The following is aglossary of terms used incard games. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of common and uncommon slang terms. Terms in this glossary should not be game-specific (e.g. specific tobridge,hearts,poker orrummy), but apply to a wide range of card games played with non-proprietary packs. It should not include terms solely related to casino or banking games. For glossaries that relate primarily to one game or family of similar games, seeGame-specific glossaries.
A player who receives cards in the currentdeal (i.e. is not sitting out because there are more players than thegame is designed for as in four-handSkat or five-handSchafkopf).[3]
A player who hasnot withdrawn from the currentdeal but elected to play on (as inRams orPoker).[3]
Often used in both senses ofdeclaration. However, Dummett prefers to restrict 'announcement' for the intention to achieve certain feats inplay, while preferring'declaration' for a statement that one has a specialcombination of cards in one'shand.[5]
ante
A mandatorystake made before thegame begins - usually by all players, sometimes by thedealer only.[4]
Chips required to be put into thepot before the deal.[6]
Phrase that describessequences orruns that are built either side of the Ace e.g. Q K A 2 3 4[7]
auction
The period of bidding.[8] The phase in somecard games where players maybid to lead thegame, or bid on a certainhand or privilege in that hand such as naming thetrump suit. The player with the highest bid wins the auction and plays his chosengame or exercises his privilege. Often used intrick-taking games.[9]
Also called thehouse or the bank, the person responsible for distributingchips, keeping track of thebuy-ins, and paying winners at the end of abanking game. Adealer against whom thepunters bet.[11][3]
banking game
A less-skilledcard game of the gambling type in which one or morepunters play against abanker, who controls thegame.[12]
base value
A constant factor in working out the value of a game e.g.Skat.[13]
the player who directs the play of his team or who has the final decision in certainpartnershipgames.[26]
card money
The charge levied by an establishment on the playing of card games.[27]
card points
The scoring value of a card or cards inpoint-trick games.[4] Card points are used to determine the winner of ahand, based on the value of individual cards won. Not to be confused withgame points. Sometimes calledpips.
A token used in place of money; acounter; to put chips in thepot[29] Alsojeton.
chosen suit
A suit characterised by a disturbed ranking and in which some cards have privileges over cards of theunchosen suits or special powers when led. Chosen suits are found in most games of theKarnöffel group. Sometimes called a selected suit. Often misnamed atrump suit.[30]
circle
A local group of card players who meet regularly to play a particular game.[a]
claim
An action or statement by which a player indicates he believes he will take all the remainingtricks.[32]
To make such an action e.g. by laying one'shand down or saying "the rest are mine" in expectation that the opponents will concede.[32]
Unmatched cards remaining in the hand e.g. inRummy.[42]
deal
Verb: To distribute cards to players in accordance with the rules of thecard game being played.[44] In many games, this involves picking up all the cards,shuffling them, having themcut and redistributing them, but in othergames (such as Patience games) it simply involves turning over thewastepile to act as a newstock.
Noun: The play from the time the cards are dealt until they are redealt.[44] Also referred to as ahand
Announcement ofmelds or scoringcombinations, as inPiquet.[42] Dummett prefers to restrict 'declaration' to this sense, while preferring 'announcement' for the intention to achieve certain feats in play i.e. the 2nd meaning below.[5]
Note: Dummett prefers to restrict'announce' for the intention to achieve certain feats inplay, while using 'declare' for a statement that one has a specialcombination of cards in one'shand.[5]
The two of anysuit.[44] InGerman-suited packs, the deuce is nowadays usually called theace despite having 2 suit symbols.[49] In Austria and Bavaria usually called the Sow (Sau).
Tolay away cards, e.g. of high value or to void a suit, after picking up from thetalon orskat.[42]
A card that is removed from the hand in either of those ways.[42]
discard pile
The pile of cards already rejected by players.[39] The common pile of discarded cards.[42] Alsowastepile.
double, redouble
To increase thegame value by a factor of 2. Redoubling effectively quadruples the original game value.
double-ended, double-figured, double-headed
Of a playing card, being designed to be read either way up by having indices at each end and, in the case of court cards, dividing the picture horizontally or diagonally and displaying only the upper part of the figure at each end. Also reversible. Seesingle-ended.
