength and potential of their hand to their partner. Each player takes turns stating how many tricks they think they can win or what suit they believe will be the trump suit. These offers help establish a contract, which sets the rules for the round, such as who will be the declarer and which suit will be dominant. The highest bid usually determines the contract, and players work together to achieve the goal set by the bid.

What is "bidding"?

bidding

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A contract is the agreement made during the bidding phase that determines the objective for the hand. It specifies which suit will be the trump suit, or if there will be no trump suit at all. The contract also sets the number of tricks a partnership must win to fulfill the agreement. The declarer, chosen based on the winning bid, aims to meet the contract by winning the required number of tricks. If the declarer succeeds, their team wins points; if not, the opposing team earns points.

What is a "contract"?

contract

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The declarer is the player who wins the bidding phase and becomes responsible for playing the hand to fulfill the contract. The declarer’s goal is to win the number of tricks specified in the contract, using their own hand and the hand of their partner, whose cards are exposed after the opening lead. The declarer makes all the decisions for the play of the hand, while the opponents try to stop them from fulfilling the contract by taking control of tricks. The declarer’s success in meeting the contract determines the points for the team.

Who is the "declarer"?

declarer

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In the card game bridge, the dummy is the player who is partnered with the declarer but does not actively participate in playing the hand after the first card is led. Once the opening lead is made, this player's cards are placed face-up on the table for everyone to see. The declarer then plays both their own hand and the dummy's hand, making all decisions for both. The dummy does not make any choices or take part in the strategy but simply follows the rules of the game by letting the declarer control their cards and try to win the required number of tricks.

Who is the "dummy"?

dummy

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In card games like bridge, a finesse is a technique used to win a trick by playing a card that may not be the highest in a suit, but has a good chance of winning based on the placement of the other cards. This strategy is often used when a player believes an opponent has a higher card in the suit, but there is still a chance that the player's lower card can win if the higher card is held by a different opponent or is played incorrectly. Finessing involves carefully choosing the right moment and card to play in order to maximize the chances of success.

What is a "finesse"?

finesse

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An honor is one of the highest-ranking cards in a suit, typically the King, Queen, Jack, Ace, or Ten. These cards have special significance because they are more likely to win tricks compared to lower-ranking cards. Honors are important in both the bidding and play phases of the game, as they help determine the strength of a hand. A player with multiple honors in a suit usually has a stronger hand, and they are often crucial for securing the required number of tricks to fulfill the contract.

What is an "honor"?

honor

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A Jacoby transfer is a special way of bidding in bridge that helps one player tell their partner which suit they want to play in. When a player has a strong hand in one suit but does not want to be the one to play it, they use a Jacoby transfer. The player bids the next suit above the one they want, which signals to their partner to bid the suit they really want to play. This way, the partner becomes the one in control of the hand, which is often helpful for winning.

What is a "Jacoby transfer"?

jacoby transfer

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A major suit in card games like bridge refers to one of the two strongest suits in the deck: hearts and spades. These suits are ranked higher than the other two suits, diamonds and clubs, and are often more valuable in bidding and play. In bridge, a major suit typically has more points associated with it, and winning tricks in a major suit can earn a team more points than winning tricks in a minor suit. When a player bids a major suit, they are usually aiming for a higher number of tricks and a stronger hand.

What is a "major suit"?

major suit

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A minor suit in card games like bridge refers to one of the two weaker suits in the deck: clubs and diamonds. These suits are ranked lower than the major suits, hearts and spades, and are often less valuable in terms of points. In bridge, bidding a minor suit generally means the player has a hand with fewer high-ranking cards, and the goal is often to win fewer tricks than when bidding a major suit. Winning tricks in a minor suit usually earns fewer points than in a major suit.

What is a "minor suit"?

minor suit

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No-trump is a term used in card games like bridge to describe a situation where there is no designated trump suit. Normally, one suit is chosen as the trump, meaning its cards are stronger than the others. However, in no-trump, none of the suits have this special power. All suits are treated equally, and the player must rely on the strength of their hand without the advantage of a trump suit. Bidding no-trump often signals that a player has a balanced hand with high-ranking cards spread across different suits.

What is "no-trump"?

no-trump

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partner

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Penalty refers to the points or score given to the defending team when they successfully prevent the declarer from meeting the requirements of their bid. In games like bridge, if the declarer fails to win the number of tricks they committed to during the bidding phase, the defending team is awarded penalty points. This happens when the declarer's hand is weaker than expected or when the opponents strategically win enough tricks to stop the declarer from fulfilling the contract. Penalty points help the defending team earn points for their efforts in blocking the declarer's plan.

What is a "penalty"?

penalty

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In card games like bridge, the responder is the player who answers their partner's opening bid during the bidding phase. After the opener makes their bid, the responder evaluates their hand and decides how to respond, either by agreeing with the bid, making a new bid, or passing. The responder’s goal is to help determine the final contract by providing information about their hand's strength and suit preferences. The responder works with the opener to find the best strategy for winning the hand, based on the cards they each hold.

Who is the "responder"?

responder

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In card games like bridge, a rubber is a series of games played between two teams. To win a rubber, a team needs to win two games. Each game is made up of several hands, and the team that wins two games first wins the rubber. The rubber is a way to keep track of who is winning over a longer period of play, instead of just focusing on one game. It gives a team a chance to recover if they lose the first game, and the rubber winner is the team that wins the most games.

