HCP ⇒ High Card Points.

LHO ⇒ Left-Hand Opponent.

LSP ⇒ Long Suit Points.

RHO ⇒ Right-Hand Opponent.

SSP ⇒ Short Suit Points.

Advancer ⇒ The partner of the player who overcalls an opponent's contract bid.

Artificial Bid ⇒ A contract bid or double that conveys a meaning other than that which would be naturally attributed to it. Most bidding conventions rely on at least one artificial bid. See also: natural bid.

Attitude Signal ⇒ A defensive signal used when you are following a suit led by your partner or discarding on a suit led by the declarer.  A high card encourages and a low card discourages partner from leading the suit.

Auction ⇒ See: bidding auction.

Auction Call ⇒ Any contract bid, double, redouble, or pass.

Balanced Hand ⇒ A hand with no more than one doubleton, no singletons, and no voids. The balanced hand shapes are 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2.  See also: unbalanced hand.

Bid ⇒ See: contract bid.

Bidding Auction ⇒ The sequence of calls that determines the final contract. Each contract bid in the auction must be at a higher denomination rank or at a higher level.

Bidding Box ⇒ A box with the bids displayed on cards to allow the bidding auction to be conducted silently.

Bidding Convention ⇒ A sequence of bidding guidelines that starts with an artificial bid.  Some conventions use several artificial bids.

Bidding Guideline ⇒ A recommended bid in a bidding sequence.

Bidding System ⇒ The collection of bidding guidelines that a partnership uses during the bidding auction. In the United States, the most popular bidding system is some variation of the Standard American bidding system.

Blackwood Convention ⇒ A bidding convention invented by Easley Blackwood in 1933 that is used by a partnership that is on their way to bidding a slam.  This convention is initiated by a 4NT bid after the partners have agreed on a trump suit. See also: Gerber Convention.

Book ⇒ The first six tricks taken by the declarer.

Call ⇒ Any contract bid or double, redouble, or pass.

Contract ⇒ The final contract bid in the auction that commits the declarer to try to take the number of tricks above book in the denomination specified in the bid. 

Contract Bid ⇒ An auction call that specifies a level (number of tricks above book) and a denomination (a suit or no trump). 

Convention ⇒ See: bidding convention.

Convention Card ⇒ A document that lists all of a partnership's bidding guidelines.  Your opponents may look at your convention card during the auction and the play of the hand.

Conventional Bid ⇒ A bid that initiates a bidding convention. Most, but not all, conventional bids are artificial.

Crossruff ⇒ The abilty to ruff losers in a suit in one hand and also ruff losers in a different suit in the other hand of a partnership.

Cuebid ⇒ The bid of a suit that was first mentioned in a contract bid by one of the opponents.  A cuebid is often forcing to the game level.

Dealer ⇒ The player that distributes the cards in clockwise order. The dealer makes the first; auction call in the bidding auction.

Declarer ⇒ The player in the partnership that wins the contract who was the first to bid the denomination (suit or no trump) specified by the contract bid.

Declarer Points ⇒ The sum of the high card points and long suit points in the hand of the player who expects to be the declarer if the partnership wins the contract.  See also: dummy points.

Defender ⇒ One of the players in the partnership that did not win the contract.

Defense ⇒ The partnership that did not win the contract.

Denomination ⇒ The suit or no trump specified in a contract bid.

Denomination Rank ⇒ The relative position of the denomination in the ordered list clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, no trump.

Discarding ⇒ Playing a card other than a trump card when a player is void in the lead suit.

Distribution ⇒ The number of cards in each suit in a hand or the number of cards in one suit in the combined hands of the partnership.

Double ⇒ An auction call that increases the scoring value of tricks. A double may be a penalty double or a conventional double. See also: lead directing double, negative double and takeout double.

Doubleton ⇒ A holding of two cards in a suit.

Down the Line ⇒ Bidding the suit with the higher rank when you have two suits of equal (usually five card) length. See also: up the line.

Draw Trump ⇒ Playing the trump suit until the opponents are void in the suit.

Dummy ⇒ The hand that belongs to the declarer's partner.  The dummy hand is put face up on the table after the player to the left of the declarer makes the opening lead.

Dummy Points ⇒ The sum of the high card points and short suit points in the hand of the player who has at least three card support for partner's suit and expects to be the dummy if the partnership wins a contract in that suit.  See also: declarer points.

Entry ⇒ A card that can take a trick in a specific hand.

Establish ⇒ Setup lower cards in a suit by driving out the higher cards in opponent's suit.

Favorable Vulnerability ⇒ When your partnership is not vulnerable and your opponents are vulnerable. See also: unfavorable vulnerability.

Five-Card Major ⇒ A bidding guideline that promises at least five cards in the major suit to make a 1♥ or 1♠ opening bid.