This is the player to the left of thedealer in games that are played clockwise; or to the right of the dealer in those played anti-clockwise and who is usually first tobid ordeclare andplay.[38] The first player to play in theround. Calledforehand in manygames.
empty card
InTarock games, a card without a special point value, usually apip card, but sometimes also an ordinary trump (i.e. not one of theTrull cards.[54]
With thedenomination side of the card downwards and its back upwards.
faceup (US)
A card positioned so that it reveals itssuit and value.[39] Alsoupcard.[56]
face value
The marked value of a card. Alsopip value.Court cards are usually take to have a value of 10, the Ace 1 or 11.[9]
fall of the cards
The identity and order in which cards are played, especially as it gives an indication of the location of unplayed cards.[38]
fan
To spread cards fanwise.[57] To spread a hand or pack of cards, face up, in an arc so that they can be identified from their cornerindices. Alternatively to spread them, face down, in order to enable players to 'draw lots' in order, for example, to choose teams or the first dealer.
An arc of cards so fanned. A spread of face-up cards.[57]
InPatience, a small number of cards laid in an overlapping row, so that only one is exposed.[58]
Another term foreldest hand usually incard games originating from Europe. The player who is usually first to receive cards,bid andplay. Sits to the left of thedealer in clockwise games and right of the dealer in anticlockwise games.
The player who has the right to lead to a trick or who is earlier in the order of play and therefore haspositional priority. Also said to bein forehand.
Inpoint-trick games, the score awarded to the players based on the outcome of ahand, the game value of acontract and anybonuses earned. Game points are accumulated (or deducted) to decide the overall winner. Not to be confused withcard points.
Apack of cards with the foursuits:acorns,leaves,hearts andbells. So-called because it originated in Germany. Such packs are common in Austria, Germany, north Italy, Hungary and several other countries in eastern Europe. Compare withFrench andLatin-suited pack.
good
Concession by a player that he or she accepts thebid and does not wish to bid against it. May be announced with "good."
go out
To finish playing in the currentdeal because a) you have got rid of all your cards (e.g. inRummy orDomino or b) you have achieved the tricks or points needed to win (e.g. inFipsen orSixty-Six).
Toplay a higher card than any so far played to the trick.[64] Alsohead the trick orplay over (but that can also mean to play a higher card of the same suit). Not to be confused withcover orovertake.
guard
One or more cards that protect a high card.[65] A high card may be singly guarded,[66] twice guarded, etc.[b]
A game played for 'hard score' – as opposed to those played forsoft score – is one played for money. Coins may be used tostake; alternatively chips or counters with an agreed monetary value may be utilised.
head the trick
To play a better (i.e. higher) card than any already played to thetrick.[64] Alsogo over orplay over (but that can also mean to play a higher card of the same suit). Not to be confused withcover orovertake.
As an earlierbidder in theauction, to match a higherbid, thus retaining the right to play acontract.
hold up
To refrain from playing (a high card).[64] Also 'hold back'.
honour
A card attracting a bonus score or side payment, usually to the player or team for holding and declaring them, but sometimes for capturing them in play.[67] From the Frenchhonneur. Seematador.
InBridge, the Ace, King, Queen, Jack or Ten in a suit.[68]
The number or letter printed in the corner of a playing card, so that it may be read when held in afan.[64]
in turn
A player, or an action, is said to be in turn if that player is expected to act next under the rules.Jerry said "check" while he was in turn, so he's not allowed to raise.
Wooden counters. Jetons are round, fiches are long and contrats are short and rectangular.
jan, jann
The equivalent oflurch orschneider in north German or Scandinavian games. It may mean losing without taking a trick, as in games of theBruus family, or scoring less than 1/4 of the points, as in games of theSjavs family.
A circularcounter which forms the basic unit of scoring or payment, especially in French card games. Often used along withfiches andcontrats which are worth more.[37] See alsochip.
