Glossary of card game terms


The following is a glossary of terms used in card games. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of other common and uncommon slang terms. Terms in this glossary are not game-specific |bridge], hearts, Poker, 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, see Game-specific glossaries.

A

; ace
  1. The card with one pip in a pack of cards. Usually the highest card of a suit, ranking immediately above the king. May also occupy the lowest [|rank].
  2. Commonly refers to the Deuce or Two in German-suited packs which don't have real Aces. Often the highest card of a [|suit].
; acorns
; active
  1. A card that is in [|play] i.e. not sleeping.
  2. See active player.
; active player
  1. A player who receives cards in the current deal.
  2. A player who has not withdrawn from the current deal but elected to play on |Rams] or adverse
    ; age
    ; alliance
    ; alone
    ; [|announce]
    ; announcement
    1. Often used in both senses of declaration. However, Dummett prefers to restrict 'announcement' for the intention to achieve certain feats in play, while preferring 'declaration' for a statement that one has a special combination of cards in one's hand.
    ; [|ante]
    1. A mandatory stake made before the game begins - usually by all players, sometimes by the dealer only.
    2. Chips required to be put into the pot before the [|deal].
    3. To put in such [|chips].
    ; around the corner
    ; auction

    B

    ; balanced hand
    ; banker
    ; banking game
    ; base value
    ; batch
    ; batons
    ; beater
    ; belle
    ; bells
    ; best
    ; [|best card]
    ; [|bet]
    1. Any wager on the outcome of a deal or game; any chips put in a pot; to put chips in a [|pot].
    2. The first bet in a [|betting] interval.
    ; bête, bate, bete or beet.
    1. A penalty payment in certain games for e.g. for failing to take the minimum number of tricks, or for a stake or money which a player has lost.
    2. A player who fails to takes a single trick in Mistigri. Likewise in Mauscheln, if the declarer, or Mauschler, fails to win a trick, he is the Mauschlerbete.
    3. Failure to make a contract.
    4. Conceding defeat without playing.
    5. Double bête: a double penalty, usually for failing to make a contract after choosing to play out the cards.
    ; bettel or bettler
    ; bid
    1. An offer to win a minimum or specified number of tricks or points or the privilege of naming the trump suit or the game.
    2. To make a bid.
    ; bidder
    1. Any player who makes a bid.
    2. The player who makes the highest bid and plays out his announced contract.
    ; blank
    1. In card-point games, a card that is worth no points. A non-counter.
    2. A [|hand] with no court cards, i.e. only pip cards.
    3. A card that is unguarded by other, usually lower cards in the same suit: "I held the blank king of spades."
    4. To discard in such a way as to leave a card unprotected: "She blanked the [|king] of spades."
    5. To void a suit.
    ; blank suit
    ; blaze
    ; [|blind]
    1. A dummy hand, for example, in Cego.
    2. Cards dealt to the table as a skat or widow.
    ; blocking
    ; bluff
    1. To attempt to deceive one's opponent about the value of cards in one's hand.
    2. To use various tactics to mislead one's opponent about the distribution of cards or one's strategy.
    ; build
    ; bonus
    ; bower
    ; bring in a suit
    ; bury a card
    ; buy
    1. To receive a card from the dealer, face down, in return for a stake e.g. in Twenty-One.
    2. To receive or draw the spare hand, in return for one's own hand and, possibly, a [|stake] e.g. in Newmarket.
    3. To receive or pick up a card or cards in return for a hand card or cards e.g. in Préférence when the 2 talon cards are picked up and 2 discarded.
    4. To draw cards from the stock or talon.

      C

    ; [|call]
    ; capture
    ; captain
    ; card money
    ; card points
    ; card [|value]
    ; carte blanche
    ; case card
    ; cavalier
    ; chicane
    ; [|chip]
    ; chosen suit
    ; circle
    ; claim
    1. An action or statement by which a player indicates he believes he will take all the remaining tricks.
    2. To make such an action e.g. by laying one's hand down or saying "the rest are mine" in expectation that the opponents will concede.
    ; clear
    1. Establish a card or suit by forcing out adverse higher cards or stoppers.
    2. Having taken no penalty cards e.g. in Hearts.
    ; close
    ; clubs
    ; coat card
    ; coffee housing
    ; Coins
    ; color, colour
    ; [|combination]
    ; command
    ; commanding card
    1. The best card of a suit in play. Also best card, king card or master card.
    2. The top trump or highest matador such as the knave of clubs in knave noddy or the right bower in euchre.
    ; compendium game
    ; [|contract]
    ; contractor
    ; contrat
    ; [|counter]
    1. Object used to score. Token used in place of money; a chip. Also jeton.
    2. Card with a point value. Also counting card.
    ; counting card
    1. A card that has an intrinsic scoring value when taken in a trick. Also counter.
    ; [|count out]
    1. During play, to claim to have enough points for game, thus ending the play; to go out during the play.
    ; court card
    ; [|cover]
    1. To play a higher card of the same suit than any previously played to the trick. See also overtake.
    2. To play a higher card than the highest so far played to the [|trick]. See also go over, head the trick and play over.
    ; cross-ruff
    ; cross-suit
    ; Cups
    ; cut

