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Glossary of contract bridge terms | G | Golden fit A combined partnership holding of at least eight cards in a suit. In the UK, simply known as a fit.
See also Moysian fit Good Said of a card or cards that have been established.
Goren system, or Goren A bidding system dominant in the United States from the 1940s through the 1960s, based on the Culbertson system. The principal difference between the two systems was in hand evaluation: Culbertson used honor tricks to assess a hand's strength whereas Goren used high card points and distribution points.
Goulash A style of dealing, usually in rubber and Chicago games, where the cards are not thoroughly shuffled between deals and are dealt in groups. It results in "wild" card distributions.
Grand coup A trump coup in which the cards ruffed in the long trump hand are already winners.
Grand slam See slam.
Green (Slang, mainly British) Non-vulnerable. From the colour of the paint on a duplicate board. Also: "green all" and "both green", neither side vulnerable; and "at green" or "green against red", non-vulnerable against vulnerable. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | G | Grand slam force (GSF) A method of determining whether the partnership holds the top trump honors when the bid of a grand slam is a possibility. In its original form, the GSF was initiated with a bid of 5NT, asking partner to bid a grand slam with two of the top three honors in the trump suit. Depending on the prior bidding, other bids are often used in place of 5NT, and there is a variety of schemes for responding to the GSF. See Josephine. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | G | See also Forcing bid, Game force and One round force. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | G | Grosvenor gambit A play that creates no direct advantage and might lose. Its principal features are that an opponent will not suspect that such an inept play has been made, and that once the opponent realizes what has occurred, he will be frustrated and angry (and therefore less effective) during subsequent hands. The ploy was first described in a satiric story by Frederick B. Turner in the June 1973 issue of The Bridge World. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | G | Guard A holding that prevents an opponent from taking a trick or tricks. See stopper, guard squeeze. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | HandThe 13 cards held by one player on a deal.
A deal or board.
Ordinally, a player counting in rotation from dealer or first hand. For example, "Third hand bid 1♠."Hand pattern See distribution.
Hand record A document that lists the cards in each hand of every board played in a duplicate bridge session. Often, hand records also list contracts each partnership can make with double dummy declarer play and double dummy defense. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | Help suit game try The bid of a side suit after a single raise, used to help partner evaluate game prospects when opener's hand is roughly a trick stronger than a minimum opening. For example, after 1♥ – 2♥, opener might rebid 3♣ with a side club suit or a strong club fragment. The bid tells partner where high cards will be most helpful, and requests partner to take positive action, such a direct jump to game, with strength in that suit. Otherwise, the bid requests partner to sign off (in this example, by bidding 3♥). See short-suit game try and game try. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | Herbert negative Use of the cheapest bid (sometimes only the cheapest suit bid) as an artificial negative response to (for example) forcing 2-bids, strong artificial 2♣, or takeout doubles. It was advocated by Walter Herbert.
Hesitation A brief pause before a bid or play, considered somewhat shorter than a Huddle.
High–low signal See Echo.
High cardAn honor card. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | The highest-ranking card in a suit at any point during the play.High card points (HCP) A measure or estimate of the strength of cards in the play of a deal. Routinely the high card points of all 13 cards in one player's hand are counted in sum, as a measure of playing strength of the entire hand, or one component of such a measure. Every honor card is assigned a numeric value. See Hand evaluation. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | HoldTo keep declarer to a particular number of tricks, usually the number required to make the contract.
To have in one's hand a particular card or set of cards. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | (Of a card) To win a trick although a higher card is outstanding.Hold up(Verb) To defer taking a winning card until an advantageous point in the hand, usually in reference to tricks that the opponents have led to. There are various purposes for holding up a winner, but it is frequently done to force the opponents to use their entries too soon. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | H | (Noun) The act of holding up a winner.HoldingThe cards in a player's hand at a particular point in the play (often, at the start of the play).
The cards in a specific suit in a player's hand.Honor/honour, or honor/honour card An ace, king, queen, jack or ten.
Honors/honours, or honor/honour bonus At rubber bridge and Chicago, a scoring bonus. The bonus is 100 points for one hand holding four of the five trump suit honors. The bonus is 150 points for all five trump suit honors, or all four aces in a notrump contract.
Honor/honour tricks A method of hand evaluation used in the Culbertson system, which assigns point values to honors and combinations of honors. AK is two honor tricks, AQ is 11/2 honor tricks, A or KQ is 1 honor trick, and Kx is 1/2 honor trick. Similar in concept to quick tricks in the play of the hand.
Hook (Slang) Finesse (noun or verb).
House player An employee of a bridge club who is available as a fourth.
Howell movement A pairs tournament movement where each pair typically plays against all or most of the other pairs, and there is a single set of winners. Most of the pairs will move to a different seating position (usually at a different table) at the end of each round.
Huddle(Noun) A pause prior to a bid or play of longer than usual duration.
(Verb) To take that lengthy pause.HUM Acronym or initialism for Highly Unusual Methods. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | I | Idle (Said of a card) Available as a discard; not required for purposes such as guarding the opponents' suit or interfering with their communications.
IMP Acronym for International Match Point.
Impropriety A breach of ethical conduct or etiquette; an action that violates the proprieties.
IMPs The form of duplicate bridge that uses International Match Points as a scoring method, as distinct from a tournament scored using matchpoints (MPs). |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | I | In back of A card or holding that is to the left of, or behind, or over another. To say that the ♠A is in back of the ♠K is to say that the ace is to the left of the king, or behind it, or over it; so, the ♠A is in a position to directly capture the ♠K. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | I | Individual A form of duplicate bridge, scored at matchpoints, in which each player is paired with a different partner on each round.
Informatory double A double that is intended to convey information rather than to exact a penalty from the opponents. Such doubles include the takeout double, the negative double, the support double, the responsive double and the lead-directing double, although the latter is intended to convey information and to penalize.
Infraction A player’s breach of the Laws of Bridge or of a lawful regulation made under them.
In front of A card or holding that is to the right of or under another. To say that the ♠A is in front of the ♠K is to say that the ace is to the right of the king, or under it, and normally cannot capture the ♠K if it is guarded.
Insufficient bid A bid that is not higher than the immediately preceding bid, and is therefore illegal.
Insult (Slang) The bonus for making a doubled or redoubled contract is sometimes referred to as the "insult" or as being "for the insult".
Insurance bid A bid, usually a sacrifice bid, intended to keep the opponents from playing their presumed or inferred optimum contract. The bidder hopes that insurance premium – the penalty due to the sacrifice bid – will be less than the damage from allowing the opponents to make their contract.
Interference A call, such as an overcall or an initial preempt, that is intended to make it more difficult for the opponents to bid to their best contract.
Intermediate 1) Nines, eights and sevens are sometimes termed "intermediate cards." See body. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | I | 2) A jump overcall that by agreement may be made with a hand of opening bid strength and a long suit is termed an "intermediate jump overcall." 3) An opening two-bid that by agreement may be made with values just short of those required for a game-forcing opening bid is termed an "intermediate two-bid." International Match Point (IMP) 1) (Noun) A method of scoring, usually in a teams match, that compares the score achieved on a board with that obtained by one's teammates on the same board, and converts the difference between these scores to IMPs using a scale defined by WBF. The IMP scale's effect is to reduce the weighting of large differences, thus making it less likely that the outcome of an entire match will depend on one or a small number of boards. For example a difference of 30 (one overtrick) is worth 1 IMP, but a difference of 680 (say 1100 at one table and 420 at the other table) is worth only 12 IMPs. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | I | 2) (Verb) To perform the IMP score conversion.
Intervenor The first player on the other side to make a call other than pass when one side has opened the bidding.
Intra-finesse A technique that involves successive finesses against both opponents.
Inverted minors An agreement that treats the single raise of a minor suit as strong, and a double raise as preemptive.
Invitation A bid which invites the partner to bid on to game or slam if he has extra values. It is a non-forcing bid by definition. Compare semi-forcing bid.
IPBM International Popular Bridge Monthly, a British bridge magazine.
Iron Duke, Not through the A hackneyed phrase that describes the play of a high card by a player whose high card holding is led through; or, that player's statement.
Irregularity A breach of procedure, as described in the Laws and Proprieties, in bidding or play. If one is available, a director should be called to the table to make a ruling.
Isolate (Said of a menace card) To isolate a menace in squeeze play is to arrange that only one opponent can guard one of declarer's threat suits. The play is conceptually similar to transferring a control. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | Jacoby transfer, or Jacoby, or "transfers" A bidding convention initiated by responder following partner's notrump opening bid that requests opener rebid in the suit ranked just above that bid by responder, i.e. a response in diamonds requests a rebid in hearts and a response in hearts requests a rebid in spades; other responses may carry other meanings; designed to make the stronger hand declarer. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | Jacoby 2NT By agreement, a forcing raise of a major suit opening bid, used in conjunction with limit jump raises. Opener is requested to rebid in a suit where he holds a singleton so that responder can better evaluate the fit.
Jam the bidding (Slang) To preempt.
Jettison The discard of an honor, often by a defender, and usually to unblock a suit.
