Gambling terms, explained straight

Not to be confused with bridge (the card game itself) or bridge bidding (the action of making calls).

Card Games

Bridge bidding terms

Bridge bidding terms are the words, calls, and phrases used during the auction phase of contract bridge to describe hands and agreements.

Applies to
The auction phase of contract bridge 12
Categories
Natural bids and artificial conventions 13

Key points

  • Players use agreed terms during the auction to signal hand strength and shape, often through partnerships that assign special meanings to certain bids. 13
  • Bids range from one to seven levels, each carrying specific information about the number of tricks a player expects to take. 2
  • Many bridge bidding terms describe artificial conventions such as cue bids or slam-seeking conventions, not literal card holdings. 34

Where this term is used

Card games Bridge terms and definitions A broader glossary covering all bridge vocabulary, not only bidding terms. Card games Bridge terms and phrases Common expressions used in bridge gameplay and culture beyond just the auction. Card games Bridge The full game of contract bridge, including dealing, bidding, play, and scoring. Card games Whist vs bridge Comparison between the two trick-taking games, highlighting differences in bidding and gameplay. Card games Bridge shuffle The specific shuffling technique used to prepare the deck for a bridge deal. Card games Spades bidding rules Bidding conventions in the game of Spades, distinct from those in contract bridge.

Sources

  1. Glossary of contract bridge terms - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Provides the general definition and context for bridge bidding terms as part of a comprehensive glossary.
  2. Contract bridge - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Explains the numerical levels of bids (one to seven) and the auction phase of contract bridge.
  3. Bridge convention - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines bridge conventions, a key subset of bidding terms that are artificial.
  4. Cue bid - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Supports the mention of cue bids as an example of an artificial bidding term.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.