Zany Bridge (aka Floating Bridge) terms

[Kiwi8]

Advertisement

I'm starting this thread with a view to eventually getting it to be stickied after it is complete.

This will basically be a list of common terms that are used in Floating Bridge, which Zany Bridge is.

The terms are obtained from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossar...t_bridge_terms

But I will include only the terms that are relevant to Zany Bridge.

Those of you who are more familiar with the subject, you may recommend any other terms that I missed out, but which you feel is appropriate for Zany Bridge too.

[Kiwi8]

Terms:

Cash:
To take a trick with a card that is currently the highest in the suit, thought certain to succeed, or to take all available winners in a suit.

Declarer:
The player who makes the final bid where everyone passes.

Defender:
Both of the players who are not partner of the declarer. Of course, sometimes this include all three of the players other than the declarer if the declarer made himself as the partner.

Drain:
To remove the opponents' trumps.

Duck:A play technique in which a player does not immediately play a card that might take a trick, but plays a small card instead.

Establish:
To make winners of the remaining cards in a suit by playing or forcing out higher cards. Example: If you have KQJxxx, you will want to 'establish' this suit by luring out the Ace so that you can cash out this set of winners (especially true in a NT game).

Exit card:
A card that is used to put a different hand on lead, normally to avoid making a self-destructive lead in another suit.

Finesse:
A technique that attempts to gain a trick or tricks by taking advantage of a favorable lie of the opponents' cards. Example: You have AQ. If your opponent is holding King and you are playing after him, you can use your Queen to win a trick, making his King unable to be cashed until the 3rd lead of the suit.

Guard:
A holding that prevents an opponent from taking a trick or tricks. Example: If you have a Queen, you need a minimum of 2 more cards in the same suit to guard against the Ace and the King. Sometimes more cards are needed when taking finesse into account.

Grand slam:
A contract to win all thirteen tricks. A small slam is twelve tricks.

Honor cards:
Namely the cards Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These cards are normally mentioned together due to the fact that they are the top five cards and thus have the ability to take sets (tricks).

Loser:
A card which apparently cannot take a trick.

NT (No Trump):
A contract, or a bid that names a contract, to be played without a trump suit.

Run:To play the winners in a suit.
Small slam:
A contract to win all but one tricks, namely twelve tricks.

Stopper:
A high card (normally, an honor) whose primary function is to prevent the opponents from running a suit in a NT contract.

Trick:
A set of 4 cards played by each player in turn, during the play of a hand.

Winner:
A card that can take a trick on a given hand.