Bridge Terms and Definitions

Contract

A contract is an agreement between you and your partner to win a certain number of tricks in either the suit bid or notrump. The number of tricks you must win is 6 plus the number of tricks bid. A bid of 4 hearts would require winning 10 tricks.

Bidding

Bidding is the way you and your partner agree to a contract. Bidding is based on point count in your hand, and on the conventions you and your partner have agreed to play before the session. Bidding can either be natural or artificial. Many bridge conventions are based on artificial bids. See the bidding section of this guide for more information on those conventions

Major

Major suits are spades and hearts. It is generally simpler to make game in a major suit simply because it requires less tricks. See Game.

Minor

Minor suits are diamonds and clubs. A minor suit game is more difficult to make than a major suit game, since it requires winning 11 tricks. See Game.

Honors

Honor cards are the Ace, King, Queen and Jack in a suit.

Game

Making game requires a contract bid of 3 notrump, 4 hearts, 4 spades, 5 clubs, or 5 diamonds. Game generally requires 26 points in notrump and major suits, and 29 points minor suits.

Small Slam

Making small slam requires a contract bid of 6 tricks in any suit or notrump. Small slam generally requires 33 points.

Grand Slam

Making grand slam requires a contract bid of 7 tricks in any suit or notrump. Small slam generally requires 37 points.

5 Card Majors

5 card majors is an agreement between partners before the session that an opening bid of a major suit requires 5 cards in the suit.

Better Minor

Better minor bidding is an agreement between partners before the session that an opening bid of a minor denies possession of a 5 card major. The minor bid must be at least 3 cards long, and is the longer suit of the 2 minor suits. If the suits are equal length, it is usually better to bid diamonds over clubs.

Conventions

Conventions are bidding methods that partners have agreed upon before the session. Conventions may or may not be natural bids. Many conventions are artificial bids, implying hand strength or suit length.

Strong 2 bids

Strong 2 bids are bidding methods agreed that partners have agreed upon before the session that imply very strong hands (usually 23+ pts) and a strong suit. Strong 2 bids are more rare than their counterparts, weak 2 bids, but are very useful to find game/slam in partner's hands.

Weak 2 bids

Weak 2 bids are bidding methods agreed that partners have agreed upon before the session that imply either a weak (5-11 pts) hand and a long suit (diamonds, hearts, and spades only), or a strong hand (23+ pts) with a 2c bid. The 2c bid is artificial, and leads to the weak 2 convention. See Weak 2 conventions in the guide.

Blackwood Convention

The blackwood convention is a method of determining whether or not your hands are able to win a slam. The blackwood convention is completely artificial. See the Blackwood convention in the guide.

Gerber Convention

The blackwood convention is a method of determining whether or not your hands are able to win a slam. The blackwood convention is completely artificial. See the Blackwood convention in the guide.

Takeout Double

A takeout double is a method by which you can tell your partner that you have a shortfall of the opponent's bid suit. Takeout doubles are essential to determine if a contract is possible between partners. See the Takeout double convention in the guide.

Penalty Double

A penalty double is an attempt at penalizing the opponent's bid, if you think you can stop them from making their contract. See the Penalty double section in the guide.

SAYC

The Standard American Yellow Card is a bidding system devised to make bidding a bit more predictable between you and your partner. Many facets of the SAYC system are set up so that you and your partner can easily come to agreement on the contract you wish to attain.

Stopper

A stopper is a card or set of cards that can stop your opponents from running out a long suit they may have. Stoppers are often sought when partners are seeking a notrump contract bid.

Passing Out

When each player has passed the opening bidding, the hand is called a pass out. A new hand is dealt and the bidding begins again.

Spade Theory

The spade theory is a means of determining whether or not ot open the bidding in the 4th seat. If you can honestly open the bidding in spades, then bid spades at the 1 level. This will keep your opponents from making an overcall at the 1 level, and possibly finding a part score in a good suit they may hold. Since overcalls at the 2-level require a minimum of 11 points, this is a sound way make an easy part-score contract.

One Over One

A one-over-one bid is a response to your partner's 1 level bid in which you bid another suit at the 1 level.