What is a "rubber"?

rubber

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The Stayman convention is a way for a player to ask their partner if they have four cards in either hearts or spades after the partner has bid no-trump. The player does this by bidding clubs, which signals the question. If the partner has four cards in one of these suits, they will respond by bidding that suit. The goal is to determine if the partnership can play in a major suit, which can often lead to a better result than playing in no-trump.

What is the "Stayman convention"?

stayman convention

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void

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A long suit in card games like bridge refers to a suit that a player holds with a large number of cards, typically five or more. Having a long suit is an advantage because it increases the chances of winning tricks in that suit, as the player can potentially control it and force other players to follow. A long suit is often an important factor when making decisions during bidding, as it may indicate strength and the possibility of taking more tricks in that suit.

What is a "long suit"?

long suit

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A short suit in card games like bridge refers to a suit that a player holds with very few cards, usually two or fewer. Having a short suit can be both a disadvantage and an advantage. It may limit the player's ability to win tricks in that suit, but it can also be useful for forcing opponents to play higher cards in other suits or for creating a "void" where the player has no cards in a particular suit, allowing them to trump, or play a stronger suit, more effectively. A short suit is often important when making decisions during bidding and play.

What is a "short suit"?

short suit

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A slam in card games like bridge refers to a contract where a team aims to win a large number of tricks, typically 12 or all 13. There are two types of slams: a small slam, which requires winning 12 tricks, and a grand slam, which requires winning all 13 tricks. A slam is a highly ambitious bid and often indicates that a player or team has a very strong hand. Successfully completing a slam results in a higher score compared to regular contracts, as it demonstrates a significant level of skill and hand strength.

What is a "slam"?

slam

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A grand slam in card games like bridge is a contract where a team aims to win all 13 tricks in the hand. This is the highest and most difficult level of bidding, showing that the player or team has a very strong hand and the ability to take every trick. Successfully completing a grand slam results in a large number of points, making it a highly rewarding achievement. Bidding for a grand slam often requires confidence in the hand's strength and the partnership's ability to control the game.

What is a "grand slam"?

grand slam

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denomination

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to make

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An odd trick in card games like bridge refers to any trick won by the declarer’s side beyond the first six tricks. Since a contract in bridge is based on the number of tricks above six, the first six are not counted in scoring. For example, if the declarer wins nine tricks, three of these are considered odd tricks. These odd tricks determine whether the declarer fulfills their contract and how many points they score.

What is an "odd trick"?

odd trick

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An overtrick in card games like bridge refers to any trick won by the declarer’s side beyond the number needed to fulfill their contract. For example, if the contract is to win nine tricks, but the declarer wins ten tricks, the extra one is an overtrick. Overtricks earn additional points, but they are usually less valuable than fulfilling the contract itself. However, in competitive play, overtricks can impact scoring and strategy, especially in duplicate bridge.

What is an "overtrick"?

overtrick

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An undertrick in card games like bridge refers to any trick the declarer fails to win below the number required to fulfill their contract. For example, if the contract is to win nine tricks but the declarer wins only seven, the two missing tricks are undertricks. Each undertrick results in penalty points awarded to the defending side, with the severity of the penalty depending on various factors. Undertricks indicate that the declarer did not meet their bid.

What is an "undertrick"?

undertrick

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In card games like Spades, a bag refers to an extra trick won by a team beyond what they bid. For example, if a team bids five tricks but wins six, the additional trick is considered a bag. While winning a bag does not immediately penalize a team, accumulating too many bags, often ten, typically results in a penalty, such as a deduction in points. This rule encourages players to bid accurately and avoid overestimating or underestimating their hand.

What is a "bag"?

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A back run in card games, particularly in games like Pinochle, refers to a sequence of three or more consecutive cards in a suit, starting from a high card and working backward. For example, a back run might consist of the cards 10, 9, and 8 of hearts. In some card games, a back run can be valuable for scoring, as it represents a strong combination of cards that could help in taking tricks or fulfilling a specific bid. The exact role of a back run varies depending on the rules of the game being played.

What is a "back run"?

back run

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International Match Point (IMP) is a scoring system commonly used in competitive card games like bridge, particularly in team events. In this system, the results of each hand are compared between two teams. The difference in the number of tricks won by each team is converted into IMPs, with the team that wins more tricks scoring points. The larger the difference in tricks won, the greater the number of IMPs awarded. The goal is to accumulate as many IMPs as possible over multiple hands to win the overall match. IMPs are used to create a more standardized scoring system, making it easier to compare results across different games and competitions.

What is "International Match Point"?

International Match Point

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to revoke

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In card games like Spades, nil refers to a bid where a player promises to not win any tricks during the round. If the player successfully avoids winning a trick, they earn a set number of points, usually 100. However, if they win any tricks, they lose points, typically the value of their bid. Nil bids add an element of risk and strategy, as players must rely on their teammates to win the necessary tricks while they aim to avoid taking any. The nil bid is often used when a player has a weak hand.

What is "nil"?

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to ruff

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to trump

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Here you will learn some English words related to trick-taking game terms such as "bidding", "slam", and "trump".

English Words for "Trick-Taking Game Terms"