Essential bridge terms
Use this glossary whenever an unfamiliar word appears during a lesson, auction or deal.
Auction
The bidding stage that determines the final contract, declarer and dummy.
Bid
A level from one to seven combined with a denomination: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades or No Trump.
Call
Any bid, Pass, Double or Redouble made during the auction.
Contract
The final bid followed by three passes. It states the declaring side's trick target and trump denomination.
Deal or board
One distribution of 52 cards. In Duplicate bridge, a board also preserves dealer and vulnerability.
Declarer
The player who controls the declaring side's two hands and tries to make the contract.
Defenders
The partnership opposing declarer. They try to win enough tricks to defeat the contract.
Denomination
The suit or No Trump named in a bid.
Discard
A card played from another suit when unable to follow suit. A discard does not win unless it is a trump.
Double
A call that increases the score for making or defeating the opponents' contract; it may also carry a conventional bidding meaning.
Dummy
Declarer's partner. Dummy's cards are exposed after the opening lead and played as directed by declarer.
Entry
A winner used to move the lead into the other hand.
Finesse
An attempt to win a trick with a lower honour by relying on a higher opposing honour being favourably placed.
Fit
Enough combined cards in one suit, commonly at least eight, to make that suit suitable as trump.
Follow suit
Play a card in the suit led. This is compulsory whenever you hold that suit.
Game
A contract worth at least 100 contract points: normally 3NT, 4 hearts, 4 spades, 5 clubs or 5 diamonds.
High-card points
A simple hand-strength count: ace 4, king 3, queen 2 and jack 1.
Lead
The first card played to a trick. The opening lead starts trick one; each later lead is made by the previous trick winner.
No Trump
A contract without a trump suit, abbreviated NT.
Overtrick
A trick won beyond the number required by the contract.
Part-score
A made contract worth fewer than 100 contract points.
Ruff
Play a trump when unable to follow the suit led, normally winning the trick.
Slam
A small slam contracts for 12 tricks; a grand slam contracts for all 13.
Trick
Four cards, one from each player. The winner leads to the next trick.
Trump
The suit named in a suit contract. A trump beats every non-trump card when legally played.
Undertrick
Each trick by which declarer falls short of the contract.
Vulnerability
A board condition that increases game and slam rewards and also increases some penalties.
Void
Holding no cards in a particular suit.
Learning tip: do not memorise the glossary in isolation. Terms become natural when you meet them repeatedly during real auctions and deals.