Common Bridge Expressions Trivia Quiz

Answer: "One last match"

Rubber bridge is the most simple, social form of bridge. It is played by four people, two pairs, and it consists of at least two deals. A rubber - the basic unit of play corresponding to a "best of three" match - is finished when one of the pairs manages to score two full games. A game is scored when a pair declares (bids) and then successfully fulfills (makes) a contract worth at least 100 points.

When a pair scores its first game, meaning it is just one game away from the rubber win, the pair is then called "vulnerable", because the penalty for failing to fulfill contracts is doubled for them. This is a way for the other pair to try and catch up.

Answer: Scoring bonus points which do not count towards completing games

On every rubber score sheet there is a horizontal line. The base value of every contract bid and made by a pair is written on the score sheet "below the line" and it counts toward completing games (and eventually the rubber). Any other points, e.g. overtricks (simple, doubled or redoubled), part score, game and slam bonuses, undertricks, etc. are considered bonus points and are written separately ("above the line").

The rubber is completed whenever one pair completes two games, but that does not necessarily mean that this pair won the rubber! If the other pair has won many bonus points (above the line), the paradox could happen that one pair scored two games, yet the other pair won the rubber (the match).

Answer: The player is notifying the opponents that his partner's last bid has a conventional meaning

Bridge is a game of "complete disclosure", which means that there can be no secret agreements between partners about their methods of bidding or play. Thus, whenever a player makes a conventional bid (a bid with a non-natural meaning) his partner says "Alert!". If the opponents wish, they can subsequently ask the alerter about the meaning of his partner's bid, and the alerter is obliged to describe the convention accurately and completely.

Answer: When you have 8 cards in a suit, finesse for the Queen. When you have 9 cards in a suit, play Ace and King hoping to drop the Queen

This is one of the first maxims a beginner learns in bridge. It has to do with the best percentage play to avoid losing a trick to a Queen in a suit.

Answer: The third player in the order of a trick should play his highest card in the suit being played

Yet another beginners' bridge maxim. It has to do with defender play. When it's your turn to follow suit in a trick and you are the third to play, try your highest card in the suit. Most of the times this is a winning strategy, although there are quite a few exceptions (aren't there in all maxims?).

Answer: Play a losing card from one hand and discard a losing card of another suit from the other hand

"Loser on loser" is one of the most solid declarer play strategies in bridge. Whenever you can concede two losing cards in two different suits on the same trick, go for it! You are effectively compressing your losing tricks by one.

Answer: Tricks that can be won without surrendering the lead

Tricks that can be won "by force" since declarer holds top cards in all suits and does not need to "build-up" his own tricks by conceding one or more tricks to the opponents.

Answer: They forced him to ruff, shortening his trump holding

When defence believes that trumps are not split favorably for declarer, they can employ what is called a "forcing defence". This is done by leading a long suit continuously whenever they are in lead, so that declarer is forced to take ruffs. If this is done enough times, declarer could lose trump control and go down easily.

Answer: A hand with no card higher than a nine (i.e. an almost worthless hand)

This expression has a very nice story behind it. Back in the days of whist (the ancestor of bridge) the Earl of Yarborough was well aware that picking up a hand without any aces, face cards or tens was extremely rare (the actual chance is around 1400 to 1). Thus, the Earl placed a constant bet, that whenever he was dealt a non-yarborough hand he would win 1 pound, but whenever he picked up a yarborough hand he would pay 1000 pounds.

The Earl won many thousands of pounds over the years, using this bet.

Answer: My right hand opponent made a completely deceiving and misleading bid that made our side miss game

I hope you all got this one right, since I intended to make a light fun with the suggested answers. Psyching is a difficult art in bridge. One has to know when to psyche and how to psyche. It is as difficult as bluffing in poker. It is perfectly acceptable, as long as your partner is not aware of it. If a pair uses psychic bids often, the opponents ought to know before the game, or else it might be considered cheating.