Josephine Grand slam force, an alternative term popular in Europe. The convention was developed by Ely Culbertson, and popularized in a late 1930s article by Josephine Culbertson in The Bridge World Journalist leads Opening lead convention, mainly against notrump contracts, designed to show both what the leader has, and to request specific partner actions in return.
Jump (Noun) A jump bid.
(Verb) To make a jump bid.Jump bid A bid made at a level higher than the lowest level at which that suit could be legally bid.
Jump overcall An overcall made at higher than the minimally legal level: for example, 1♥ – (2♠). In the 1930s, jump overcalls were treated as strong bids. They are now more frequently treated as weak, preemptive bids. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | Jump preference A preference to partner's first-bid suit, made at a level higher than the minimally legal level. In the following sequence, 3♥ is a jump preference: 1♥ – 1♠; 2♦ – 3♥. For many years, the jump preference was treated as invitational except in support of opener's minor, when it was treated as forcing. As of 2001, however, most experts treat all three-level jump preference bids as invitational following opener's one-level new-suit rebid: e.g., 1♣ – 1♦; 1♠ – 3♣ Jump raise A raise of partner's suit one level higher than the minimum legal raise. For example, 1♥ – 3♥ or 1♦ – 1♥; 3♥ Jump rebid A rebid of one's original suit, one level higher than necessary, usually showing a six-card suit: for example, 1♦ – 1♥; 3♦. The range of strength shown by a jump rebid is a matter of partnership agreement: some treat it as a one-round force, others (particularly if playing Kaplan–Sheinwold and the rebid suit is a minor) play it as only a little weaker than a game-forcing opening bid. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | Jump shift A jump bid of a new suit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | 1) As a rebid by opener (e.g. 1♥ – 1♠; 3♣) or responder (e.g. 1♥ – 1♠; 1NT – 3♣), it indicates extra strength 2) As direct response (e.g. 1♥ – 2♠): usually, a very strong hand. However, another treatment (weak jump shifts, requiring prior partnership agreement) uses the bid preemptively to show a weak hand and a long suit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | J | Junior A player under the age of 26. Various national, regional, and world competitions use this designation. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Kaplan–Sheinwold (K–S) A bidding system that uses five card majors and the weak notrump.
Keycard Blackwood, or Key Card Blackwood (KCB) A variant of the Blackwood convention in which five keycards are counted, four aces plus the king of the apparent trump suit, rather than four aces alone. Commonly there is a follow-up to ask about the queen of trump ("Queen ask"), effectively the sixth keycard.
Kibitzer A spectator who attends a game in person.
Kickback An ace-asking or keycard-asking convention initiated by the first step above four of the apparent trump suit rather than uniformly by 4NT. Thus Kickback saves space when the trump suit is not spades. See Useful Space Principle and Blackwood: Asking bids other than 4NT. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Kiss of death At pairs, plus or minus 200. A score of minus 200, down two undoubled and vulnerable, or down one doubled and vulnerable, is a likely bottom against a part score by the opponents. A score of plus 200 from making five-odd of a major after stopping in a partial, is a likely bottom against the game contracts bid by other pairs holding the same cards. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Knockout (KO), or Knockout Teams A single-elimination tournament for teams-of-four. Routinely each round pairs all of the competing teams in head-to-head matches—win or lose; no draw or tie. Winners advance to the next round and losers are eliminated. The size of the field, or initial number of competing teams, must be a power of two. Only then, the format generates for each round an even number of teams, which enables a complete set of head-to-head matches. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Minor variants of great practical importance handle fields of any size by incorporating byes (definition 1) or matches with more than two teams (stipulated to have more than one winner, more than one winner, or both).
Two major variants are double knockout, in which teams are eliminated after losing two matches, and repechage, in which one-match losers drop into a secondary event from which some number of top performers return to the primary event. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Knockout squeeze A type of squeeze that operates in part against the defender's trump holding, when the defender threatens to win a plain suit trick and then lead a trump, thus reducing declarer's ruffing tricks. It is usual to call this play a knockout squeeze when the squeezed defender is second to play to the trick, and to call it a backwash squeeze when the squeezed defender is fourth to play. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | K | Kock–Werner Redouble A rescue mechanism employed when partner's bid is doubled for penalties. Invented by Rudolf Kock and Einar Werner of Sweden. See also SOS Redouble. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Last Train A conventional bid that is one step above the current bid and one step below game in a trump suit. It is a mild slam try and conveys no information about the suit bid. After 1♥ – 3♥; 4♣, 4♦ is Last Train, invites slam, and does not necessarily show a diamond control.
Late play A board that is played after the remainder of the event has finished, usually because of slow play or an irregularity.
Law of Total Tricks (LTT), or "The Law" A guideline stating that the total number of cards held by both sides in their longest trump fits equals the total number of tricks available to both sides in their best trump contracts. See Hand evaluation.
The Law is sometimes interpreted to mean that one side can profitably contract for a number of tricks equal to its own combined trump length; for example, compete to 3♠ with a nine-card spade fit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Laws of Contract Bridge and Laws of Duplicate Bridge The definitions, procedures and remedies that define how rubber bridge and duplicate bridge are played. The Laws include the Proprieties, which discuss the game's customs and etiquette — often far more important than procedural matters. The Laws apply worldwide. Individual sponsoring organizations, such as the ACBL and the EBL, establish their own regulations for play, which may amplify the Laws but may not conflict with them. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | One important difference between the laws of rubber bridge (contract) and duplicate bridge is that rubber players are expected to deal with irregularities themselves while duplicate players are expected to call the director.
Laydown A contract that can be made on any rational line of play.
Lead 1) The first card played to a trick, which dictates the suit that others must play if able to do so (see follow suit).
2) The hand that is entitled to lead to the next trick is said to be "on lead" or to "have the lead." 3) See opening lead.
Lead-directing double A double by the partner of the prospective opening leader that requests the lead of a particular suit. Experienced partnerships usually agree on a set of suit priorities, such as opening leader's bid suit, doubler's bid suit, dummy's first bid suit, or a suit that dummy has just bid conventionally.
Lead out of turn Playing a card when it was another player's turn to lead. Subject to penalty.
Lead through strength A maxim that advises a defender to lead a suit in which LHO has high card strength, forcing declarer to play high or low before third hand plays. The corollary is that a defender is advised to lead up to weakness in the fourth hand.
Leap To make a jump bid. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Leaping Michaels A conventional overcall in 4♣ or 4♦ made in defense to opposing 2-level or 3-level preemptive openings. Leaping Michaels shows a strong two-suited hand (5–5 or longer) that is less suitable for a takeout double and is game forcing. Described as an overcall by some of a weak two-bid of a major, others expand its application to all weak preempts at the 2 or 3-level in both the majors and minors. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Leave in To pass, often used of passing when partner's double was followed by a pass.
Lebensohl (Leb) Responder's bid of 2NT as a puppet to 3♣ in preparation for a sign-off. Normally used after an overcall of partner's 1NT opening, or after a double of partner's weak two bid. Also used after opponents weak two bid and partner's balancing take-out double.
Leg (Slang) game. Normally used in reference to rubber bridge. "A leg up" means being vulnerable vs. non-vulnerable opponents. "Cut off their leg" means becoming vulnerable vs. opponents who are already vulnerable.
Length The number of cards held in a suit.
Let through (Slang) To allow a contract to make by misdefense.
Level 1) The number of tricks that (when added to the book of six tricks) a bid or contract states will be taken. For example, a bid at the four level contracts to take (6 + 4) = 10 tricks.
2) The property of a contract that states whether it is at the part-score, game or slam level.
Lever (Slang, verb) To double. (In Britain at least, a penalty double: Leave 'er in. The past participle "levered" means, doubled for penalties.) LHO Left-hand opponent Light (Adv.) To enter the auction with relatively low values (for example, to "open light" or "overcall light"). To do so can be either a matter of tactics or of general style.
Lightner double A penalty double, usually of a slam contract, that requests partner to choose an unusual suit for the opening lead. This criterion tends to regard as typical (and thus to exclude) a trump lead, the lead of defenders' bid suit, and the lead of an unbid suit.
Limit In the bidding, to define a hand's strength with some degree of precision. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Limit Bid A bid which establishes narrow limits on both the high card strength and distribution of the bidder's hand. In many bidding systems the following bid types are limit bids: (1) Natural notrump bids indicating balanced hands within a narrow high card strength range; (2) raises of partner's suit indicating a minimum number of cards in the raised suit, a narrow high card strength range, and likely ruffing values; or (3) rebids of one's own suit indicating a minimum suit length, an unbalanced hand, and a narrow high card strength range. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | L | Limit jump raise An invitational jump raise of a major suit, such as 1♥ – 3♥. Limit jump raises usually guarantee at least an 8-card fit in partner's major suit and around 10–11 HCP or the distributional equivalent.
Limit raise Any call which invites partner to bid game in a suit partner has bid, previously. A limit raise promises trump support and hand strength about a king less than a minimum strength game force.
