Contract Bridge Game

Contract Bridge, The most popular Card game in the world

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Contract bridge

Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game of skill for four players, usually sitting around a table, who form two partnerships, or "sides". The partners on each side sit opposite one another. The game consists of two main parts ? bidding (or auction) and play; the rules of play are rather simple and similar to other trick-taking games. However, the bidding and associated conventions are much more complex, and represent the true learning barrier to new players. Also, there is an immense variety of techniques in play of the hand, whose effective use requires learning and experience.

Contract Bridge Game

• Games Classification
  • Game Theory, There are two types of game theory: 1) working out how to win, lose or draw a game played for entertainment; or 2) applying the theory of a game to real life
  • Card Games, A card game is any game using playing cards, either traditional or specialized. A participant in such a game is a card player
  • Trick-Taking Games, Trick-taking games are card games in which play is divided into multiple rounds called tricks
  • Gambling, Gambling most often refers specifically to the wagering (or betting) of money on games of chance, or more broadly to engaging in any high-risk behavior.
• Contract Bridge
  • Auction Bridge, The card game auction bridge was developed from straight bridge and was a predecessor to contract bridge.
  • Psychic bid, Psychic bid (also psych) is a bid in contract bridge, grossly misstating the power and/or suit lengths of one's hand.
  • Bridge scoring, In contract bridge, there are two basic types of scoring for a single deal: "duplicate" and "rubber" scoring, which share most features
    • Duplicate bridge, Duplicate bridge is the most widely used form of bridge used in tournament settings, and is also played in many bridge clubs.
      • Board, In duplicate bridge, a board is a device used to pass a pre-dealt bridge hand from table to table,
      • Traveling sheet, Traveling sheet is a form used for recording individual results on duplicate bridge tournaments.
    • Rubber bridge, Rubber bridge is a form of contract bridge played among four players, usually in "friendly play" (although playing for money is also frequent.
  • Bermuda Bowl, Bermuda Bowl is the term for World team championships in contract bridge named after the first edit was in Burmuda, in 1950.
  • Venice Cup, The World Team Championships in contract bridge for women players only is also known as Venice Cup, because the first edition was held in Venice, in 1974.
  • Masterpoints, Masterpoints are the rating system used by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) for its members' contract bridge card games.
  • World Bridge Federation, World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the governing body of world contract bridge. Under WBF jurisdiction are organizations of world championships.
• Playing card
  • Aces, An ace is a playing card. In the standard deck.
  • Anglo-American, A standard Anglo-American deck of playing cards is composed of 13 ranks in each of 4 suits, plus 2 jokers, for a total of 54 cards.
  • Burn Cards, A burn card is a playing card dealt from the top of a deck, and placed aside unused by those playing a card game.
  • Cut, After a deck of playing cards is shuffled, it is often given to a player other than the one who performed the shuffle for a procedure called a cut.
  • Entry, An entry, in trick-taking card games such as bridge, is a card that allows a player to win the trick, thus getting the right to lead the next trick.
  • Goulash, Goulash (also Ghoulie) is a style of playing the card game of bridge, normally in friendly play such as rubber bridge, in which the cards are not thoroughly shuffled between consecutive deals.
  • Holdout, In gambling jargon, a holdout is any of numerous accessories used by cheats to help them "hold-out" a card (or cards) during a game.
  • Jokers, The Joker is a special card found in decks of playing cards.
  • Shuffling, A deck of playing cards is randomized by a procedure called shuffling to provide an element of chance in card games.
  • Suits, The four Anglo-American playing card suits: spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds
    • Clubs, one of 4 suits in a deck of cards.
    • Diamonds, one of 4 suits in a deck of cards.
    • Hearts, one of 4 suits in a deck of cards.
    • Spades, one of 4 suits in a deck of cards.
  • Trumps, In card games, trumps frequently figure in trick-taking games such as bridge, euchre, and hearts.
• Hand Evaluation
  • Beer card, The beer card or the 7 of diamonds is a card in the card game of bridge which is given a special importance in popular bridge sub-culture.
  • Golden Fit, In bridge, a Golden Fit occurs when one partnership has at least eight cards in one suit.
  • High Card Points, High-card point count is a method of hand evaluation. Ace=4, King=3, Queen=2, Jack=1.