Follow Suit ⇒ Play a card in the suit that was led.

Forcing Bid ⇒ A bid that forces partner to bid again.  Partner can not pass after a forcing bid.  See also: invitational bid and signoff bid.

Four-Card Diamonds ⇒ A bidding guideline that promises no five card major and at least four diamonds to make a 1♦ opening bid.

Fourth Highest ⇒ A lead of the fourth card down from the top of a suit.

Game ⇒ Bidding and making a contract with a total trick score of 100 or more points.

Game Contract ⇒ Three no trump (100 points), four of a major suit (120 points), or five of a minor suit (100 points).

Gerber Convention ⇒ A bidding convention invented by John Gerber in 1938 that is used by a partnership that is on their way to bidding a slam.  This convention is initiated by a jump to 4♣ after partner has opened a natural 1NT or 2NT.  See also: Blackwood Convention.

Grand Slam ⇒ Bidding and making a contract at the seven level (13 tricks).  See also: small slam.

Guideline ⇒ See: bidding guideline.

High Card Points (HCP) ⇒ The point value of the high cards in the hand where Ace=4, King=3, Queen=2, and Jack=1.

Honor Card ⇒ One of the five top cards in a suit (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten). See also: spot card.

Invitational Bid ⇒ A bid that invites partner to bid again.  Partner can pass after an invitational bid.  See also: forcing bid, marathon bid and signoff bid.

Jump ⇒ A contract bid that is one or more levels higher than necessary.

Jump Overcall ⇒ An overcall at a level higher than necessary. See also: simple overcall.

Jump Raise ⇒ A contract bid in partner's suit that is one or more levels higher than necessary. See also: limit raise and simple raise.

Jump Shift ⇒ A bid in a new suit that is one level higher than necessary.

Lead ⇒ The first card played on a trick.

Lead Suit ⇒ The suit of the first card played on a trick.

Left-Hand Opponent (LHO) ⇒ The player on your left.

Level ⇒ The number of tricks above book that are specified in a contract bid.

Limit Raise ⇒ A jump raise of partner's opening bid of a major suit at the one level to the three level. There are two variations of the limit raise:

• A natural limit raise promises 10-12 dummy points and at least three card support.
• A conventional limit raise promises 10-12 dummy points and at least four card support.

See also: jump raise and simple raise.

Long Suit Points (LSP) ⇒ Points assigned for each long suit in a hand where one point is given for each card over four in the suit.  See also: declarer points and short suit points.

Marathon Bid ⇒ A bid that forces partner to keep bidding until at least a game contract is reached.  Partner can not pass after a marathon bid.  See also: invitational bid, forcing bid and signoff bid.

Major Suits ⇒ Hearts and spades.

Minor Suits ⇒ Clubs and diamonds.

Natural Bid ⇒ A contract bid that describes the length of the suit mentioned in the bid or, in the case of no trump, the absence of a suit long enough to make a suit bid. For example, a player who makes a 1♠ opening bid promises at least five spades. See also: artificial bid.

Opener ⇒ The player who makes the opening bid.  The opener's partner is called the responder.

Opening Bid ⇒ The first contract bid in the bidding auction. 

Opening Lead ⇒ The first card played on the first trick. The opening lead is made by the player on the left of the declarer. The opening lead is made toward the dummy.

Overcall ⇒ A contract bid made over a contract bid of an opponent.

Overcaller ⇒ The player who makes an overcall.  The overcaller's partner is called the advancer.

Overtrick ⇒ Each trick above the number of tricks specified in the contract when the declarer makes the contract. See also: undertrick.

Partner ⇒ the other member of the partnership.

Partnership ⇒ the pair of players seated on opposite sides of the table who work together during the bidding auction or the play of the hand.

Pass ⇒ An auction call that indicates that the player does not wish to change the contract specified by the last contract bid.

Passed Hand ⇒ A player who passed instead of making an opening bid. The inference is the passed hand does not have the strength or the shape to make an opening bid in the bidding system used by the partnership.

Penalty Double ⇒ A double that is intended to increase the penalty bounus for defeating the opponent's contract. Partner is expected to pass. See also: lead directing double, negative double and takeout double.

Promotion ⇒ Driving out opponent's higher ranking cards to develop lower ranking cards into winners.

Quantitative Bid ⇒ A natural bid that limits the strength of the hand to a narrow range. A quantitative bid invites, but does not force, partner to make another bid.

Quantitative 4NT ⇒ A jump to 4NT after a 1NT opening bid is a quantitative bid that shows 16-17 high card points. Opener can bid a small slam or pass.

Raise ⇒ A contract bid in partner's suit. See also: jump raise, limit raise and simple raise.

Rebid ⇒ A second bid by any player.

Responder ⇒ The partner of the player who makes the opening bid.

