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Encyclopedia  of Bridge Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Duplicate     Bidding     General     Play     Conventions     Jargon     Rubber
 

 

Jargon

Ugly Duckling - A hand with a 5-3-3-2 distribution.  See Shape

Laws

UI - Abbreviation for Unauthorized Information

Bidding

Unassuming Cuebid - See Conventions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laws

Unauthorized Information - Players are authorized to base their calls and plays on information from legal calls and plays and from mannerisms of opponents. To base a call or play on other extraneous information may be an infraction of law.

Accidentally received - See Law 16
Comment by player - See Law 73  74
Comment by spectator - See Law 76
Communication between partners - See Law 73  75
Correct manner of calls and plays - See Law 73
Emphasis - See Law 73
Extraneous information - See Law 16
From defender's objection to partner's concession - See Law 71
From illegal double - See Law 19
From illegal redouble - See Law 19
From partner's explanation of understanding - See Law 75
Gesture of player - See Law 73
Gesture of spectator - See Law 76
Gratuitous information - See Law 73
Hesitation - See Law 73
Inadvertent variation in manner or tempo - See Law 73
Inflection - See Law 73
Intentional deception - See Law 72  73
Intentional variation in manner or tempo - See Law 73
Mannerism of player - See Law 73
Mannerism of spectator - See Law 76
Mistaken bid - See Law 75
Mistaken explanation - See Law 75
Prearranged unsanctioned communication - See Law 73
Question - See Law 73
Remark of player - See Law 73
Remark of spectator - See Law 76
Skip bid warning - See Law 73
Spectators, obligations of - See Law 76
Speed - See Law 73
Suggestive action or remark - See Law 73
Tempo, variation in - See Law 73
Variation in manner - See Law 73
Variation in tempo - See Law 73
Volunteering of information - See Law 74  75

Director Tech File (Questioning Opponents)
 


General

Unbalanced Distribution - A hand whose distribution includes a void, singleton, or two doubletons (any combination except 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, or 5-3-3-2)
 

General

Unbalanced Hand - A player's holding whose distribution in not distribution.

Jargon

Unbeatable - A solid contract or remaining holding which no defense can sustain a trick.

General

Unbid Suit - an unnamed or implied suit during the bidding.

Bidding
Unbid Minor Suit Forcing - See Conventions
Play

Unblock - To play a seemingly unnecessarily high card from one hand in order to ensure transportation to the other hand, typically the dummy.

Also see Books on Unblocking
 

Play

Unblocking Squeeze - A squeeze which forces defenders to discard seemingly low cards in a suit, yet allowing the declarer to subsequently overtake cards in a given suit.  See Example
 

Bidding

Unconstructive - Referring to a bid intended to discourage, but not curtail, further bidding.

 

 

 

Play

Under -

1.

Typically referenced when the Left Hand Opponent holds winning honors behind the prior player.  Here South is under West's tenaces.

         x x x

K J x                x x x

         A Q 10 x
 

2.

To deliberately play a card beneath one played by an opponent for strategic reasons.

 

Bidding

Underbid - To make a lesser bid than anticipated by one's holding, possibly with the intent of showing additional values in anticipated rebids.

Jargon

Underbidder - A player to consistently bids less than dictated by the true values.
 


Play

Underlead - To lead a card smaller than their highest rank and less than the highest outstanding rank held by another player.  Underleading a high honor is a typical strategy against opponent's Notrump contract, but unusual against opponent's suit contract.
 

 

 

Play

Underruff - When holding a void in the suit lead, to ruff with a trump lower than the one already played by an opponent.  While seemingly a poor strategy, underuffing is useful is several situations:

1.

To avoid surplus trump, occasionally necessary to maintain transportation to partner's hand

2.

To avoid subsequently discarding side-suit winners

3.

To allow subsequent leading of a side-suit, as part of a Robert Coup.  See Example

4.

To break a possible squeeze against yourself, partner, or both

 

Jargon

Under the Gun - In a precarious seat where the player's action is unclear, based on the unknown opponent holdings.  Also see Under
 

Laws

Undertrick - Each trick by which declarer's side falls short of fulfilling the contract (see Law 77)
 

General

Unfavorable - Referring to the side being Vulnerable, while opponents are Non-Favorable.  Also known as "Red over White".  See Example
 

Play

 

Undertrump - See Underruff
 


Rubber

Unfinished Rubber - A contract Bridge rubber which cannot be completed.  The scoring points attribute 300 points to the partnership attaining one rubber.  If neither side scored a rubber, the partnership with the partial score is awarded 100 points (50 points prior to the 1993 change in Laws).
 

Play

Unguard - To discard a lower card accompanying an honor smaller than the highest outstanding honor.  Thus, if the opponent holds and plays the top honor/s, the unguarded honor will crash and lose to the opponents.
 

 

 

Laws

Unintentional - A deviation from the Properties of the game of Bridge is normally considered unintentional, except as provided in Law 72 and 73.  Law 72.B.3. deals the harshest penalty: 

Prearranged Communication  - the gravest possible offense is for a partnership to exchange information through prearranged methods of communication other than those sanctioned by these Laws. A guilty partnership risks expulsion.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duplicate

Unit - The American Contract Bridge Leagues designates local geographical boundaries known as Bridge Units.  The collection of Bridge Units are grouped into Bridge Districts - the ACBL has 25 Districts.  Each Unit appoints its own board members and selects representative/s to communicate on its behalf to the District.  Each Unit is responsible for the following functions:

1.