As thecutter, to tap thepack with a fist to indicate that you are satisfied with theshuffle and are happy not to cut the cards. Common informal practice in social or family circles in European countries.
A player who chooses to play without the help of hispartner's hand.[75]
long card
A card left in one's hand after all opponents are exhausted of thatsuit.[75] Similarly, long cards are the dregs of a suit which has been led several times and exhausted in the hands of other players.[69]
long suit
Asuit containing more than four cards e.g. atWhist[69]
The suit with the most cards in a player's hand.[75]
A card of low value, especially in Tarot and Tarock games.[77]
lurch
A player is 'lurched' or 'in the lurch' incard games likeCribbage, Saunt orCassino if they not only lose but fail to score a minimum number of points, typically half of a winning score. Being in the lurch typically costs double. Similar toschneider.[76][75]
The highest card in play from a particular suit.[2]
matador
Atop trump, sometimes with special privileges.[67] However, in somecard games such asSkwitz, it is not atrump but a bonus-earning card. Any high trump.[75]
match
A card game session comprising a number ofrounds after which scores are finalised and a winner declared.
To play a card of the same value of the card or cards on the table, for example infishing games.
The normal hierarchical sequence of cards within a suit. In a 52-card, French-suited pack the natural order is from Ace (high) to Two (low) i.e. A > K > Q > J > 10 … 2. In a 36-card German-suited pack, it is from Deuce ("Ace") to Seven i.e. D (A) > K > O > U > 10 … 7. Many games do not follow the natural order, for example, inace–ten games the ranking is A > 10 > K > Q > J... or D (A) > 10 > K > O > U...
natural suit
The suit that a card would naturally belong to if not designated as e.g. a trump
negative game
A negativegame or negativecontract is one in which the aim is to either:
Tobid higher than an earlierbidder. May take the form of a suit overcall (bid a higher-value suit e.g. inPreference), majority overcall (bid to take a higher number of tricks e.g. inFipsen) or value overcall (bid to win more card points e.g. inBinokel)[67] The name of such a bid.[79]
A complete set of cards. In English-speaking countries, a standardpack comprises 52French-suited cards. In other countries, packs of 24, 32, 36, 40 or 48 cards are common as areGerman orLatin-suited packs. Alsodeck.
Another player with whom one shares a common score, and with whom one therefore cooperates inbidding andplay.[82]
partnership
Two or more players who play jointly and win or lose together. May be 'fixed', in which case the players play together for the entire session, or 'floating', in which case partners vary from deal to deal, sometimes called analliance. Also called aside orteam.[67]
A score awarded for common violations of the rules of thegame. It can be awarded either negatively to the violating player/partnership, or positively to their opponent(s)
The stage of thegame during which the players'hands are depleted by plays totricks or to a commonpile, etc.[82] The "rules of play" are the rules for playing tricks, etc. e.g. stating that players must follow suit if able, otherwise may play any card (as atWhist).
The priority a player has by virtue of his position in relation to thedealer and direction of play. Normallyforehand oreldest hand has the highest priority, followed by the other players in the order of play. So, for example, in anauction if two players bid the same rankingcontract andplay is clockwise, the player nearest the dealer's left hand usually has priority.
Avirapulla - traditional Swedish tin for holding gaming counters. The pot for gaming chips is in the reversible lid.
pot
A container into which money orchips are paid initially and during agame and from which the winnings are paid out.[90]
The contents of the pot. An accumulation of chips, antes, bets, forfeits, etc., to win which is the object of the game.[91]
Usually refers to the player who sits to the right of the dealer in a four-handed, clockwise game.[94] However, in a three-handplay, rearhand is thedealer; the last active player to receive cards. Also calledendhand.[38]
The last player to the trick. Also said to be "in rearhand".
