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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
 

 

Duplicate

299er Pairs - An ACBL tourney where all pairs consist of players who have fewer than 300 masterpoints.
 

Bidding

TAB (Trump Asking Bid) -  See Conventions
 

General

 

Laws

 

 

Table -

1.

A Bridge game, referring to four players seat for play

2.

To put down the dummy's cards

3.

To put down a card.  According to the Laws, a card is played when:
- as defender, the card is played in a manner the card
  could have been seen by player's partner
- as declarer, the card touches or nearly touches the table,
  or played in a manner to indicate the card is played

Arrangement of playing - See Law 3
Scoring table - See Law 77
Jargon

Table Feel - A player's cunning ability to draw inferences from the aggregate factors of bidding and play.  For instance, drawing an inference from the opponent's behavior is both legal and useful, while it is not lawful to do so based on partner's mannerism (such as a tempo, hesitation, body language, etc).  Table feel also includes:

- knowledge of opponent's bidding and playing style
- knowledge of player's likely bidding and play ay at other tables
- consideration of Environmental Factors
- careful consideration of inferences during bidding, play,
  opening lead, dummy, line of play, etc.
 

Duplicate

Table Guide Card - A prominent card in the center of the table (placed under the duplicate boards) providing orientation instructions for players, providing compass orientation, table numbers, player and board movements, and other useful information such as a scoring references.  See Example
 

Duplicate

Table Numbers - A prominent card in the center of the table (placed under the duplicate boards) providing players movement information between tables and in the case of large tourneys, identification of tourney section (colors and associated alpha letters can vary).  See Example
 

Duplicate

Table Spacing - The distance between tables at a duplicate event.  A buffer space zone between each table provides a more comforable environment for the players and others as the Director, Caddy, and Kibitzers to enjoy the game.  The distance between the tables is ideally based on a 9 foot centers from each table - a 7 foot center is a minimum.  Many tournament committees compromise on 8 feet, providing 64 square feet per table.
 

General

 

Tactics - Referring to successive steps carefully administered during bidding or the play of the hand.  Good tactics take all factors into consideration, including analysis of all competitor actions and the optimum plan to ensure the most desirable result.
 

Bidding

Takeout Double - A double demanding partner to make a call in a new strain, made as a competitive bid to either win the auction or make it more difficult for opponents to make a higher level contract.  See Details

Also see Books on Doubles
 

Rubber

Tally - A Rubber Bridge scoring paper designed to track scores during each round of play (often 4 deals) and provide the player table movement directions between rounds.   Bridge Hands has free downloadable 2, 3, and 4 table Tallies
 

Jargon

Tank - A players long hesitation or "huddle" before making a bid or play.
 

Jargon

Duplicate

Tap -

1.

A cliche involving the play of a winner in a side suit, forcing opponent to ruff (also knowing as "pumping" trump)

2.

Referring to the ACBL Education Department "Teacher Accreditation Program" which certifies Bridge teachers

 

Laws

Tardiness - See Law 90
 

General

Tax - An extra fee, akin to a "sin tax" assessed to a pack of cards used to raise money for the government.  At one point in time, card manufacturers were prohibited from manufacturing the Ace of Spades; only the government would produce a distinctive face on the Ace of Spades to insure the appropriate tax was paid. See History of Cards
 

Jargon

Tax Card - The colloquial term referring to the A (Spade Ace) See Card Names.
 

General

TBW - Abbreviation for The Bridge World [magazine]
 

Duplicate

TD - Abbreviation for Tournament Director
 

Duplicate

TDic - Abbreviation for Tournament Director in charge
 

Duplicate

Team - Four (or more) players competing against other teams in Duplicate Bridge event formats such as a Swiss or Knockout event.  At any given session, two players are assigned one direction at a given table while their partners are assigned complementary seats at the mate table; the four player team competes against another team for the session.  In some situation, a "Round Robin" movement is necessary when an odd number of teams are in play during the initial sessions.
 

Laws
Team Events  -
Adjusted score - See Law 86
Partnerships - See Law 4
Substitute board - See Law 86
Duplicate

Teammate - Either a partner at the table or another player on the team, sitting at the other table or on the sidelines if the team has more than 4 players.
 

Laws

Tech Files - A comprehensive set body of supplemental information for ACBL Directors.