Line 1) (with "the"): A line on a bridge scorepad that separates points for tricks that count toward game (see Below the line) from those that do not (see Above the line).
2) On a given hand, the play strategy that is adopted by declarer or by the defenders.
3) Bidding: See Up the line and Down the line.
Lock 1) (Noun) A contract that is certain to succeed.
2) (Verb) To force a particular hand onto lead such that it cannot relinquish the lead unscathed.
LOL Little Old Lady (pronounced El-Oh-El). A facetious reference to a seemingly weak player.
Long cards Cards of the same suit, remaining in one hand, after all the other cards in that suit have been played from the other hands.
Long hand In a partnership, the hand with the longer trumps.
Long suit 1) In a hand, the suit with the greatest number of cards. Seldom used of a suit with fewer than five cards.
2) Any suit of unusual length.
3) Any suit of at least four cards. A four-card suit is likely to be called long when in context concerning a hand that is known to hold another suit, or even two, expected to be at least as long.
Long suit game try Following a major suit raise to the two level, the long suit game try names a suit with at least four cards, so that partner's cover card is useful regardless of length in the suit. A double fit is not unlikely and, if a major suit, that is a potential alternative trump suit.
2) Alternative term for a help suit game try. In some usage the "help suit game try" is barely distinguishable from the long, in some barely distinguishable from the weak.
Loser A card which apparently cannot take a trick.
Loser on loser A card play tactic that attempts to create an advantage by playing two losers, often of different suits, on the same trick. Loser-on-loser play has many applications, including the creation of a ruffing position for declarer, the avoidance of overruffs by the defense, and interference with the opponents' communications.
LROB Limit Raise Or Better. Example: "1H-2NT = Heart-support, LROB." Losing trick count (LTC) A method of hand evaluation based on counting losers.
Love No score. "Love all" means that neither side is vulnerable.
Low (Adjective) A card that is not expected to take a trick.
Low–high signal On defense, to play a higher card, having already played a lower one, so as to convey information to partner. Contrast Echo, or high–low signal.
Lucas twos A synonym or close variant of the Muiderberg convention, a weak two-bid showing 5 cards in a major and at least four cards in another suit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | MacGuffin A defensive card that, if retained, is a liability on one line of play, but that, if played, will be missed on another line of play. The term may be derived from the filmic plot device of the same name.
Major penalty card A card that is exposed by a defender prematurely and through intentional play; or, an honor card that is exposed prematurely even if accidentally. A major penalty card remains face up on the table to be played at the first legal opportunity, including as a discard. Contrast Minor penalty card. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Major suit The heart suit and the spade suit are major suits, often referred to simply as the majors. Declarer scores 30 points for each trick taken in an undoubled contract with a major suit as trump. Because game requires at least 100 points for tricks bid and made, both 4♥ and 4♠ (or 2♥ doubled and 2♠ doubled) constitute game contracts. Contrast Minor suits. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Major tenace The highest and the third highest remaining cards in a suit, held in the same hand. For example, the ♠AQ before spades have been played. Tenaces define the structure of finesses. See minor tenace.
Make (Verb) To take at least as many tricks as a contract calls for. Frequently used in the past tense of the verb, i.e. Made.
Mama–Papa (Adjective) An unsophisticated game, approach to bidding, or line of play. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Marionette Bid (Noun) A type of relay bid in which the cheapest response is expected nearly all the time, thus similar but not identical to a puppet bid. Name derives from "a puppet with strings." Marked To be known to hold a particular card: "He was marked with the ♥Q." Marked finesse A finesse for a card that evidently lies with a particular opponent. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Master The highest card of a suit that is yet to be played.
Masterpoints Units awarded, usually by national organisations, for successful performance in a bridge tournament.
Match A series of hands played by two teams in knockout events. One pair from each team sits North-South at one table and the other pair sits East-West at the other table.
Matchpoints A type of scoring in duplicate bridge. A pair's score on a given board is one matchpoint for every pair they outscored and one-half matchpoint for every pair they tied. (Outside the US these awards are often doubled, so as to avoid the award of fractional matchpoints.) See comparative scoring.
Matrix The layout of the cards that play pivotal roles in certain endplays, most typically squeezes.
Maxims A maxim of bridge is a brief expression of a general principle of the game. Most Bridge maxims have some validity but none are true in all circumstances. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Maximal overcall double By prior agreement, a game-invitational double of an overcall that leaves no room for a bid, when a bid would invite game. For example, after 1♠ – (2♥) – 2♠ – (3♥) there is no room below 3♠ for a game invitation (and a bid of 3♠ itself would be taken as merely competitive), so a double is used as a game invitation. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | McKenney See Suit preference signal.
Menace A card that requires an opponent to retain a higher card in the same suit, as a guard. The term is typically used of squeeze play.
Merrimac coup The deliberate sacrifice of a high card to remove a vital entry to an opponent's hand, usually the dummy. Named for a ship sunk during the Spanish–American War, to block the entrance to a harbor. Sometimes confused with, and spelled as, the Merrimack, the American Civil War ship that fought the Monitor. See Deschapelles coup. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Michaels cue bid By prior agreement, an immediate cue bid in the suit of an opponent's opening bid, such as 1♦ – (2♦), for two-suited takeout. The cue bid of a minor suit shows length in both major suits. The cue bid of a major suit typically shows length in the other major suit and in an unspecified minor suit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | MiniBridge A simplified form of contract bridge designed to expose newcomers to declarer and defensive playing techniques without the burden of learning a detailed bridge bidding system. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Minor penalty card A card below the rank of an honor card that is exposed by a defender prematurely but accidentally, via mishap. A minor penalty card remains face up on the table until played. The minor penalty card must be played before any other card below honor rank in the same suit; however, an honor in the same suit may be played before the minor penalty card is played. Contrast Major penalty card. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Minor suit The club suit and the diamond suit are minor suits. Declarer scores 20 points for each trick taken in an undoubled contract with a minor suit as trump. Because game requires at least 100 points for tricks bid and made, both 5♣ and 5♦ (or 3♣ doubled and 3♦ doubled) constitute game contracts. Contrast Major suits.
Minor tenace The second-highest and the fourth-highest (or lower) remaining cards in a suit, held in the same hand. For example, the ♠KJ before spades have been played. See major tenace.
Mirror Identical hand distributions: "North and South had mirror distributions." Misbid A bid that fails to describe the hand properly. Often a misdescription of a hand's shape, as distinct from an overbid or underbid.
Misfit Two partnership hands, neither of which can support the other's long suit. For example, a red Two-suiter opposite a black Two-suiter constitutes a misfit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Mitchell movement A pairs tournament movement in which the pairs sitting in one direction (usually North-South) stay in the same seats throughout, but after each round the pairs sitting in the other direction (usually East-West) move to the next higher numbered table, and the boards are moved to the next lower numbered table. Unless an arrow switch is performed, the effect is to create two events, a "North-South" contest and an "East-West" contest, with separate winning pairs, though a single winner can still be determined by comparing percentage results. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | M | Mixed 1) Of an event: contested by pairs or teams in which every pair comprises one male and one female player.
2) In the auction: A mixed raise is, by agreement, a jump cue bid of opener's suit in support of partner's overcall. It tends to show four card support for partner's suit and the strength of a good single raise. In 1♦ – (1♥) – 1♠ – (3♦), 3♦ is a mixed raise.
Morton's fork coup A play that forces the defense to choose between taking a high card that will establish extra winners for declarer, and ducking the trick, after which the high card cannot be cashed.
Movement In a tournament, the scheme for the progression of players and boards from table to table, arranged so that a pair does not play the same boards twice, or meet the same opponents twice etc. The most common movements for pairs tournaments are Howell and Mitchell.
Moysian fit A 4–3 trump fit, or a contract with such a trump fit. Named after The Bridge World editor Alphonse "Sonny" Moyse Jr, who wrote and published a variety of articles that promoted the virtues of such fits or contracts, some bidding styles designed to locate them, and some techniques for playing them well.
MUD Acronym of "Middle, Up, Down", a lead convention which describes the sequence in which cards from a holding of three low ones (all less in rank than the 10) are played.
Muiderberg convention A weak two-bid showing five cards in a major and at least four cards in another suit.
Multi An ambiguous opening bid of 2♦ that promises one of several different types of hand. Originally entitled "multicoloured 2 Diamonds". |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | N | Natural A call which indicates either: (1) a willingness to play the contract named, (2) a suit bid suggesting length or strength in that suit, (3) a notrump bid that suggests a balanced hand, (4) a double that suggests the ability to defeat the opponent's contract, (5) a redouble to suggest that the contract can be made in the face of a double by opponents, or (6) a pass that suggests weakness, satisfaction with the last bid made or no desire to make a further call. Contrast Artificial. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | N | NBB Nederlandse Bridge Bond (Dutch Bridge League).
Negative double A conventional call used by responder in a competitive auction to denote possession of at least one unbid suit.
Negative free bid Responder's suit bid following an opening bid and an overcall. Nonforcing by prior agreement.