  • Law of Total Tricks, The Law of Total Tricks pertains to the card game of contract bridge, and is used to help determine how high to bid in a competitive auction.
  • Losing Trick Count, Losing trick count (sometimes abbreviated to LTC) is a method of hand evaluation in the game of Bridge.
  • Quick Tricks, Quick tricks is a method of hand evaluation. Basically, it counts the number of "sure" tricks in a suit.
  • Suits
    • Point count, The point count is the fundamental method of hand evaluation now used in the card game of bridge.
    • Black Suit, In contract bridge the black suits are spades and clubs, because most Anglo-American playing cards print these suit symbols in black.
    • Red Suit, The red suits are hearts and diamonds, because most Anglo-American playing cards print these suit symbols in red.
    • Major Suit, In the card game contract bridge, the major suits are spades and hearts.
    • Minor Suit, In contract bridge the minor suits are diamonds and clubs.
    • Pointed Suit, In contract bridge, the pointed suits are spades and diamonds.
    • Rounded Suit, In contract bridge, the rounded suits are hearts and clubs.
  • Two Suiter, In contract bridge, a two suiter is a hand containing cards mostly from two of the four suits.
  • Zar Points, Zar Points is an advanced, statistically-derived method for evaluating Contract Bridge hands developed by Zar Petkov for use by more experienced players.
  • Diagram Convention, A standard convention has been developed to illustrates hands in contract bridge. The cards are shown with each line representing a suit.
• Bidding Systems, Bidding system is set of agreements and conventions in bidding between two partners in contract bridge.
  • 2/1 Game Forcing, 2/1 game forcing (Two-over-one game forcing) is a bidding system in modern contract bridge,
  • Acol, Acol is a bridge bidding system. It is the name of a road in Hampstead, London, where there was a bridge club in which the system started to evolve in the 1930s
  • Blue Club, Blue Club is a bridge bidding system, developed mainly by Benito Garozzo.
  • Bridge World Standard, Bridge World Standard or BWS is a bridge bidding system developed in 1967 and periodically updated.
  • Goren, Charles Goren was a famous bridge player, writer and popularizer.
  • Polish Club, Polish Club is a bridge bidding system which was developed in Poland, where it is the most popular bidding system, and also used by players of other countries.
  • Precision Club, In the game of contract bridge Precision Club is a strong club system that was invented by C. C. Wei and used to good effect by Taiwan teams in the early 1970s
  • Preempt, Preempt (also spelled "Pre-empt") is a bid in contract bridge whose primary function is to take up bidding space from the opponents.
  • Sacrifice, A sacrifice is a usually deliberate bid of an unmakeable contract in contract bridge in the hope that the penalty will be smaller than the value of an opponents' contract.
  • Standard American, Standard American is a common bidding system for the game of bridge in the United States, and is now the most widely used method of bidding at Bridge in the world.
  • Strong club system, In the game of contract bridge, a strong club system is a set of conventions that uses an opening bid of 1-Club as an artificial, unlimited-strength opening.
• Bridge Conventions, In the game of contract bridge, a convention is an agreed-upon meaning for a call (a bid, double or redouble, or a pass) during the auction phase of the hand
  • Blackwood Convention, The Blackwood convention is a popular bidding convention in contract bridge that was developed by Easley Blackwood Sr..
  • Canap?, Canap? is a bridge convention which refers to a system of bidding where the second suit bid is always longer (or at least as long) as the first.
  • Drury, Drury is a convention which allows a passed hand to show a strong raise of a major suit at the two level.
  • Drury convention, The Drury convention in bridge is a convention used to show a game-invitational major suit raise (often called a limit raise) by a passed hand.
  • Flannery, Flannery is a bridge convention using an opening 2 Diamond bid to show a hand of minimal opening bid strength (11-15 high card points) with exactly four spades and five.
  • Forcing notrump, The forcing notrump is a bidding convention in the card game of bridge.
  • Game try, A game try in the card game of bridge is a bid that shows interest in bidding a game and asks partner to help in making the decision.
  • Grand slam force, The Grand Slam Force is a bidding convention in contract bridge that was developed by Ely Culbertson in 1936.
  • Jacoby 2NT, Jacoby 2NT is a bridge convention in which a bid of 2 Notrump, over partner's 1 of a major opening, is used to show typically a balanced hand of game-forcing strength.