Tech Files Index (for Directors)
       Laws Interpretation                            Laws Commission Rulings
       Masterpoint Award Rules & Regs     Masterpoint Reqs for Ranks
       Alerts                                                     Bid Box
       Convention Chart                                General Contest Conditions
       Event Guidelines                                  Forms
       Duplication Guidelines, etc                 Intermediate-Novice Guide
       Knockout Participation Guide             NAP Conditions of Contest
       Board-A-Match (BAM) General         BAM Conditions of Contest
       Pairs Conditions of Contest               
       STaC Conditions of Contest                Swiss Conditions of Contest
       Code - Disciplinary Regulations          Conduct Procedures

      Psyches
 

General

Technical Position - The side holding a strategic and psychological advantage of a player relative to the other players
 

Jargon

Telephone Number - To receive a very big penalty score for undertricks, indicating a four digit penalty (1000 points or more) - referring to the last four digits of a telephone number.
 

Jargon

Tell - The colloquial term for a player that unwittingly provides opponents information about one's holding and thought processes, open based on observation of prior habits.
 

General

 

 

Laws

Tempo - the interval of time during bidding or play, as compared to other intervals by the same player.  Tempo should not be confused with hesitations; for instance, a player who normally bids or plays in 5-10 seconds but makes a bid or play after only 1 second has broken tempo.  Changes in tempo may be both fast or slow.

Accidentally received information - 16
Action by partner - 16
Inadvertent variation in manner or tempo - 73
Intentional variation in manner or tempo - 73

Bidding

Temporize - A player who deliberately makes a waiting action (bid or play), waiting for further developments before committing to a specific action.
 

General

Ten - Represented by 10 pips.  See Example
 

General

Tenace - A player holding a broken honor sequence as: See Example

  A Q [x...]    Major Tenace

 K J [x...]    Minor Tenace
 

Play

Ten Implies - Referring to a defender's conventional lead, where the lead of a 10 typically indicates the leader has two (or zero) honors above the 10.  See Conventions
 

Bidding

Texas Transfer - See Conventions
 

General

The Bridge World - Founded in 1929 by Ely Culbertson, The Bridge World is the world's oldest continuously-published bridge magazine.  See website
 

Bidding
The Law (of Total Tricks) - See Conventions
 
Jargon 3 of House - The colloquial term referring to a 3 Notrump bid.
 
General

Their Hand - Indicating the contract belongs to the opponents, based on their combined assets (High Card Points and/or suit length) or favorable vulnerability to take a sacrifice.
 

Jargon

Thin - A bid or contract with marginal strength (High Card Points and/or suit length)
 

Play

Third and Fifth -  See Conventions
 

Play

Third From Even, Low From Odd - See Conventions
 

General

Third Hand - After an opening call or play, the third player in sequence of bidding or play.  The success or failure of the defense to a contract is usually determined at the first trick. Since the defender's success often hinges on the play of the first card, correct play by the leader's partner may provide critical momentum to the defenders.  Often, the correct play is the highest (lowest equal) card.  Also, third hand signals include encouraging, discouraging, attitude and preference.
 

Play

Third Hand High - The concept advocating playing one's high card (lowest equal first, relative to dummy) in third seat as opposed to playing a low card in second seat.  Like most concepts, there are exceptions to this simple rule.  See Details
 

Bidding

Third Suit Bid - A bid of the third suit at the 1 level is technically non forcing, nor is it if the opener bid a second suit at the 2 in a lower suit.  However, if two suits were bid at the 1 level and the opener's rebid is a reverse (in a higher ranking suit), that bid is typically forcing for one round.
 

Bidding

Threat Card or Menace - Referring to a potential winning trick, typically associated with a squeeze play in three suits.  See Examples
 

Bidding

3 Level Response To 1 No Trump - See Conventions
 

Bidding

3 Notrump Opening - See Conventions
 

Bidding

3 Notrump Overcall - See Conventions
 

Bidding

3 Notrump Response - See Conventions
 

General

Three- Represented by 3 pips. See Example

Bidding

Three Quarter Notrump - See Conventions
 

Jargon

Thirteener - Bridge jargon (slang) indicating no other players hold cards in a suit held by the fourth player.  For instance, if one side plays the Ace, King, Queen, and all players follow to the tricks, the remaining player holds the thirteener.
 

Jargon

Three Suiter - Referring to a players holdings with length in 3 suits with a shortage in one suit, distributed 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0.  Three suited hands are sometimes referred to as a "Mini Roman" associated with a convention designed to handle these problematic bidding hands (also known as a "rattlesnake".  See Shape
 

Bidding

Through Strength - To play a card through the strength of the player in second, anticipating the player in the third seat will hold a card to trap the card played by the player in the second seat.
 