Response Bid ⇒ The first bid of the partner of the player who makes the opening bid.

Right-Hand Opponent (RHO) ⇒ The player on your right.

Ruff ⇒ Playing a trump on a trick when you are void in the lead suit. See also: crossruff.

Rule of 11 ⇒ When a player's opening lead is the fourth highest in their suit:

• Subtract the size of the lead card from 11
• Subtract the number of higher cards you see in the dummy
• Subtract the number of higher cards you see in your hand

The result is the number of higher cards in the hand of the partner who made the opening lead. A negative number means the lead was top of nothing.

Run ⇒ To take all of the remaining cards in a suit without fear of losing a trick to an opponent's higher card or trump.

Side Suit ⇒ A suit other than the suit this is or is expected to be the trump suit.

Simple Overcall ⇒ An overcall at the cheapest possible level. See also: jump overcall.

Simple Raise ⇒ A bid in partner's suit that is at the cheapest possible level. See also: jump raise and limit raise.

Shape of Hand ⇒ The distribution of the cards in the hand.  See also: balanced hand and unbalanced hand.

Short Side ⇒ The partnership hand with the smaller number of hards in a specific suit.

Short Suit Points (SSP) ⇒ Points assigned for each short side suit in a hand that supports partner's trump suit where a doubleton is one point, a singleton is three points, and a void is five points.  See also: dummy points and long suit points.

Signoff Bid ⇒ A bid that directs partner to pass.  Partner should not make another contract bid after a signoff bid.  See also: forcing bid and invitational bid.

Singleton ⇒ A holding of one card in a suit.

Slam ⇒ Bidding and making a contract at the six or seven level (12 or 13 tricks).  See also: small slam and grand slam.

Sluff ⇒ Discarding a losing card instead of playing a trump on a trick when you are void in the lead suit.

Small Slam ⇒ Bidding and making a contract at the six level (12 tricks).  See also: grand slam.

Spot Card ⇒ The bottom eight cards in a suit (nine down to two). See also: honor card.

Strain ⇒ See: denomination.

Strength of Hand ⇒ The number of points in the hand.

Stopper ⇒ A card or a sequence of cards that will take a trick to prevent opponent's from running a suit.  The A is a definite stopper.  A KQ or QJT sequence is a definite stopper.  A Kx or Qxx combination is also considered to be a stopper even though it might not take a trick.  But a singleton K or a doubleton Qx is not considered to be a stopper even though it might take a trick.

Suits ⇒ The four groups of cards in the deck with special symbols (Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds, and Spades).

Suit Contract ⇒ A contract that names a suit that will be trump.

Support ⇒ The number of cards held in a suit that partner has bid.

Sure Tricks ⇒ The tricks that can be taken without giving up the lead to the opponents.

Takeout Double ⇒ A double that asks partner to bid one of the unbid suits. A takeout double usually requires:

• Thirteen or more dummy points (you expect to be the dummy).
• No more than three cards in opponent's suit(s) but a doubleton, a singleton, or a void is preferred.
• At least three cards in each of three unbid suits or four cards in each of two unbid suits.

Trick ⇒ The play of four cards in rotation, one card from each player.

Trump Suit ⇒ The suit named in a suit contract.

Two-Over-One Game Force ⇒ A variation of the Standard American Bidding System that is initiated when all of the following are true:

• Opener makes an opening bid of 1♦, 1♥ or 1♠ in first or second seat (responder is not a passed hand).
• The next player passes
• Responder bids a new suit at the two level without jumping. This two-over-one response is a marathon bid that forces opener to keep bidding until at least a game contract is reached.

Unbalanced Hand ⇒ A hand with a void, a singleton, or more than one doubleton.  See also: balanced hand.

Unbid Suit ⇒ A suit that has not (yet) been bid during the bidding auction.

Unblock ⇒ Playing an unnecessary high card to retain a lower card to lead back to your partner on a later trick.

Undertrick ⇒ Each trick below the number of tricks specified in the contract when the declarer fails to make the contract. See also: overtrick.

Unfavorable Vulnerability ⇒ When your partnership is vulnerable and your opponents are not vulnerable. See also: favorable vulnerability.

Up the Line ⇒ Bidding the suit with the lower rank when you have two suits of equal (usually four card) length. See also: down the line.

Void ⇒ Absense of any cards in a suit.

Vulnerable ⇒ Being subject to larger penalties for undertricks and larger rewards for bidding and making games.

Waiting Bid ⇒ An artificial bid in response to a partner that has made a strong two opening bid. The waiting bid keeps the bidding open so that the opener can make a rebid.

Weak Two Convention ⇒ A modern bidding convention in which an opening bid of 2♦, 2♥ or 2♠ shows a weak hand with a long suit.

Yarborough ⇒ A hand containing no card higher than a nine.