Words Related to Games - Trick-Taking Game Terms
Here you will learn some English words related to trick-taking game terms such as "bidding", "slam", and "trump".
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lead
[noun]
the first card played by a player at the beginning of a trick, which sets the suit for that trick and determines the order in which other players must play their cards
auction
[noun]
(bridge) the process by which players bid on the right to name the trump suit and the number of tricks they expect to take in a particular hand
bidding
[noun]
(bridge) the process by which players communicate information about their hand to their partner and determine the contract for the hand
contract
[noun]
(contract bridge) a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that outlines the terms and conditions of the bridge construction project
dummy
[noun]
the partner of the declarer who places their hand face-up on the table following the opening lead. The dummy's cards are then played by the declarer along with their own cards
finesse
[noun]
a technique of attempting to win a trick with a lower card than an opponent's higher card in a particular suit
honor
[noun]
any of the top four cards (ace, king, queen, and jack) in a particular suit that are considered to be the strongest cards in that suit
jacoby transfer
[noun]
a bidding convention used by the responder to show a five-card or longer major suit and to transfer the bid to the next higher ranking suit, usually at the 2-level, forcing the opener to bid the suit
major suit
[noun]
(bridge) either the hearts or spades suits, which are considered stronger than the minor suits (diamonds and clubs) because they have more high-ranking cards
minor suit
[noun]
(bridge) either the diamonds or clubs suits, which are considered weaker than the major suits (hearts and spades) because they have fewer high-ranking cards
no-trump
[noun]
a bid made by the declarer that specifies no trump suit and indicates that the declarer intends to win tricks using only the strength and distribution of the cards, without relying on any particular suit
penalty
[noun]
the points or score awarded to the defending side when they successfully prevent the declarer from making their bid
responder
[noun]
the partner of the opening bidder who makes the first bid after the opening bid and provides additional information about their hand to the opening bidder
rubber
[noun]
a series of games played until one partnership wins two games, with each game consisting of multiple deals, and the winning partnership being the one with the highest total score at the end of the rubber
stayman convention
[noun]
a bidding system used by the responder to ask the opener if they have a four-card major suit, typically either hearts or spades, after an opening bid of 1NT
void
[noun]
a situation where a player has no cards in a particular suit, which means they cannot follow suit in that suit and must play a card from another suit instead
long suit
[noun]
a suit in which a player holds a large number of cards, typically at least five or more, which can be an advantage in playing and winning tricks in that suit
short suit
[noun]
a suit in which a player holds a small number of cards, typically fewer than three, which can be a disadvantage in playing and winning tricks in that suit
slam
[noun]
a contract bid in which the declarer aims to win all thirteen tricks, that is, to take all the remaining tricks after the opening lead
grand slam
[noun]
a contract bid in which the declarer aims to win all thirteen tricks, that is, to take all the remaining tricks after the opening lead, using the trump suit as the primary weapon
down
[noun]
the situation where the declarer has failed to make their contract, either by losing tricks or by failing to take the required number of tricks
to make
[verb]
(in bridge, whist, or other similar card games) to successfully fulfill their contract by taking the required number of tricks
odd trick
[noun]
the number of tricks won by the declarer that are over and above the number of tricks required to fulfill their contract
overtrick
[noun]
a trick won by the declarer in excess of the number of tricks required to fulfill their contract
undertrick
[noun]
the number of tricks that the declarer fails to take in attempting to fulfill their contract, and they can result in penalties for the declarer's side
bag
[noun]
a penalty or negative score incurred when a player exceeds a certain number of tricks or points that they initially bid or predicted to win during the game
back run
[noun]
a series of cards with decreasing numbers, all of the same suit, that comes after the main set of cards
announce
[noun]
the act of declaring or revealing specific information about a player's hand or intentions, such as bidding a certain number of tricks to be won or declaring a specific card combination
International Match Point
[noun]
a scoring system used in duplicate bridge tournaments that assigns points based on the margin of victory for each deal, with one IMP typically awarded for every 20 points scored above the opponents' result
to revoke
[verb]
to fail to follow suit when a player should have, violating the rules of the card game being played
nil
[noun]
in card games, particularly in games like Spades, refers to the act of bidding zero tricks and attempting to win no tricks during a round
to ruff
[verb]
to play a trump card in a trick-taking game when unable to follow suit, usually with the intention of winning the trick or avoiding losing a higher-value card
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