Bidding

Throw - To discard an insignificant card not intended to take a trick.
 

Jargon

Throw Away - Making a costly error, misplaying a card.
 

Jargon

Throw-in - A pass in fourth seat, literally throwing one's cards in the center of the table for a redeal (lawful in Rubber Bridge but not Duplicate)
 

Bidding

Throw-in Play - An endplay maneuver during the play of the last few cards, where the player on lead plays a low card to their left hand opponent guarding one or more suits.  With the opponent now on lead, one of the cards previously held over their right hand opponent now becomes a loser.  See Examples

Also see Books on Throw-In Play
 

Bidding

Throw-in Squeeze - The tactic of allowing an opponent to gain the lead, thereby squeezing the leader into forfeiting one or more tricks. See Examples
 

Bidding

Thrump Double -  See Conventions
 

Jargon

Tickets - A colloquial term referring to winning cards, typically honors.  See Card Names
 

Jargon

Tight -

1.

An unprotected holding lacking other cards in a suit, such as singleton King or perhaps a doubleton Queen-Jack

2.

A player to takes conservative bidding or play actions

 

Jargon Tile - The colloquial term referring to the Diamond suit.  See Card Names
 
Play

Timing - The sequence of cards played, influencing the ending arrangement of trump, honors, side suits, and player on lead.  Throw-in, elimination, endplays, and squeezes are examples where timing is critical.
 

Jargon

T.I.T. - The tongue in cheek acronym, "Texas Idiot Transfer" referring to partner's excessive bid over opponent's game.  For instance, a reflexive bid as:

(1H) - P - (4H) - 4S
 

Duplicate

Top - Obtaining the maximum possible matchpoint score on a specific hand, above that of all others playing the hand.
 

General Topbridge - See Bridge Service Providers
 
Bidding

Top of Nothing - The lead of a relatively high spot card to signal one's partner that the leader does not hold honors in the led suit.  Thus, the partner is given notice not to return the led suit.   Conversely, leading "Bottom of Something" indicates encouragement for the led suit.  See BOSTON
 

Duplicate

Total Point Scoring - See Duplicate Scoring

Also see Law 78
 

Bidding

Tops and Bottom Cuebids - See Conventions
 

Bidding

Total Trumps - The aggregate sum of trumps held by each side.  The concept of total tricks is a fundamental precept of "The Law of Total Tricks."
 

General

 

Laws

Touching -

1.

Referring to cards in adjacent suits:
- Clubs and Diamonds
- Diamonds and Hearts
- Hearts and Spades
- Spades and Clubs

2.

Indicating sequential cards in a suit, often referring to powerful holdings like "touching honors"

3.

The act of touching another player's cards - in breach of Law 7.B.2. (except the declarer may arrange the dummy cards)

Touching another's card - See Law 90

Duplicate

Tournament - A competitive event organized by a sponsoring organization, often consisting of multiple sessions.  See ACBL Tourneys, Tech Files For Directors
 

Duplicate

Tournament Director - The designated official responsible for tournament administration, including organization, play, player movement, administration of Laws, scoring, and result postings. The tournament director is charged with restoring equity at a table when an irregularity has occurred.  See Tech Files For Directors
 

Jargon

Track - The dummy laying down or tabling the dummy cards, such as the expressing "the dummy tracked, tabling 100 honors in Spades."
 

Jargon

Tram Tickets - A colloquial term for a player holding worthless cards (pips).  See Card Names
 

Jargon

Trance - To take an excessive amount of time to make a bid or play, as to "tank" or "huddle"
 

Bidding

Transfer - See Conventions
 

Bidding

Transfer Escape -  See Conventions
 

Bidding

Transfer Lebensohl - See Conventions
 

Bidding

Transfer Overcalls Of 1 Notrump - See Conventions
 

Bidding

Transfer Squeeze - The technique of transferring the lead to the side holding the menace card to initiate the squeeze.  See Example
 

General

Transferable Values - The strength of a player's cards, both offensively and defensively.  For instance, High Card Points, particularly not in long suits have transferable strength as either a declarer or defender.
 

Laws

Transferred Trick - In accordance with Law 64, the term indicating the non-offending side is awarded a trick after opponent's revoke has been established.
 

Bidding

Trap Pass - In lieu of making a fair overcall bid, the would be overcaller may make a cunning tactic of passing the bid, anticipating the opportunity to obtain an even better result.   For instance, the bidding may be:

(1C) - P - (P) - X;
(P)   - P

it is often better to Pass with a strong hand and more trump then opponents, anticipating a positive net score.  Trap passes are also effective when opponents have suit misfits, often bidding beyond their attainable contract.
 