Negative inference An inference based on something that did not happen. For example, if a defender does not overruff, declarer might conclude that he could not overruff. Or if declarer does not ruff a loser in dummy, a defender might conclude that declarer does not have a loser in that suit.
Negative response A bid that shows insufficient values for a stronger response. For example, a 2♦ response to a forcing 2♣ opening bid is often negative, as is a 1♦ response to a Precision 1♣.
Negative slam double In a competitive auction, the double of a voluntarily bid slam to show no defensive tricks, and therefore to suggest a sacrifice.
Neuberg formula In duplicate pairs tournaments, a method of fairly adjusting match point scores when not all boards have been played the same number of times. It gives equal weight to each board by calculating the expected number of match points that would have been earned if the board had been played the full number of times.
New minor forcing By agreement, after 1m – 1M; 1NT, a bid of two of the unbid minor as artificial and forcing, often requesting three card support for responder's bid major or four cards in the unbid major. Sometimes called PLOB.
New suit A suit that has not yet been bid.
NMF New minor forcing.
No bid An alternative to "pass". Used in the United Kingdom, where "pass" might be mis-heard as "hearts." Regarded as improper in the US.
Nonadverse suit, or non-adverse suit A suit which has not yet been bid by either opponent.
Nonforcing bid, or non-forcing bid A bid which partner may pass. See also Forcing bid, Invitation, Sign-off.
Nonvulnerable, or non-vulnerable Not vulnerable.
None vulnerable In rubber bridge, the state of the score in which neither pair has made a game. In duplicate bridge, the vulnerability condition under which neither pair is designated as vulnerable for the board in play. Also, "neither side vulnerable." Norman four notrump A slam-seeking convention North–South One of the partnerships designated on duplicate boards. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | N | Not vulnerable The state of vulnerability in which both bonuses and penalties are smaller. Therefore, less is at stake for a non-vulnerable pair investigating game or slam, or that is contesting the part score, than for a vulnerable pair. Also, "non-vulnerable." Notrump, or no trump (NT) A contract, or a bid that names a contract without a trump suit. Notrump is the highest-ranking strain. WikiProject Contract bridge deprecates the two-word "no trump", however "no trump" is the usual spelling in the United Kingdom and in those European countries which have adopted this English term. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | N | Notrump distribution, no trump distribution, or NT distribution Balanced distribution. WikiProject Contract bridge deprecates the two-word "No Trump".
NPC, or npc Non-playing captain.
Nuisance bid An interference bid whose principal aim is not to preempt or to compete for the contract, but nevertheless to upset the smooth flow of the opponents' bidding sequence.
Number, as "go for a number" A very large penalty: "He went for a number." Often, "telephone number", alluding to the size of that number if regarded as a quantity. (Dating back to the 1930s when UK telephone numbers were only four figures, plus an exchange name!) See also |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | Obligatory 1) Of a finesse: A duck, made in the hope that a high card will fall. For example, declarer holds ♥K432 opposite dummy's ♥Q765. The ♥2 is led to the ♥Q, which wins. Declarer now leads dummy's ♥5 and RHO follows with the ♥J. Declarer ducks, hoping that LHO must now play the ♥A. The play is obligatory because given the first heart trick, no other play can yield three tricks. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | 2) Of a falsecard: A falsecard that, like an obligatory finesse, cannot lose and might gain. An example is the play of the card that one is known to hold (for example, the play of a queen after it has been successfully finessed).
Odd Specifying a level. To make 4♥ is to make four-odd.
Odd–even discards A defensive carding scheme under which the play of an odd-numbered card is encouraging and that of an even-numbered card is discouraging. The rank of the card may be used to show suit preference.
Odd tricks The number of tricks above six (the book) that are taken by declarer.
Off 1) (Slang) Down, or set. "We're off two" means "We have made two fewer tricks than our contract." 2) (Slang) offside.
Offense-to-defense ratio (ODR) High ODR means a hand has characteristics more suited to winning the final contract, while Low ODR means it has characteristics more suited to defending against opponents' contract. ODR is not based on a mathematical formula, but refers to a player's judgement/perception of the hand.
Off shape, offshape, or off-shape Having a distribution that does not quite conform to that suggested by a bid, such as an opening bid of 1NT with 2=2=6=3 shape, or a weak-two bid with a seven card suit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | Off the top Said of some number of tricks that can be lost or won without gaining or losing the lead. "There were eleven tricks off the top in spades", to mean that declarer could take eleven tricks without interruption; or, "We're down off the top", to mean that the defenders, having the opening lead, can immediately take as many tricks as necessary to defeat the contract. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | Offside Unfavorably located, from the point of view of the player taking a finesse. If East holds the ♣K and North the ♣AQ, from South's point of view the ♣K is offside. Contrast Onside.
Olympiad A world bridge championship held every four years under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation.
On 1) Makeable. A contract that can be made is said to be on.
2) Onside.
3) (Suffix) In rubber bridge, preceded by a number that indicates progress toward game. If one has 40 points Below the line, one has 40-on.
One club system A bidding system that uses a bid of 1♣ as artificial and forcing, but not necessarily strong.
One over one, or one-over-one (1/1) To an opening one-bid, any one-level response in a suit; that is, one of a higher suit in response to opening one of a lower suit. Contrast Two over one.
One round force A bid that requests partner to ensure that the bidding continue for at least one more round. If partner's RHO bids, partner may pass, but is otherwise expected to bid.
See also Forcing bid, Game force and Grand slam force.
One-suiter A hand with only one long suit, normally refers to a hand with a six card or longer suit.
Onside Favorably located, from the point of view of the player taking a finesse. If West holds the ♣K and North the ♣AQ, then from South's point of view the ♣K is onside. Contrast Offside.
Open 1) In the auction: To start the bidding by making the first call other than Pass.
2) Of a room used at a team event: allowing spectators. Normally at least one of two rooms is closed to spectators. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | 3) Of an event: not restricting entries in some way that is implicit. So participation in an open event is unrestricted in at least one respect: a) not by invitation only (invitational event) b) not by qualification in a preceding event or qualifier c) not by representation of geographic zones, nations, cities, clubs, etc; nor by requirement that pair or team members share geographic residence, club membership, etc (national event, etc) d) not by age, sex, or playing record (seniors, Masters, etc). |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | O | Open is generally ambiguous but it does have the last sense (d) in the names of WBF world championship events, where the relevant Categories are Youth (with subcategories), Seniors, Women, and Open. For the WBF, transnational means open in sense (c).
Opener The player who makes the opening bid.
Opener's rebid Opener's second bid.
Opening bid The first bid in the auction.
Opening lead The first card led by defenders. The dummy is not faced until after the opening lead, which makes the choice of opening lead more difficult than other leads. The opening lead can determine the outcome of the deal.
Opening leader The declarer's LHO, who always makes the opening lead.
Opponent A member of the other partnership or team.
Optimum contract In unopposed bidding, the contract that cannot be improved upon by further bidding, nor could have been improved upon by taking a different line in earlier bidding. The contract is regarded as optimum because it offers the maximum score while minimizing the risk of failure.
Our hand (Informal) A hand on which "our" side can take more tricks than their side.
Out-of-the-blue cue bid See Advance cue bid.
Over See In back of.
Overbid 1) (Noun) A bid that overstates a hand's strength.
2) (Verb) To bid voluntarily to a contract that the partnership cannot make.
3) (Verb) To bid too high, irrespective of the result.
4) (Noun) (obsolete) In old texts, may refer to an overcall.
Overboard (Slang) Having overbid.
Overcall The first bid made by one of opener's opponents unless they intervene first by a double.
Overcaller The player making an overcall; may also be referred to as the intervenor. Contrast Advancer.
Overruff To ruff with a higher trump following a prior ruff on the same trick.
Overtake To play a card higher than the winning card played by partner, unnecessary to win the trick but necessary to gain the lead.
Overtrick A trick taken by declarer beyond the number of tricks required by the contract. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Pack Deck of cards.
Pair Two players playing bridge together as partners. Partnership.
Pairs A form of duplicate bridge in which each pair competes separately, as distinct from team and individual events. Pairs events are normally scored by matchpoints.
Palooka (Slang) Someone who plays bridge worse than others in their usual level of play Panama A defence to a Strong Club whereby two-level bids show the suit bid or the other three suits.
Par, or par score On a given deal, the score that results from best bidding and best play by both sides. See optimum contract and par contract.
Par contest A competition that uses composed deals, designed to test each pair's bidding and its card play. After the bidding, pairs are instructed to play (or defend) a specified contract. Results are compared not with other tables but with the predetermined par result.
Par contract That contract which results from optimal bidding by both sides, and which neither side could improve by further bidding.
Pard (Slang) Partner.
Part score, or part-score 1) A trick score less than 100, obtained by making a contract.
2) The contract that results in that trick score.
3) In rubber bridge, a total of fewer than 100 points below the line.
Partial A part score.
Partial elimination An endplay in which declarer is unable to remove all possible safe defensive exit cards, and must hope that the remaining cards are so distributed that the defense cannot get off lead safely.
Partner The other member of the partnership.
Partnership 1) See pair.
