Contract bridge

Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game for four players who form two partnerships, or "sides". The partners on each side sit opposite one another. Game play is in two phases: bidding and playing.

Definitions of common terms

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• Autobridge is a game for one person, which helps to learn this highbrowy game.
• trump
• ruff – the play of a trump on partner's lead of another suit
• dummy reversal
• crossruff – the repeated lead of cards which can be trumped by partner
• finesse
• bid – a declaration of (suit or no trump) that generally indicates the number of tricks the bidder believes their partnership can win; certain bids can also be used for special meanings using a variety of conventions
• pass – player declines to bid for that turn
• call – any bid, pass, double, or redouble
• major suit – hearts and spades
• minor suit – clubs and diamonds
• slam – bidding for and taking twelve tricks is a "small slam", bidding for and taking all thirteen is a "grand slam"
• game – 100 points (or more) bid and made
• rubber – scoring two games before the other side scores two
• double – a call that increases penalties for failing to make a contract; also provides a bonus for making—a player can only double a contract bid by the opposition
• redouble – a call that essentially doubles the penalties and bonuses of a previous double—a player can only redouble a contract bid by their side which has been doubled by the opposition
• declarer – the person on the partnership which wins the contract who plays the hand; the declarer is the first player in the partnership to call the final denomination
• dummy – the partner of the declarer, whose hand is placed on the table and played by the declarer
• defenders – the partners that are not the declarer and his/her partner
• LHO – Left Hand Opponent
• RHO – Right Hand Opponent
• CHO – Centre Hand Opponent; a slang term for partner
• board – a device that keeps each player's cards separate for duplicate bridge
• no trump – when a hand is played without a trump suit, or a proposal to play without trumps
• ACBL – American Contract Bridge League
• EBU – English Bridge Union, the official organising body of bridge in England
• director – referee
• lead – playing the first card to a trick, thus dictating the suit others must play if able
• revoke – failing to follow suit (as required) when a player is able to do so
• lead out of turn – playing a card when it was another player's turn to lead
• vulnerable – see the sections on scoring, above
• partscore – A contract below the level that earns a game bonus
• signal – Special system of giving meanings to cards played by defenders in order to direct defense.
• table talk– illegally conveyed information between partners, for example by means of talking, gestures, or facial expressions