Apack of cards comprisingsuits each distinguished by a suit sign and divided intonumeral andcourt cards, as opposed to a Tarot pack that has additional cards known variously astarots,tarocks ortarocchi and which do not have suit signs, numerals and courts.[95]
To exchange a hand card for the trump turn-up.[92]
To discard several cards in exchange for the remaining trumps in the pack.[92]
rotation
The direction ofdealing,bidding andplaying e.g. clockwise (to the left) is standard for American and Englishgames. Anticlockwise (to the right) is common in traditional European games.[98]
round
The events between theeldest player's action, and theyoungest player's action of the same type (i.e. deal, bid, play), inclusive. A phase of play in which everyone has the same opportunity to perform such an action.[90]
A series ofhands in which each player has dealt only once.[54]
round game
One in which there are nopartnerships and everyone plays for himself or herself.[92]
One playable by an indefinite number of players, typically 3 to 7.[90]
When a player or team wins over 3/4 of the available card points inpoint-trick games, thus scoring a bonus. Typical of theSkat andSchafkopf families. The team scoring less than 1/4 of the points is said to beschneidered or 'inschneider'. The successful player or team is said to have wonschneider. See alsolurch.
When a player or team wins everytrick of thehand, thus scoring abonus. The other side is said to beschwarzed. Common ingames of theSkat andSchafkopf family.
seat
Position relative to thedealer: for example, in bridge, the dealer's left-hand opponent is said to be insecond seat.
Three or more cards adjacent inrank. The adjectivesascending anddescending may be applied (i.e. "building in ascending sequence" means "laying cards out so that each has the next highest rank to the previous one"). A sequence need not all be of the samesuit. Alsorun.[101]
When players are primarily playing for thestakes in apot, this is a separate payment directly from one player's pocket to another, for example to reward abonus.
side pot
Apot that is separate from the mainpot,[104] either for specificbonuses or used when the main pot reaches a certain limit.
side strength
A player with side strength has high cards inside suits.[104]
Any convention of play whereby the team members properly give each other information as allowed by the rules.[102][104]
Any permitted physical sign or gesture, such as winking or tapping the table when playing a card, that conveys information to one's partner(s).
single, singly
The basic, usually lowest, value of a game is described as 'single'. A game is won 'singly' if its value is not increased by bonus factors such as winningschneider which would double the score or winningschwarz which might quadruple it.[e]
single-ended, single-figured, single-headed
Of a playing card, being designed so that it can only be properly read one way up. There are usually no indices and the courts depict full length figures. Today they have been largely replaced bydouble-ended or reversible cards.
Widow; extra cards dealt to the table which may be used for exchanging later. Alsoblind.[102]
Note that, in German, 'skat' can also meanvoid i.e. lacking any cards of a given suit and therefore 'seeking the skat' means looking for an opponent's void suit.[106]
A game played for 'soft score' – as opposed tohard score is one played for anything other than money, usually points. The score may be chalked on a slate, recorded with pencil and paper. Equally, counters, tokens or chips or even matches may be used.
A pile of cards, face down, which are left over after setting up the rest of thegame (i.e. dealing hands, setting up other layout areas) and will be used in the rest of the game.[110] Alsotalon.
stop, stop card
A card which, when played, ends asequence of cards on the table or a card that is undealt whose absence prevents the completion of a sequence. Gives its name to the Stops family ofgames.[107]
An additional stakeanted to thepot in Poker to encourage players to stay in the game.[112]
A small bet in Poker not meant to cause an opponent to fold but to build up the pot.[113]
An agreed amount that everyone pays into the pot following an auction in which all passed e.g. inSchafkopf. The pot goes to the next player to win a bid.[114]
sweep
Infishing games to clear the table by capturing all the table cards upon it at that time. Usually earns a bonus.
The undealt portion of thepack which will be used in the rest of thegame.[110] Alsostock.[109]
Hand of Tarock cards
tariff
The scale of values, either in units or money, on which payments are based for the variouscontracts in agame. For example, if the tariff is 10 cents; winning double would earn 20 cents and winning triple 30 cents. Games likeSchafkopf have a double or triple tariff, e.g. a tariff of 10/50 means that the normal game earns 10 cents from each opponent and a soloist game earns 50 cents.