2) Two partners who play together for an extended period.
3) The complete set of agreements entered into by a pair.
Partnership bidding Sequences in which the opponents do not compete.
Partnership desk A service, provided by some tournaments, that locates a partner for a player who does not yet have one.
Partnership understanding, or partnership agreement An agreement between partners, reached prior to the beginning of play, concerning the meaning of a call or of carding.
Pass 1) A call indicating that the player does not wish to change the contract named by the preceding bid, double or redouble. To pass transfers the right to make the next call to passer's LHO, unless it is the third consecutive pass, which ends the bidding (but see Passed out). See also No bid.
2) To play, from third hand, a lower card than the one led to the trick. If declarer leads the ♥J, LHO plays a small heart, and declarer plays the ♥2 from dummy's ♥AQ2, declarer has passed the ♥J.
Pass and pull To make a forcing pass and on the next round remove partner's double by bidding.
Passed hand A player who passed instead of opening the bidding. The inference is that a passed hand does not hold the values required to open the bidding (unless playing a strong pass bidding system).
Passed out 1) A deal is passed out if the auction begins with four consecutive passes. There is no contract, no play of the hand, and (at rubber bridge) no score. The players proceed to the next deal.
2) A bid, double, or redouble (an action) is passed out if it is followed by three passes, which end the auction. The last action identifies the contract and the play follows.
Passive defense An approach to defending a hand that emphasizes waiting for tricks that declarer must eventually lose, getting off lead safely, and avoiding plays that will set up tricks for declarer. Often indicated when neither declarer nor dummy has a running side suit or when the declaring side may have over-reached in the bidding. Contrast Active.
Pass-or-correct A bid made in response to partner's ambiguous call. For example, South opens with 1♠ and West bids 2♠, by prior agreement showing hearts and a minor. North passes and East bids 3♣, expecting West to pass if he holds clubs and to correct to diamonds otherwise.
Pass out 1) To make the third of three consecutive passes following a bid, double or redouble.
2) To make the fourth of four consecutive passes. Thus, a bid cannot have been made and the table progresses to the next deal.
3) (Adjective) The seat where a pass would end the auction.
Pattern See distribution.
Pearson points High card points plus number of spades held. See Hand evaluation.
Penalty 1) A score awarded to the defense when declarer's contract goes down. The size of the penalty depends on the number of tricks that declarer was set, the vulnerability, and whether the contract was doubled, or redoubled. See Score. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | 2) A remedy assigned by a director to redress damage done by an infraction. The penalty for a minor, procedural infraction might be some number of tricks, matchpoints or IMPs, or disallowing a particular bid or play. A more serious violation of the game's Proprieties may be imposed by barring the offender from an event, a portion of an event, or from organized bridge. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Penalty card A card, incorrectly exposed by the defense, whose subsequent proper play is governed by certain rules. See major penalty card and minor penalty card.
Penalty double See double Penalty pass The pass of an informatory double, to convert it to a penalty double.
Percentage In matchpoint scoring, refers to the number of matchpoints actually scored by a pair on a board, session, or event, as a percentage of the maximum number available.
Percentage play A play that is chosen because the mathematics of suit distribution suggests that it is more likely to succeed than an alternative line. Usually said of play in a single suit rather than the hand as a whole.
Personal score A record of the board number, opposing pair number, contract, declarer, tricks taken, and raw score kept by each player for the boards played by the partnership in a single session. The personal score often appears on the back of the convention card.
Peter (Slang; chiefly British) See Echo. The term is said to derive from the Blue Peter, a nautical signal.
Phantom pair In a pairs movement, if there is an odd number of pairs, then in each round one pair will have to sit out. The missing pair that they would have played is known as the phantom pair.
Phantom sacrifice A sacrifice bid against a contract that the opponents would not have made. Also, False sacrifice or Phantom save.
Phoney club A type of 1 Club opening bid which shows opening values but does not guarantee clubs, denies a five card major (and often 5 diamonds as well) and may have as little as one club (on a 4441 shape hand). Usually played as forcing for one round. A variant of a short club.
Pianola (Slang) A hand that is so easy it plays itself. "Pianola" is a trademarked brand of player piano (a piano that plays automatically).
Pick up 1) (Verb) To run a suit without losing a trick in it.
2) (Adjective) Said of a partner who completes a pair, or of a pair that completes a team, just prior to the start of an event.
Pick-up slip A type of score slip on which the result of a deal is recorded for the purpose of comparative scoring. Used in certain event formats, it is picked up after each round by the director or his caddy. Also referred to as a pick-up card. Contrast Traveller.
Pin The lead of a high card from one hand to capture a singleton of lower rank in an opponent's hand.
Pip 1) A spot card.
2) A suit symbol (♠, ♥, ♦, ♣) on a card.
Pitch To discard.
Pivot 1) (Adjective) Of the suit that both defenders must guard in a double squeeze.
2) (Verb) In party bridge, to change partners while remaining at the same table. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | 3a) (Verb) In duplicate bridge, to play one round in a given direction, and the next round in the opposite direction at the same table 3b) (Noun) In duplicate bridge, a pivot table is a table where each pair will perform a pivot. This can only happen in a Howell movement, or another similar movement, where players move between East-West and North-South during the course of the game. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Plafond A French, whist-like card game whose scoring foreshadowed that used in contract bridge.
Plain suit A suit that is not trump; a side suit.
Play 1) (Noun) The stage of a deal when players attempt to take tricks. The declarer tries to take at least as many tricks as the contract calls for, and the defenders try to prevent that outcome.
2) (Verb) To contribute a card to a trick, either by displaying its face (as in duplicate bridge) or by placing it face up on the table (as in rubber bridge).
Play for To assume that the opponents have a particular distribution or holding, and to plan and conduct the play on that basis.
Playable 1) (Of a contract) A rational, if not necessarily optimal, choice of strain and level.
2) (Of an agreement) Leading to an acceptable result, if not in the best fashion.
Playing tricks Cards, such as long cards, that will take tricks (usually, for declarer), and that therefore contribute to a hand's strength.
PLOB Acronym or initialism for Petty Little Odious Bid, another name for New Minor Forcing. The name is derived from a diatribe by The Bridge World editor Alphonse "Sonny" Moyse Jr in the magazine's Master Solver's Club feature, which called the convention an "odious, meaningless, petty little bid".
Pocket One of four slots in a duplicate board that hold the cards between plays.
PODI A proxi-acronym for Pass=0, Double=1. Method for countering interference over Blackwood. Pronounced "podey".
Point 1) A scoring unit: e.g., a trick taken by declarer in a minor suit contract scores 20 points.
2) A metric used in hand evaluation, to quantify its strength in high cards and distribution.
3) A metric, such as masterpoints, used in rating players.
Point-a-board Another name for board-a-match.
Point count A method of hand evaluation which assigns a numeric value to a hand's high cards and distributional features, used as a guideline in bidding.
Point count trap A hand whose intrinsic trick-taking potential is less than a conventional point count would indicate.
Pointed suit Spades or diamonds. The term refers to the shape at the tops of the suit symbols. Contrast Rounded suit.
Portland Club A bridge club in London which published the first version of the Laws of contract bridge. The club remains part of the ongoing process of revising the laws, along with the ACBL and the EBL, because of the vesting of the copyright.
Position (Noun) Seat at the table: North, South, East, West; or first, second, third, fourth.
Positional squeeze A squeeze that can succeed against only a specific opponent, because at least one threat must lie over its guard. Compare with Automatic squeeze.
Positive response A bid that announces the possession of at least minimum values. Often said of a response to a forcing opening bid. Contrast Negative response.
Post mortem (Slang) A discussion of a hand, and the nature of the result, after the play has concluded.
Powerhouse An unusually strong hand. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Prealert An alert which must be made at the beginning of the round before play begins on the first board. Different national governing organizations may establish different requirements for prealerts. Examples of methods for which the ACBL requires a prealert include the following:An agreement to lead the small card from "xx" on opening lead An agreement (canapé) to bid the shorter of two suits before the longer suit with a two-suited hand An agreement to use any bidding convention that entitles the opponents to consult a written defense during the auctionPrecision, or Precision Club A bidding system that combines the features of Kaplan–Sheinwold with a strong, artificial 1♣ opening bid. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Preempt, preemptive bid, or preemptive raise 1) A bid (or raise) predicated on length of a suit rather than overall strength, primary function of which is to interfere with the opponents' bidding by taking away bidding space they need to exchange information.
2) (Noun) A bid that has a preemptive effect, regardless of its intent.
Preference A call that returns the bidding to partner's first-bid suit; for example, in 1♥ – 1♠; 2♦ – 2♥, 2♥ is a preference. A simple, non-jump preference shows neither strength nor support for the suit; it is simply a return to partner's presumably longer suit.
Prepared bid A bid which differs from usual partnership practice that is chosen to avoid a later bidding problem. For example, playing five-card majors and holding a minimal strength opening hand, a strong four-card spade suit may be opened in preference to a weak five-card heart suit. See also prepared opening bid.
