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Auction: A collective term used to describe the bidding which always precedes the play.

Balanced Hand: A hand that has a relatively even distribution of the four suits – no voids, no singletons, and not more than one doubleton.

Blackwood: An artificial bid which asks partner for aces.

Book: The first six tricks won.

Contract: The final bid.

Cue Bid: When you or your partner bids a suit which was first mentioned by one or both of your opponents.

Dealer: The person who deals the cards at the beginning of each hand.

Declarer: The person who actually plays the hand. This is determined during the bidding.

Doubleton: Two cards in any given suit.

Dummy: The partner of the declarer. These cards are shown face up on the table.

Entry: A winning card which allows access to the opposite hand.

Finesse: A technique to win an additional trick(s) with a card that is nor a sure winner.

Fit: at least eight cards in a common suit.

Five and dime rule: Five cards in the suit that a player bids, and at least 10 points in the entire hand.

Grand Slam: Contracts bid on the seven level. Should have at least 37 total points.

Honor cards: There are 5 honor cards in each suit: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and ten.

LHO: Left hand opponent.

Major suit: Spades and hearts.

Minor suit: Diamonds and clubs.

Notrump: You must have 15 to 17 points and a balanced or evenly distributed hand with at least one protected high card in three out of the four suits.

Opener: The person who opens the bidding.

Overcall: When one side opens the bidding, the other side can bid over them. In effect, they are calling over the opening bidder.

Overtricks: Tricks that are won in excess of your contract.

Part Score:  When a partnership settles on a contract which is under game in any suit or notrump.

Penalty Double: Announces your belief that the opponents will not make their contract.

Point Count: Ace = 4 points. Kings = 3 points. Queens = 2 point. Jack = 1 point.

Preempt: An obstructive bid made on a high level which makes it difficult for opponents to enter the auction.

Responder: The opening bidder’s partner.

RHO: Right hand opponent.

Ruff: To trump

Singleton: When you’re dealt only one card in any of the four suits.

Slam: Contracts bid on the six level. They usually require at least 33 combined points to give you a good chance to make 12 tricks in the play.

Stayman: An artificial club bid after partner has opened 1 or 2 nontrump.

Stopper: Stoppers are protected honor cards that seem likely to win one of the first four tricks if the opponents lead that suit.

Suit: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.

Takeout Double:. An overcall that shows an opening hand, with some support for every suit, except the suit that the opener bid.

Trick: After all four people have played a card in clockwise order, that group of four cards is called a trick.

Trump: Trump is just another name for wild cards. The suit that’s designated as trump will be chosen during the bidding.

Void: This term applies when you hold a hand that lacks one suit.