A combination of high cards not in sequence.Major tenace: A-Q (or K-C in Tarock games);minor tenace: K-J (or Q-J in Tarock games);double tenace: A-Q-10 (or K-C-10/A in Tarock games).[115]
throw in
To return cards to thedealer if, for example, no-one makes abid or if the cards are misdealt.
To throw up one's cards is to discard them to the table either because you believe the game is decided or nullified, or you wish to drop out of the current hand.
A privilegedsuit in which, in the currentdeal, all its cardsrank higher than anyplain (=non-trump) card.[115]
turn the corner
Said of a sequence of cards when the top card (typically the Ace or King) is preceded by high cards on one side and low cards on the other e.g. 3-2-A-K-Q-J.
Winning the lasttrick with the lowesttrump[117] or, sometimes, with a King.
unchosen suit
In games of theKarnöffel Group, a suit, usually ranking in thenatural order, most of all of whose cards have no special privileges, in contrast to thechosen suits. Sometimes called an unselected suit.[30]
underforce or under-force
To answer a card with one of the samesuit, but inferior value to those remaining in hand; e.g. putting the nine of clubs on the ten, having the ace in hand.[118] Also under-force, under-play or sous-forcer.[119]
underlead
To lead a low card when holding the top card or cards in a suit.[f]
American term for ablind orskat.[122] Hand of cards dealt face down on the table at the start of play that may subsequently be used by players to exchange cards.[109]
^The term is frequently used, for example, by David Parlett in this sense e.g. "...details of play vary from circle to circle...", "Some circles play with winking...", "Many circles proscribe jokers in initial melds..", "One of the most popular of the 'fancy' games in domestic circles...", "Bridge-playing circles", "Poker circles".[31]
^For example, see Medley (2019),Learn to Play Bridge, "to underlead the ace means you have the ace in your hand, but you lead a lower-ranking card of the same suit."
Dummett, Michael;McLeod, John (2003).A History of Games Played with the Tarot Pack: The Game of Triumphs. Vol. 1. Lewiston, NY / Lampeter, Wales / Queenston, Ontario: Edwin Mellen.
Dyche, Thomas; Pardon, William (1740).A New General English Dictionary (Third ed.). London: Ware.
Forbes-Lindsay, Charles Harcourt Ainslie; Bergholt, Ernest (1902).The Principles and Practice of Whist. H.T. Coates.
Foster, Robert Frederick (1897).Foster's Complete Hoyle (Third ed.). New York / London: Frederick A. Stokes.
Gibson, Walter B. (1974).Hoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games: Rules of All the Basic Games and Popular Variations. Garden City, NY: Dolphin Books.ISBN978-0385076807.
Golick, Margie (1998).Card Games for Smart Kids. New York: Sterling.ISBN978-0-8069-4887-4.
Goren, Charles (1950).Goren's Hoyle. New York: Greystone.
Greer, Alec (1979).New Comprehensive Mathematics for 'O' Level. Cheltenham: Stanley Thomas.
Heinsius, Theodor (1828).Vollständiges Wörterbuch, A–F, Volume 1. Vienna: Christian Friedrich Schade.
Jackson, Robin (2001).Solitaire. Barnes & Noble.
Kansil, Joli Quentin, ed. (2001).Official Rules of Card Games (90th ed.). Cincinnati: Bicycle.ISBN978-1-889752-06-8.
Mahmood, Zia and Audrey Grant (2014).Bridge for Beginners.
Moss, William A. (1995).10-Minute Card Games. New York: Sterling.ISBN978-0-8069-3847-9.
Phillips, Hubert, ed. (1957).Culbertson's Card Games Complete. Watford: Arco.
Sfetcu, Nicolae (2014).Bridge Bidding (Multimedia).
Silberstang, Edwin (1972).Playboy Book of Games.
Hans Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen: Volksschrift im Wiener Dialekte. Vol. 44. 24 Dec 1875.
Walker, G. W., ed. (1838).The Philidorian. Sherwood, London.
Weber, Ferdinand Adolf (1840).Kritisch- erklärendes Handwörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache (Third revised and expanded ed.). Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz jun.
or
.jpg)
or
or
or
or
or