  • Jacoby Transfer, The Jacoby transfer, in the card game contract bridge, is a convention used by a responder following partner's trump opening bid.
  • Kamikaze 1NT, Kamikaze 1NT is a pre-emptive 1NT opening.
  • Lebensohl, Lebensohl is bridge convention used after an opponent's intervention over 1NT opening bid.
  • Lightner double, Lightner double' is conventional double in bridge used for directing the opening lead against slam contracts. It was devised by Theodore Lightner.
  • Meyerson convention, In contract bridge, the Meyerson convention is a defensive bidding convention to an opponent opening bid of 1 No Trump.
  • Michaels cuebid, A Michaels cuebid is a conventional bid which shows a two-suited hand. It was first devised by Mike Michaels.
  • Multi 2 diamonds, Multi or Multi 2 diamonds is contract bridge convention whereby the opening bid.
  • Relay bid, In contract bridge, relay is a general term for conventional bidding of (usually) the cheapest available bid.
  • Rosenkrantz redouble, The Rosenkrantz redouble is used to distinguish between different types of raises in competitive auctions.
  • Semi-forcing notrump, The semi-forcing notrump is a bidding convention in the card game of bridge.
  • Splinter bid, A Splinter Bid is a bid in a side-suit that indicates a trump fit and a singleton or void in the suit bid
  • Stayman Convention, In contract bridge, the Stayman convention is a convention used to find a four-four trump fit in a major suit.
    • Puppet Stayman, In contract bridge, Puppet Stayman is a variation of the Stayman convention which serves two purposes.
  • Takeout double, A takeout double is a conventional double used in a competitive auction
  • Unusual notrump, In the card game of bridge, the unusual notrump is a conventional bid showing two lower unbid suits.
  • Weak two bid, The Weak two bid is a common treatment used in the game of contract bridge to signify a weak hand with a long suit.
  • Defenses to 1NT, This List of defenses to 1NT gives the names of defensive conventions used to compete over an opening 1NT bid.
    • Brozel, Brozel is a method for intervening against an opposing 1NT opening bid. It features the following calls,
    • Cappelletti, Cappelletti (often misspelled Cappeletti, also called Hamilton and Pottage) is bridge convention used for interventions over opponents' 1NT opening.
    • DONT, DONT, which is an acronym for Disturb Opponents' Notrump, is a method for intervening against an opposing 1NT opening bid.
    • Landy, Landy is the first bridge conventional defense against over opponents' 1NT opening and one of first conventions ever introduced.
• Bridge Techniques, One of the most fascinating aspects of the game of contract bridge is the numerous ways that exist to establish extra tricks.
  • Squeeze, Squeeze play (or simply squeeze) is a play in contract bridge that often occurs late in the game and involves the play of a card.
    • Automatic Squeeze, In contract bridge, an Automatic squeeze is a squeeze which can be executed automatically that means without guesswork.
    • Backwash squeeze, Backwash squeeze is a rare squeeze which involves squeezing an opponent which lies behind declarer's menace.
    • Criss-cross Squeeze, In contract bridge, the criss-cross squeeze is variant of the simple squeeze. Squeezes are techniques in this game to gain extra tricks.
    • Double Squeeze, The double squeeze is a type of squeeze play in the card game of Bridge.
      • Simultaneous double squeeze, A simultaneous double squeeze is a double squeeze the card game contract bridge in which both opponents are squeezed by the same squeeze card.
      • Non-simultaneous double squeeze, A Non-simultaneous double squeeze, in the card game of bridge, is a double squeeze in which the pressure is not applied to both opponents at the same trick.
    • Entry-shifting Squeeze, In the card game contract bridge, an entry-shifting squeeze is a mixture between a material squeeze and an immaterial squeeze.
    • Guard squeeze, Guard squeeze is a type of squeeze in contract bridge where a player is squeezed out of a card which prevents his partner from being finessed.
    • Progressive Squeeze, Guard squeeze is a type of squeeze in contract bridge where a player is squeezed out of a card which prevents his partner from being finessed.
    • Pseudo-squeeze, Pseudo-squeeze is an "ingenuine" type of squeeze in contract bridge, where the declarer goes through the motions of a squeeze where none actually exists.