Prepared club See short club. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Present count A carding agreement under which a count signal shows the number of cards currently held. In a count-giving situation, a defender might first play the ♥3 from ♥753, and the ♥7 as his second play. Also, "current count." Principle of restricted choice A guideline to the play of the hand, concerning the probability of the location of key cards in the unseen hands. In particular it states that if a defender plays one of two adjacent missing cards (e.g. ♦QJ) then that defender is less likely also to hold the other missing card. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Progression The movement of players and deals between rounds in an event.
Progressive squeeze A squeeze in three suits that, when it matures, results in a new squeezed position in two suits.
Promote 1) In the play, to cause a card to become a winner.
2) In the bidding, to assign a higher value to a card, or to the hand as a whole, as a result of earlier calls made by partner or by the opponents.
Proprieties A section of the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge that describes, in general terms, proper conduct as to the exchange of information concerning a hand, as to attitude and etiquette, as to partnership agreements, and as to spectators' conduct. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Protect See balance. (In the UK, protect is the more usual term.) Protest See appeal. (In the UK, appeal is the more usual term.) Pseudo squeeze A position that, to a defender, appears to be a true squeezed position, but is not. Declarer hopes that the defender will misplay as a result. The literature often gives as an example a position in which declarer has a void in dummy's apparent suit of entry. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Psych, psyche, psychic, or psychic bid A call that grossly misstates high card strength or distribution, made so as to deceive the opponents. The Laws specify that psychic bids themselves are legal. It is, however, a violation to infer and fail to disclose that partner has psyched, when the inference is based on partnership agreement or experience. Sponsoring organizations regulate the use of certain psychic bids. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | P | Psychic control A bid that, by partnership agreement, announces that the player's previous bid was a psychic.
Pull 1) To remove the opponents' trumps.
2) To remove partner's double.
Pump (slang) To force out an opponent's trump, usually by means of a forcing defense.
Puppet An artificial bid that simply requests partner to make a specified cheap reply – commonly the cheapest sufficient bid, or next step.
Puppet Stayman A version of Stayman employed after an opening bid of 1NT or 2NT which could include a five-card major.
Push 1) (Verb) To force the opponents to make any subsequent call at a level higher than they have as yet.
2) (Noun) A tied board in a pairs or team duplicate event. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | Q | Quack A portmanteau of queen and jack. Used in situations where it does not matter whether the queen or the jack is held or played, as well as to emphasize that it does not matter. See Principle of restricted choice.
Qualifying (Adjective) A session or sessions preliminary to the final of an event.
Quantitative 1) Of a bid: A call based, usually, on high card points, rather than a feature such as fit or shortness. A raise from 1NT to 3NT based on a 4–3–3–3 hand with 10 HCP is a quantitative raise.
2) Of scoring: The method of scoring used in rubber bridge or in IMP events. The metric used is the number of points earned on each deal, perhaps adjusted by the IMP scale and victory points. In contrast, comparative scoring is based on the number of pairs that have been out-scored.
Queen ask, or queen-ask In Key Card Blackwood, the cheapest bid over the response to 4NT, to ask responder for the trump queen.
Quick tricks In card play, top ranking holdings able to win tricks immediately. Similar in concept to honor tricks in the evaluation of hand strength. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | Q | Quitted trick A trick whose cards have all been turned face down (duplicate bridge) or gathered in front of the trick's winner (rubber bridge). In rubber bridge, a player may inspect a quitted trick if his side has not yet led to the next trick. In duplicate bridge, a player may inspect a quitted trick only if told to do so by a director. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | Q | Quotient Points won divided by the sum of points won and points lost, occasionally used to break a tie. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rainbow A movement used in individual events.
Rainbow trick A trick consisting of all four suits, typically involving low cards.
Raise A bid of partner's suit at a higher level. A raise shows a fit for partner's suit. 1?–2? is a single raise; 1?–3? is a double raise.
Rank The position of an individual card relative to others: Aces have the highest rank, followed by K, Q, J, 10, ... 2.
The order of denominations in the bidding. Notrump is highest-ranked denomination, followed by spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. A higher-ranked suit may be bid at the same level as a lower-ranked suit; the reverse is not true.Rebid The second or a subsequent bid by the same player.
A bid by the same player in a suit he has already bid.Rebiddable suit A suit with sufficient length and strength, according to partnership agreements, to be rebid in certain defined circumstances.
Recap (Abbreviation of "recapitulation") A summary of results in a bridge tournament.
Recorder A member of a bridge organization whose responsibility it is to maintain a record of reports of possible violations of the Proprieties.
Rectify the count To lose some number of tricks in preparation for a squeeze. Losing the tricks "tightens up" the end position, removing idle cards from the defenders' hands before they can be used as safe discards in the squeezed position. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Red (Slang) Vulnerable. From the color of the paint on a duplicate board. Also: "Red vs. red" to mean both sides vulnerable, and "red vs. white" to mean vulnerable vs. not. (In British slang, those last two expressions are rarely used. The more usual ones are: "(at) game all", "both red" or "(at) red all"; and "at unfavourable", "at red", "red against green" or "red against not".) Redeal In rubber bridge, the prescribed remedy for a faulty deal. In duplicate bridge, redeals are not used except in special cases and under a director's supervision. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Redouble A call that doubles the penalties and bonuses that apply to a previous double. Used conventionally, a redouble may also convey additional information.
Re-entry A card that enables a hand to gain the lead on a later trick, after that hand has already gained the lead with a different entry card.
Refuse (Verb). Of a trick, to duck.
Reject To fail to comply with a bid that has made a request, such as an invitation or a transfer.
Relay bid, or relay An artificial bid that requests partner to further describe his hand. The relay is usually the lowest available bid, so as to leave as much room for description as possible.
Relay system A bidding system that consists of many relay bid sequences.
Relever or re-lever (Slang) Redouble; by extension from lever.
Remove To bid on over an undesired contract, especially a doubled contract.
Renege Informal term for Revoke; associated with other games such as whist.
Reopen See balance.
Repechage A form of knockout competition in which winners advance and losers drop into a secondary event from which some number of top performers return to the primary event.
Rescue To remove from a contract that partner has bid and which, often, has been doubled.
Responder Opening bidder's partner.
Response A bid by responder immediately following an opening bid and RHO's call.
Responsive double A double that follows LHO's opening bid, partner's takeout double and RHO's raise of opener's suit, to show moderate values and no clear opinion as to the best strain.
Result merchant (Slang) One who evaluates bids and plays according to their outcome, rather than to their intrinsic merit. Also, "Result player" and "Second guesser".
Retain the lead Maintain the right to lead to the next trick by leading and winning the current trick.
Return To lead back, usually the suit that partner led. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Reverse A bidding sequence in which a single player, on consecutive calls, bids two different suits, and bids the two suits in the reverse order to that expected by the basic bidding system. The specific definition of a reverse therefore depends on the bidding system (see main article). The reverse is designed to show additional strength without the need to make a jump bid. Because the reverse takes up bidding space, the reverse bidder is usually expected to hold a stronger than average hand, usually more than 16 HCP. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Revoke Failure to follow suit as required when a player is able to do so.
Rewind (Slang) To redouble.
RHO Right-hand opponent.
Rise, as "rise with" To play a high card in the hope of taking a trick: "Rise with the ace." Also, "go up with" RKCB Roman Key Card Blackwood, a slam bidding convention.
Robert coup A rare end position which combines elements of ruff and discard, trump shortening, and endplaying to force an opponent to concede a trump trick Roman Descriptive of bids and carding agreements used or originated in the Roman system:Roman 2♣ and 2♦: Three-suiters.
Roman Blackwood, Gerber and Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB): Step responses to the ace-asking bid that entail mild ambiguity.
Roman jump overcall: Two-suiter.
Roman asking bid: A request that partner bid his number of controls wholesale, via step responses.
Roman discards: odd-even discards.
Roman leads: Rusinow leads.RONF Acronym for "Raise (is the) Only Non-Force". A treatment used for responding to preempts, usually weak two bids. All bids except the single raise are forcing.
Rosenblum Cup The award for winning the world knockout team championship that is held in even numbered years other than leap years. (The Bermuda Bowl is contested in odd numbered years and the World Team Olympiad in leap years.) Rotation The progression of the bidding and play in a clockwise direction around the table.
Roth–Stone A bidding system popular in the U.S. during the 1960s. It features sound opening bids, five-card majors and negative doubles. It is the principal foundation for 2/1 Game Forcing.
Round In the bidding, a sequence of four consecutive calls.
In duplicate bridge, a set of boards leading to another round (e.g., the semi-final round), or a set of boards that two pairs play against one another.
Of a control, the round on which the control can stop the opponents from winning a trick. An ace, for example, is a first round control; the king is a second round control.Rounded suit Hearts or clubs. The term refers to the shape at the tops of the suit symbols. Contrast Pointed suit.
Round-robin tournament, or round-robin An event format in which each team eventually opposes each other team.
Rubber In rubber bridge, the set of successive deals that ends when one of the pairs wins two games.
Rubber bonus A bonus awarded to the pair winning the rubber: 500 points if the losers are vulnerable, 700 if they are not.