Establish and maintain a membership of at least 100

2.

Promote and stimulate interest in duplicate bridge among members and prospective members by providing an attractive program of bridge events

3.

Expand and increase membership by interesting new players

4.

Conduct or supervise tournament events at which masterpoints and rating points are awarded under ACBL regulations

5.

Establish and maintain contact with neighboring units, supporting each other's activities

6.

Conduct annual elections by popular vote for officers and/or directors

7.

Elect, in collaboration with other units in the district, a member of the National Board of Directors, a first and a second alternate Director, and three representatives, to the National Board of Governors

8.

Adopt bylaws consistent with those of the ACBL, which must be filed with ACBL

9.

Assume fiscal responsibility for funds collected on behalf of the ACBL, and membership dues from its members, submitting semi-annual financial reports to its officers, and to maintain accurate records

Also see the ACBL's Handbook: Chapter 5 - Units
 

 

Duplicate

Unit Championships - Each unit may conduct 16 unit championship sessions per year. These games award masterpoints based on 85% of sectional rating. these games may be held at one centralized location or with so-called split-sites at various clubs throughout the unit. In addition, each unit is allotted four unit Charity championships per year.
 

 

 


Duplicate

United States Bridge Federation - The United States Bridge Federation (USBF) was formed in 2001 to advance the interests of
the United States in international bridge competition, including the selection and support of United States bridge teams and players in international and Olympic bridge competition. USBF conducts United States Bridge Championships to select teams for participation in
certain World Bridge Championship events. Since 1995, these trials, renamed the United State Bridge Championship and the United States Women’s Bridge Championship have been open to any team eligible to play in the World event. In addition, USBF holds Senior and Junior United State Bridge Championships to select teams for World Senior and Junior events.
 

 

Duplicate

Unit-Wide Championship - The designation for a game with a Unit Championship rating.  The event is held simultaneously in multiple locations (3+) within the Unit boundaries, where each Club location has at least five tables.  Hand records are provided to the players with overall results netted across the Unit.
 

Laws

Unlawful - An action by a player which does not comply to the Laws of Bridge.

General

Unlimited - A player's call with no upper strength limit.

Jargon

Unlucky Expert - Portrayed by author S. J. Simon, a mythical character  with the inability to realize the limitations of other bridge players.
 


Jargon

Unmakeable - A contract which cannot be sustain, lacking a very poor defense by the opponents or deviation from the Laws (as a revoke, faced penalty card, etc).
 

Duplicate

Unmixed - To players of the same sex, as opposed to mixed players of opposite sex.
 

General

Unpassed - Referring to a player that has not yet passed.

Bidding

Unpenalty Double - A double of opponent's slam, specifically based on holdings with no defensive tricks.
 


Duplicate

Unpigmented Points - Masterpoints achievement awarded to online Bridge players meeting the ACBL criteria for online tournament play.  These points are colorless (not Gold, Red, Silver, or Black).
 

Jargon

Unplayable - An inadequate hand or lead, likely to generate poor results.
 

Duplicate

Unseeded - The majority of competitors are unseeded, that is of comparable ability, by the tournament director in charge.

 

General

Unsupported -

1.

A call of a new suit not bid by partner

2.

A non-touching honor

 

Bidding

Unusual Notrump - See Conventions


Bidding

Unusual Positive - Precision and other "big Club" players use artificial jumps to describe responder's slam invitational hands based on distributional merits (shortage in one suit).  See Precision
 

Bidding

Unusual Versus Unusual  Cuebid- See Conventions

 


General

Up -

1.

Having a higher score relative to the current opponents or overall average

2.

Requesting the Dummy to play a high card

 

Play

Uppercut - To play through an opponent known to ruff with hopes partner can either overruff or sluff a loser on the trick.
 

Play

Upside Down Count and Attitude (UDCA) - See Conventions

 


Play

Up The Line:

1.

Referring to bidding the lower of two equivalent suits before bidding the upper suit. For instance, after opening 1 Notrump and partner responds 2C (Stayman), the typical agreement calls for the opener to bid majors "up the line" (Hearts before Spades).

2.

To play the lowest ranking card, usually from a series.

 

 


Play

Up To -

1.

To lead toward the hand anticipated to take the trick, hopefully partner's hand.

2.

To lead toward an opponent's tenaces, anticipating an opportunity to finesse the opponent.

 

Bidding

Useful Space Principle - See Conventions

 

 

General

Usenet Newsgroup - In addition to the Internet "world-wide web" and EMAIL subsystems, another integral aspect is the Usenet newsgroups, sometimes knows as "Net News".  Among the 20,000+ newsgroups, the "r.g.b." (Recreation/Games/Bridge) newsgroup is devoted to Bridge discussions.  Usenet is actually a specialized server that maintains a centralized repository of EMAILs - users typically use the Net-news portion of their Personal Computer's EMAIL subsystem to download, read, and submit articles of interest.     See:  news:rec.games.bridge
 

General

Usenet Abbreviations - See Usenet Abbreviations

 

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