Duplicate

Traveler - The small scoring sheet that accompanies the a duplicate board during play.  Typically the North player at each table is responsible for posting the results on the traveler after each board is player, recording player numbers, the contract bid and tricks won, and the score.  Bridge Hands has free downloadable Traveler for you to print copies
 

Duplicate

Traveling Pair - In some events, the Director assigns a traveling pair to occupy different seats in the session (normally, players maintain the same relative seat orientation regardless of table movement).
 

Duplicate

Tray - Another name for the board which holds duplicate cards. See Example
 

Bidding

Treatment - A natural bid based on a prior partnership agreement designed to handle a particular bidding scenario, providing partner pertinent information about the denomination (suit or Notrump) quality or length.  This is unlike a conventional call, which provides information not related to the denomination but instead uses artificial bids based on prior partnership agreements.
 

Jargon

Trey - The colloquial term referring to the 3 (three-spot) card.  See Example
 

Duplicate

Trial -  An elimination-style tournament event, where the winning contestants qualify for successive events.
 

Bidding

Trial Bid - A game or slam try bid, asking partner for a further explanation of their length and strength.   Game try and quantitative bids are common examples of trial bids.  See Help Suit Game Try
 

Laws

Trick - The sequence of four cards played successively by each player.  In duplicate bridge, each player maintains their own individual accounting of tricks won and lost.  In rubber bridge, one side of the trick winners typically gathers each players played to a trick.  At the end of the hand, each side counts the number of tricks won, using the result to determine the correct score.

Agreement on number won and lost - See Law 79
Arrangement in order - See Law 65
Claim - See Law 68
Completed - See Law 65
Concession - See Law 68  69  71
Correction of error in scoring - See Law 79
Defective - See Law 45  67
Disagreement on number won and lost - See Law 79
Dummy's right to keep track of tricks won - See Law 42
Fifth card to trick - See Law 45
Inspection of - See Law 66
Keeping track of number won and lost - See Law 65
Lead to - See Law 44
Orderliness - See Law 65
Play to - See Law 44
Quitted - See Law 61  62  66
Turning of - See Law 45

Laws

Trick Appropriated In Error - The erroneous act of scoring a trick for one's side, while technically the trick belongs to the other side.  If the players discover the error within the time specified by Law 67 and 68, the trick is rightfully restored to the winning side.
 

Rubber

Trick Score - The numeric award representing the aggregate number of tricks attributable to the declarer.  See Scoring
 

Laws

Tricks Won -  In Duplicate Bridge, each players card played cards are kept separate from other players.  Each player may keep track of tricks won or lost by orienting the cards vertically (lengthwise) pointing to the side that has won the trick.  See Arranging Duplicate Tricks

In Rubber Bridge, the cards constituting each completed trick are collected by a member of the side that won the trick and are then turned face down on the table. Each trick shall be identifiable as such, and all tricks taken by a side shall be arranged in sequence in front of declarer or of one defender, as the case may be, in such manner that each side can determine the number of tricks it has won and the order in which they were taken.  See Arranging Rubber Bridge Tricks
 

Bidding

Triple - A jump bid 3 levels above the current level, skipping 2 levels of bidding as 1H - 4H.
 

Play

Triple Squeeze - A squeeze play against one opponent in 3 of their suits.  See Example
 

Jargon

Triple 4 by 1 - A 4-4-4-1 hand pattern, also referred to as a three suiter or "Mini Roman" hand based on a convention used by some players to describe this distributional hand patterns.  See Shape
 

Bidding

Triple Raise - A jump bid 3 levels above the current level, skipping 2 levels of bidding as 1H - 4H.
 

General

Tripleton - A 3 card holding in a given suit.
 

General

Trump -

1.

The denomination (suits and Notrump) named by the declarer, ranking above suit denomination of other suits bid

2.

To ruff or play a card in the contract suit when a player no longer has cards in the suit led

 

Bidding

Trump Asking Bid (TAB)- See Conventions
 

General

Trump Control - A player holding trumps sufficient to prevent opponents from promoting a suit suit.
 