Rubber bridge The original form of contract bridge, a contest with four players in two opposing pairs (as distinct from duplicate bridge, which requires a minimum of eight players).
Rubens advances Transfer advances of overcalls. See Useful Space Principle.
Ruff To play a trump on a trick when a plain suit was led.
Ruff and discard The lead of a suit in which both opponents are void, so that one opponent can ruff while the other discards (or sluffs). A ruff and discard is usually damaging to the side that leads to the trick. Also, ruff and sluff or ruff and slough.
Ruff out To establish a suit by ruffing one or more of its low cards.
Rule of Eight Devised by Ely Culbertson. "The total of defensive honor-tricks that will be won at any bid (trump or no-trump) after each deal is about 8 out of the 13 tricks." A way to decide whether to overcall an opponent's 1NT opening. Length in long suits, the losing trick count and HCP are combined. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Devised by David Burn from experience of playing with and of captaining teams of junior players. (1) Subtract the number of aces held by opponents from eight. (2) Don't play at that level.Rule of Eighteen Regulation by the World Bridge Federation stipulating that an opening bid is acceptable if the sum of the number of cards in the two longest suits plus the number of HCP is at least 18. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rule of Eleven A calculation that can be used when it is assumed that opening leader has led the fourth highest card in a suit. By subtracting the pips on the card led from 11, the result is the number of cards in the other three hands that are higher than the one led. Third hand, for example, can then make inferences about declarer's holding in the suit by examining his own and dummy's holdings; likewise, declarer can make inferences about right-hand-opponent's holding in the suit. (The rule can be modified to subtract from 12 if the lead is thought to be third best, and from 10 if the lead is thought to be fifth best.) Rule of Fifteen Guideline for opening light in fourth seat: open if your high card points plus your number of spades is 15 or more. Also known as the Cansino Count. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rule of Five When the bidding has reached the 5-level in a competitive auction, tend to defend rather than bid on. In other words, in competitive auctions, 5-level contracts belong to the enemy. See also Law of Total Tricks Rule of Four Avoid giving support for partner's 5-card suit if a superior 4–4 fit might be available.
Rule of Seven When declarer's only high card in the suit led by the opponents is the ace, count the number of cards in that suit held by declarer and dummy, subtract from seven and duck that many times. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rule of Three On a competitive part score deal, with the points roughly equal between your side and theirs, once the bidding has reached the 3-level, tend to defend rather than bid on (unless your side has 9 trumps). See also Law of Total Tricks Rule of Twenty A widely used guideline of the Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) bidding system which states that a hand may open bidding "normally" (that is, by bidding one of a suit) if the sum obtained by adding the combined length of its longest two suits to its high card points is twenty or more, but that weaker hands must either open with a preemptive bid or pass. See also Zar points evaluation method. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rule of Two When missing two non-touching honors, it is normally superior to finesse first for their lower honor. In the following two example hands, three tricks or the maximum possible are needed. In the first hand, finesse the ♠10, not the ♠Q. Similarly in the second, lead the ♥2 and when West follows with the ♥9, it is best to finesse the ♥10. When one of the missing honors is the 10 the rule will not apply, as one does not normally finesse for a 10 on the first round. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | R | Rule of Two and Three A bidding guide suggested by Ely Culbertson, which counsels preemptors to be within two tricks of their contract if vulnerable, and within three if not. Few players now follow the Rule of Two and Three.
Ruling A finding and decision by a tournament director or appeals committee.
Run To play the winners in a suit.
Rusinow leads An agreement to lead the second highest of touching honors. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Sac (Slang) Sacrifice. Also, "sack." Sacrifice (Noun) A contract that was deliberately bid in the expectation of going down, in the hope of a penalty smaller than the opponents' expected score from making a contract they had bid. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | (Verb) To bid to such a contract.Safety level A level at which the partnership can normally assume, on the basis of the previous bidding, that its contract will succeed. It is the point below which the partnership prefers to explore even higher contracts. Also, "security level." Safety play A play that maximizes the chances for fulfilling the contract (or for achieving a certain score) by avoiding a play which might result in a higher score. Contrast Percentage play, the best play in a suit, whereas a safety play is the best line for the contract. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Sandbag (Slang) To bid weakly or pass with good values, in the hope that the opponents will get overboard.
Sandwich An overcall made after an opening bid and response by the opponents. The overcall is "sandwiched" between two hands that have each shown strength.
Save (Slang) Sacrifice.
SAYC Standard American Yellow Card, a particular bidding system or the completed ACBL convention card that represents it.
Scientific A style of bidding that attempts to narrowly limit the strength of a partnership's hands, so as to make its bidding more accurate.
Scissors coup A loser-on-loser play meant to break the opponents' communications. Formerly known as 'Coup without a name'.
Score, or bridge scoring 1) The numeric result of a deal, session or event.
2) (Verb) Of a card, to win a trick: "The ♠Q scored." Score slip A paper form used to record the result of each deal in a duplicate bridge event when electronic scoring devices are not available. Depending upon the event format, the score slip may be either a pick-up slip or a traveller.
Scramble 1) To bid to a safer contract.
2) To score small trumps by ruffing, rather than as long cards. Often used of the play of a contract based on a Moysian fit.
Screen A device which divides the table diagonally, visually separating partners from each other. Used in higher-level competition to reduce the possibility of unauthorized information.
Screenmates Opponents who sit on the same side of the screen.
Seat Position relative to the dealer: for example, dealer's LHO is said to be in second seat.
Second guesser See result merchant.
Second hand The player to the left of the player who has led to a trick.
Second hand low A precept that advises second hand to play a low card on RHO's lead. See also Third hand high.
Section A group of contestants in an event.
Seed A ranking assigned to a contestant of relatively high rank.
See-saw squeeze See Entry-shifting squeeze.
Semi-balanced hand A hand with 5–4–2–2 or 6–3–2–2 distribution.
Semi-forcing bid A bid which is conditionally forcing: one which requests partner to rebid unless his hand is minimal or sub-minimal for his previous bidding. Compare invitation.
Sequence 1) The auction, or calls made in the auction.
2) Two or more cards adjacent in rank.
Session A period of play during which those entered in an event play designated boards against designated opponents.
Set 1) To defeat a contract.
2) The number of tricks by which a contract is defeated ("a two-trick set").
Set game In rubber bridge, an agreement that partners will not change at the end of each rubber.
Set up Establish.
SF Semi-forcing.
Shaded (Of a call) A call that is not quite warranted by the strength of the hand making it.
Shape The distribution of suits in a hand.
Shift 1) (Verb) To lead a suit other than the one already played.
2) (Noun) In the bidding, a change of suit, usually said of a jump bid (see jump shift).
Shoot To try for an unusually good result by adopting an abnormal line of play, typically at matchpoint scoring. Declarer hopes that the cards are distributed in such a way that a superior line of play will fail. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Short club The natural opening bid of 1♣ when the suit contains three cards or less. Usually employed by players using the five-card majors treatment for opening bids when holding a hand with opening values but lacking a five-card major. When the hand contains two clubs and three diamonds, an opening diamond bid is preferred. Also, "short diamond." These bids may also be called "prepared minors" – "prepared club" and "prepared diamond", or "better minor" bids. The EBU "Orange Book" recommends the term "prepared club" for bids that show a minimum of three cards, and "short club" where it may only be two cards or less. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Short suit 1) In a 13-card hand, a singleton or void suit.
2) In a hand, that suit with the fewest cards. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Short suit game try By agreement, a bid of a short side suit after a single raise, hoping to reach game. For example, after 1♥ – 2♥, opener might rebid 3♣ with a singleton or void in clubs. The bid tells partner where high cards will be least useful, indicating duplication of values. It requests partner to take positive action with high-card strength outside that suit. Otherwise, the bid requests partner to sign off (in this example, by bidding 3♥). See help-suit game try and game try. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Short-suit points In hand evaluation, points counted for singletons and voids.
Show out Fail to follow suit.
Shuffle To mix the cards. Shuffling seldom results in random distributions: in the long run, the cards so mixed rarely match the mathematical expectancies.
Side Partnership.
Side game A secondary event played simultaneously with the main event.
Side suit A suit that is not trump; plain suit. A side suit may nevertheless have significant length: see Two-suiter.
Signals The conventional meanings assigned to plays made by the defenders in order to exchange information. Also, carding.
Signoff bid 1) A bid that requests that partner pass.
2) A call that denies extra values, one that normally results in a pass by partner. Compare non-forcing bid, forcing bid.
Sign off To make a signoff bid.
Silent bidder A sheet, typically of card or plastic, placed in the center of the table during the bidding period, and marked with numeral, suit and other symbols such that a player can indicate a call by tapping on them with a finger, writing implement, or the like. Largely superseded by bidding boxes.
Simple squeeze A squeeze against one opponent, in two suits, with the count (definition 3).
Single dummy The normal manner of play, with certain knowledge only of one's own cards and dummy's, and without verbal communication between partners. Contrast Double dummy.
Singleton A holding of exactly one card in a suit.
