|
Bid |
An assertion of how many tricks an individual/team intends to win during the next round.
|
Blind |
A bid made without looking at one's cards. It's worth double the score (positive or negative) of the normal bid.
|
Blind Nil |
A bid of nil made before one's cards have been seen. Usually only used in cases of emergency (huge deficit in score or imminent loss).
|
Board |
Minimum team bid requirement. Usually four & this is an optional rule.
|
Breaking Spades |
Cutting a hand lead by clubs, hearts, or diamonds. From that point on trump can be lead.
|
Counting Cards |
Useful skill to have mastered when playing spades. Those who can do this well tend not to be surprised during the final hands of a round.
|
Cut |
To trump a hand.
|
Double Nil |
Two nil bids during the same round. Sometimes even bid by players on the same team!
|
Finesse |
A scheme by two teammates to force out a specific card they suspect a certain opponent is holding.
|
Flush Out/Flood |
Similar to finessing. An effort to draw out various cards of a suit (usually spades) especially the ace and other high cards.
|
Hand |
A sequence of play in which all four players drop one card.
|
Made Bid |
A bid that has been reached and/or surpassed by the bidders
|
Misdeal |
Optional rule requiring certain conditions always be true or the deal is forfeit. Examples of some misdeal conditions are: a player has no spades or has an inordinate number of cards in one suit. Some even play that the decision to call a misdeal (requiring a reshuffle) is itself optional.
|
Nil |
A bid that the player in question can go the entire round without winning a single trick.
|
Nil-Board |
When playing with the baseline bid rule (board) and someone bids nil. Automatically the nil bidder's partner must bid at least four. Some play that a nil board is worth a bonus amount of points (greater than 115).
|
Overbid |
A bid that has not been made. A team has overbid when they win fewer tricks than anticipated. Costly in terms of points.
|
Round |
A series of thirteen hands played. After each round the score is recorded.
|
Sandbags |
Same thing as regular bags but instead of deducting for overtricks after each round of play, 100 points are deducted after 10 sandbags have bee accumulated.
|
Slough/Dump |
To play cards solely in an effort to get rid of them and not in an attempt to win tricks. When bidding nil a player attempts to slough high cards throughout the enitre round. It's also done by a team that has made its bid and is trying to avoid accumulating bags.
|
Set |
To cause an opponent or opposing team to fall short of making their bid. In the case of nil it means forcing the nil bidder to win a trick.
|
Talking/Signals |
Illegal communication between teammates revealing information about their hands.
|
Trick |
The group of four cards discarded during a hand of play.
|
Trump |
Any card of the spades suit or the act of playing a spade.
|
Underbid |
A bid that is less than the total number of tricks won.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