Play

 

Trump Coup - An unusual declarer play tactic requiring declarer to reduce the number of trumps in hand to that of the threatening opponent holding the same number of trump.  The declarer cleverly plays winning tricks in a side suit and if the declarer's Right Hand Opponent ruffs, the declarer over ruffs; otherwise the declarer sluffs losers in side suits.  If the declarer sluffed losers on the side suit before reducing trump and the RHO refused to ruff, the declarer would have to ruff a card in dummy; then the declarer would become endplayed, having to lead a trump to one of RHO's higher trump cards.  See Example
 

Play

Trump Echo - A defensive count signaling agreement when declarer plays trump, typically playing the natural low-high with 2 (or 4) trump but playing middle-low (if middle is an affordable card) when holding 3 trump.  This carding can be helpful to partner, indicating an opportunity to ruff a side suit when their side can regain lead before declarer exhausts all the remaining trumps.
 

Play

Trump Lead - While leading trump is often overrated, serious consideration of trump leads include when:

1.

The dummy holding could trump declarer's side suit

2.

The declarer will likely setup a side suit to pitch losers

3.

The defenders may profit from misleading declarer regarding trump holdings

4.

The declarer's contract is in a secondary suit (3 suits bid before settling in a contract)

5.

The declarer rebid Notrump, pulled by the responder to another suit (including declarer's first suit)

6.

The declarer has a good trump fit, with misfits in the side suits (particularly when 4-4-4-1 holdings are indicated by the bidding)

7.

The bidding indicated dummy has 3 trump

8.

Partner passed a takeout double, thus promising a superior trump suit

9.

The opponents' have made a sacrifice bid with fewer honors (likely doubled by your side), and are likely to gain if they are allowed to cross-ruff losers

10.

Your contract was doubled by one opponent but the other opponent pulled the double with a balancing bid

Also See Opening Leads, Passive Lead, Journalist Leads, Active Defense

Also see books on Leads
 

Laws
Trump, Play Of -

When penalty card present - See Law 50
When permitted - See Law 44

Play

Trump Promotion - The act of overruffing or uppercutting an opponent to setup additional tricks in the trump suit.
 

Play

Trump Signal - See Conventions
 

Play

Trumps Suit Preference - See Conventions
 

Play

Trump Squeeze - The tactic forcing an opponent to shorten a long side suit holding, allowing declarer to later ruff a losing trick in the suit and later promote a trick. The declarer play employs trump to force opponents to discard potential winners in side suits. Technically, elements of the trump squeeze include: a split menace, a ruffing menace - two small cards that would otherwise become losers if not for opponent needing to discard the guard cards in the suit, two dummy entries.  Unlike many other squeeze plays, the trump squeeze requires the declarer to maintain trump cards for ruffing value.  See Example
 

General

Trump Suit - The suit denomination selected by the declarer, thus ranking above other suits when a player is exhausted of the led side suit.
 

Play

Truscott - See Conventions
 

General

TYP - The Internet term, "Thank You, Partner" typically as a typed abbreviation by the declarer to partner as the dummy hand is revealed.
 

Jargon

Turkey - A derogatory term referring to a substandard player.
 

General

Turn - The rotational sequence of bidding or play, addressing the current player.
 

Play

TWERB: Two Way Exclusion Relay Bidding - An adoption of the Suction convention, primarily used as a defensive countermeasure against opponents 1 Notrump opening bid.  See details
 

Bidding

2 Club System - Referring to the conventional 2C strong artificial bid, implying preemptive "weak 2" preemptive bids in other suits.  See Conventions
 

Bidding

2 Diamond Opener - See Conventions
 

Bidding

2 Level Suit Opening - See Conventions
 

Bidding

 

2 Notrump Opener - Playing preemptive Weak 2's, opener's 2N shows 20-21 HCP; alternatively, playing all Strong 2 level bids, the opener's 2N bid shows 22-24 HCP.  A minority of player (and their systems) open 2N to show a weak minor two suited hand, akin to the Unusual Notrump.
 

Bidding

2/1 (Two-Over-One) System - See Conventions
 

General

Two- Represented by 2 pips. See Example.

Jargon

Two Suiter -  Referencing a players non-balanced hand distribution, usually more distributional than a 4-4-3-2 shape.  A hand with 2 five+ card suits are definitely two suited hands, although a 5-4 shape also qualifies as a two suiter.  See Shape
 

Bidding

Two Way - A call potentially having multiple meanings, subject to further clarification after responder's bid.
 

Play

Two Way Finesse - The opportunity to finesse either opponent for the missing card, usually a Queen.  See Example
 

Bidding

Two Way Game Try - See Conventions
 

Bidding

Two Way New Minor Forcing - See Conventions
 

Bidding
Two Way Reverse Drury - See Conventions
 
Bidding

Two Way Stayman - See Conventions
 

 

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