Sit-out A round in a movement during which a pair is idle. That pair is said to "sit out" that round.
Skip An irregular feature of a Mitchell movement: typically a move by the East–West pairs of 2 tables up instead of the usual 1, to avoid them playing the same boards twice. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Skip bid warning, or skip-bid warning A warning to LHO that one is about to make a jump bid that could cause a revealing hesitation or huddle; used only when bidding screens are not in place. The warning is made in one of two ways: 1) When bidding boxes are in use, the red Stop card is placed on the table followed by a bid card; LHO is expected to wait 10 seconds before taking action; 2) When bidding boxes are not in use, the jump bidder announces "I am about to make a skip bid, please wait." and then bids. LHO waits 10 seconds. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Slam 1) small slam (or simply, slam): a contract to win at least twelve tricks.
2) grand slam: a contract to win all thirteen tricks.
Bidding and making a slam or grand slam scores significant bonus points.
Slam try A bid that invites partner to bid a slam.
Slot (Slang) The location of a card that is onside. "In the slot" means "Finessable." Slough Discard. Pronounced and sometimes spelled "sluff".
Slow Cards that require establishment before they can be cashed.
Slow arrival A style of bidding that uses a jump to a contract (to which the previous bidding has already forced the partnership) to show a specific holding. Contrast Fast arrival.
Slow rubber A rubber completed in three games. See fast rubber.
Sluff See discard. Neo-orthography for slough, as used in ruff and sluff.
Smack (Slang) Same meaning as crack.
Small slam A contract for six odd tricks.
Smith signal The Smith signal (also known as Smith echo or Smith peter) is an attitude carding signal in contract bridge showing additional values (or lack thereof) in the first suit led by the defence, while the signal itself is given in the first suit played by declarer.
Smolen After opener has denied a four-card major in a Stayman sequence, responder's jump to 3M to show four cards in the bid major and five cards in the other major.
Smother play An endplay that captures an opponent's guarded trump by means of an overruff, when that card cannot be finessed in the normal fashion.
Soft values Lower honors, as distinct from aces and kings.
Solid A suit strong enough to run without interruption, or (in the bidding) that requires no fit with partner.
Sort To arrange one's cards by suit, and by rank within suit.
SOS redouble A conventional redouble that asks partner for rescue from a doubled contract. Its name comes from the Morse code distress signal SOS.
Sound A hand that is relatively strong for a call that is contemplated or that has been made.
South African Texas A variant of Texas in which 4♣ and 4♦ are used as transfers to 4♥ and 4♠ respectively. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Splinter A singleton or void in a suit other than the trump suit. A hand with both good support for partner's trumps and a splinter can be very powerful offensively—offering control of the splinter suit (by ruffing the first or second trick) and extra trump winners (by ruffing subsequent rounds). When declarer holds either no top honors or the ace and low cards opposite a splinter in the dummy, the combined hands may win several more tricks than the partnership might have expected without awareness of the powerful fit. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Splinter bid An unusual jump bid that by agreement shows a fit for partner's last-bid suit and a singleton or void in the bid suit. For example, a partnership could treat 4♣ in response to an opening bid of 1♠ as a splinter bid, showing a good hand with spade support and a singleton or void club. Compare with Fragment bid. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Split 1) (Noun) The distribution in the opponents' hands of the cards in a suit.
2) (Verb) To play one of two touching honors when the lead comes through them.
Split menace A menace in squeeze play which depends on values in both declarer's hand and dummy.
Split tenace A position where the high cards of a tenace are in opposite hands, e.g. Ax opposite Qx; usually relevant only when a lead by an opponent with the missing honor card (here, the K) would be damaging to his side.
Sponsor 1) The organization that puts on a tournament, such as the WBF, the ACBL or the EBU, a regional association, or a club.
2) One who hires partners or teammates to compete in an event.
Spot card A card that ranks below the 10.
Spread (Slang) Laydown.
SPS A Suit Preference Signal, a card played by a defender to show interest in or an entry in a side suit.
Squeeze A playing technique that forces the defender to discard a vital card, usually an apparent stopper.
Squeeze card A card whose lead forces one or both defenders to discard their guard in a suit.
Stack A distribution of cards in defenders' hands that might make the play difficult for declarer. The defenders' trumps, for example, could be said to be stacked if they divide 5–0.
Standard American or Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) A bidding system thought to conform to agreements that an unfamiliar partnership in America would use.
Stationary Not called to change seats during the movement being used.
Stayman convention A conventional bid of 2♣ that calls for a 1NT opening bidder to bid a four-card major, if one is held, and (usually) 2♦ otherwise. Many continuations have been devised.
Steal To gain an advantage, usually through deception. The theft may be material (e.g., a trick or a contract) or non-material (e.g., a tempo). Despite the term steal, deception is entirely legal if it does not involve unauthorized information or concealment of information to which the opponents are entitled.
Step In the bidding, the space between one bid and the next highest. See Useful Space Principle.
Step bid A bid that conveys information on the basis of the number of steps it uses.
Stolen bid A bid that has no correlation to the bidder's hand, aiming to disturb conventions.
Stepping-stone squeeze A squeeze that forces a defender either to be thrown in to act as a stepping-stone to a stranded dummy, or to allow declarer to establish a suit.
Sticks and wheels (Slang, chiefly British) An 1100-point penalty. Compare "go for a number".
Stiff (Slang, adjective and noun) A singleton.
Stop An instruction given to opponents when you make a jump bid, or skip bid. LHO is expected to wait around 10 seconds before calling, so as to avoid communicating information to partner as to how easy his call is to make. See skip-bid warning.
Stopper A high card (normally, an honor) whose primary function is to prevent the opponents from running a suit in a notrump contract. See also Control.
Strain See denomination.
Strip 1) To remove safe cards of exit from an opponent's hand.
2) To prepare for a ruff-and-sluff by removing all cards of a suit (or suits) in a partnership's hands.
Strip squeeze A squeeze without the count in which one threat is against a safe exit card.
Striped-tail ape double A double of a laydown contract made in hope of dissuading the opponents from successfully bidding to a higher, more rewarding contract. The doubler must be prepared to run (like the cowardly ape) to an escape suit if the opponents redouble.
Strong club system A set of conventions that uses an opening bid of 1♣ as an artificial, forcing opening that promises a strong hand.
Strong notrump An opening notrump that shows a balanced hand and 15–17 or 16–18 HCP. Contrast Weak notrump. A partnership's choice between the use of a strong notrump or a weak notrump has extensive implications for its entire bidding system.
Strong pass system A bidding system that mandates a pass by first (or second) hand to show what other systems would regard as an opening bid. A corollary is that if the next hand also passes, third (or fourth) hand must bid to keep the deal from being passed out.
Strong two bid, strong two-bid, or Strong Two An agreement to use an opening bid of two of a suit so as to indicate a strong hand and a strong holding in the bid suit.
Stub (Slang) Part-score.
Sucker double (Slang) An ill-advised penalty double, such as one based on HCP when the bidding warns of freak distributions.
Suit A ranked division of the deck of cards into (in descending rank order) spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. The suit ranking has a profound effect on the bidding and scoring, but none at all on the play. See also Denomination, Major suit, and Minor suit).
Suit preference signal A defensive carding method that signals a preference, or the lack thereof, for a suit other than the suit used for the signal.
Superaccept A strongly encouraging response to a transfer, such as a jump completion (e.g., 1NT – 2♥; 3♠). Many partnerships use a conventional superacceptance such as 1NT – 2♦; 2♠, one step above responder's major, to save room for game or slam exploration, and in conformance with the Useful Space Principle.
Support A fit with partner's suit.
Support double A double of an overcall that shows a fit for partner's suit, usually distinguished from a direct raise by the length of the suit in responder's hand.
Sure trick A trick that in the absence of some irregularity a player must win, such as the ace of trumps. Extended by George Coffin to refer to guaranteed lines of play.
Surrogate signals A count or preference signal made in a different suit, usually the suit which declarer is running, to inform partner in beforehand about a critical decision he will have to make later during the play of the hand.
Swindle A deceptive bid or play.
SWINE A proxi-acronym for Sebesfi Woods 1NT Escape.
Swing A difference in scores between two tables on a board in a team match. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Swinging An aggressive playing style, usually adopted by a pair or team who is behind with some chance to catch the leaders "with a little luck." Swinging players will make plays slightly against the odds that will offer large gains if they succeed. For example, a swinging pair might bid a 60% grand slam on a hand where a small slam should be the normal contract. They might also make close doubles of normal contracts that might go down. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Swish (Slang) Three consecutive passes, ending the auction. "3♠ – swish" means 3♠ passed out. |
Glossary of contract bridge terms | S | Swiss, or Swiss Teams A Swiss-system tournament for teams-of-four. Every team plays a series of matches with a series of opponents whose records or standings are as similar as possible when they face each other, without scheduling repeat matches. Typically these are relatively numerous, relatively short matches. For example, of 54 to 56 boards in one day's play: 6, 7, 8, or 9 matches of 9, 8, 7, or 6 boards respectively. |