    • Simple Squeeze, The simple squeeze is the most basic form of a squeeze as frequently applied in the game of contract bridge
    • Single-suit Squeeze, A single-suit squeeze is a unique squeeze play in contract bridge that occurs with an awkward defensive distribution of one suit.
    • Stepping-stone squeeze, The stepping-stone squeeze is an advanced type of squeeze in Contract Bridge.
    • Strip squeeze, A strip squeeze is a declarer technique at Contract Bridge combining elements of squeeze and endplay.
    • Suicide Squeeze, Suicide squeeze or cannibal squeeze is a type of squeeze in bridge or whist, in which an opponent is squeezed by a card played by his partner.
    • Trump squeeze, In contract bridge, the trump squeeze is a variant of the simple squeeze. (Squeezes are techniques in this game to gain extra tricks.)
    • Winkle squeeze, A winkle is a rare squeeze/endplay in contract bridge in which a trick is offered to the defenders but whichever wins the trick is then endplayed.
    • Squeezee, in card games of the whist family, a squeezee is a player who is squeezed, in other words he/she is forced to play a card.
  • Avoidance play, In contract bridge, avoidance play is a play technique whereby the declarer tries to avoid one particular defender to take a trick.
  • Coup, In contract bridge, coup is a generic name for various techniques in play, denoting a specific pattern in the lie and the play of cards.
    • Bath coup, Bath coup is a coup in the game of contract bridge, where the declarer, holding AJx in a suit ducks the left-hand opponent's lead of a King (or a Queen).
    • Coup en passant, Coup en passant is a type of coup in contract bridge where trump trick(s) are "stolen" by trying to ruffing a card after the player who has the master trump(s).
    • Devil's coup, The Devil's Coup is a declarer play in Bridge to prevent opponents from taking a natural trump trick, typically with Qx opposite Jxx in trumps.
    • Trump coup, The trump coup is a contract bridge coup used when the hand on lead (typically the dummy) has no trumps remaining.
    • Morton's fork coup, A Morton's Fork Coup is a coup in contract bridge involving the forcing of an opponent to choose between establishing one or more extra tricks in the suit.
    • Scissors coup, Scissors coup is a type of coup, named so because it cuts communications between defenders, most commonly by discarding a key card.
  • Crossruff, A crossruff is a play in contract bridge, in a suit contract, where the tricks are made by taking alternate ruffs in each hand.
  • Duck, In the card game of contract bridge, the term duck means to play low to a trick, thus losing it intentionally.
  • Dummy reversal, Dummy reversal (also known as reverse dummy) is a technique in the card game of contract bridge, when the declarer uses trump cards to ruff from the hand.
  • Endplay, An endplay (also throw-in), in bridge and similar games, is a tactical play where a defender is put on lead at a strategic moment.
  • Finesse, In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a technique which allows one to promote tricks based on a favorable position of one or more cards
  • Holdup, Holdup is a play in contract bridge, whereby the declarer ducks one or more trick to opponents, usually in notrump contracts
  • Loser on loser, Loser on loser play is a type of declarer's play in contract bridge, usually in trump contracts, where the declarer discards a loser card
  • Ruff, In trick-taking games, to ruff means to play a trump card to a trick (other than when trumps were led).
  • Ruff and discard, A ruff and discard (also known as ruff and slough or ruff and sluff) is a play in contract bridge
  • Safety Play, Safety play in contract bridge is a generic name for plays where the declarer maximizes the chances for fulfilling the contract (or achieving a certain score).
  • Signal, In the card game of contract bridge, the partners defending against a contract may choose particular cards to play to communicate a signal.
  • Smother Play, Smother Play in contract bridge is a type of endplay where an opponent's apparent trump trick goes away.
  • Trump promotion, Trump promotion is a technique in contract bridge where the defenders create an, otherwise non-existing, trump trick for themselves.
  • Uppercut, In Contract Bridge, an uppercut is a defensive play that involves one of the defenders ruffing high in the knowledge that an overruff by the declarer.
• Principle of restricted choice, The Principle of restricted choice is used in bridge to guide a player (usually the declarer) into finding the best line of play in certain situations.
• Contract bridge glossary, The following terms are used in Contract bridge, Duplicate bridge, and Auction bridge.