    D

    ; dead card
    ; deadwood
    ; deal
    1. Verb: To distribute cards to players in accordance with the rules of the card game being played. In many games, this involves picking up all the cards, shuffling them, having them cut and redistributing them, but in other games it simply involves turning over the wastepile to act as a new stock.
    2. Noun: The play from the time the cards are dealt until they are redealt. Also referred to as a hand
    ; dealer
    ; deck
    ; [|declaration]
    1. Announcement of melds or scoring combinations, as in Piquet. 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.
    2. The game at which a deal is played. A call or bid.
    ; declare
    1. To bid or to announce the trump.
    2. To announce; predict schneider or schwarz.
    3. To meld or show.
    4. To count out.
    Note: Dummett prefers to restrict 'announce' for the intention to achieve certain feats in play, while using 'declare' for a statement that one has a special combination of cards in one's hand.
    ; [|declarer]
    ; declaring side, declaring team
    ; defenders
    ; denomination
    ; deuce
    ; diamonds
    ; discard
    1. To get rid of plain suit cards when unable to follow suit and unwilling or unable to trump.
    2. To lay away cards, e.g. of high value or to void a suit, after picking up from the talon or skat.
    3. A card that is removed from the hand in either of those ways.
    ; discard [|pile]
    ; double, redouble
    ; double-ended, double-figured, double-headed
    ; doubleton
    ; downcard
    ; draw
    ; draw lots
    ; draw pile
    ; dress
    1. To set up the layout required before play e.g. to set up the 4 cards in Newmarket and place stakes on them
    2. To ante counters or stakes to a pot or pool at the start of a hand.
    ; [|drop], drop out
    1. To withdraw from the current deal, for example in Mauscheln, Préférence, Three-card Loo and Toepen. Also fold.
    2. To discard one's hand rather than stake enough chips to stay in the game, for example in vying games like Brag and Blackjack. Also fold.
    ; [|dummy], dummy hand
    ; durch, durchmarsch

    E

    ; elder
    1. Sitting at the left when the rotation is clockwise.
    2. Non-dealer in two-hand play.
    ; [|eldest]
    1. Of several players, the one nearest the dealer's left when the rotation is clockwise. May not necessarily be eldest hand.
    2. Short for eldest hand.
    ; eldest hand
    ; empty card
    ; [|endhand]
    ; entrump
    ; establish
    ; established suit
    ; exit

    F

    ; face
    1. The side of a card depicting its suit and face value
    2. To turn a card so that its suit and face value are visible and its back underneath
    ; face card
    ; facedown, face-down, or face down
    ; faceup, face-up, or face up
    ; face value
    ; fall of the cards
    ; fan
    1. To spread cards fanwise. To spread a hand or pack of cards, face up, in an arc so that they can be identified from their corner indices. 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].
    2. An arc of cards so fanned. A spread of face-up cards.
    3. In Patience, a small number of cards laid in an overlapping row, so that only one is exposed.
    ; fatten
    ; fat trick
    ; favourite, favourite suit
    ; fiche
    ; finesse
    ; first hand
    1. The leader to a trick.
    2. The first player to call.
    3. Eldest hand.
    ; flush
    ; [|fold]
    ; [|follow suit]
    ; force
    1. To compel a player to trump a trick in order to win it. A player may 'force out' [|trumps] by leading a long plain suit in which the opponent is void.
    2. A compulsory round or deal in which all players must play and none may drop out. Also known in German games as a 'muss'. See Schafkopf.
    ; forehand
    1. Another term for eldest hand usually in card games originating from Europe. The player who is usually first to receive cards, bid and play. Sits to the left of the dealer in clockwise games and right of the dealer in anticlockwise games.
    2. The player who has the right to [|lead] to a trick or who is earlier in the order of play and therefore has positional priority. Also said to be in forehand.
    ; French-suited pack
    ; free card
    1. A card with special privileges when [|led] to a trick e.g. the Sevens in Bruus or the Eights and Nines in Knüffeln.
    2. A card that cannot be beaten because all the trumps have been exhausted.
    3. A card that cannot be beaten because all the trumps and higher cards have been played.

      G

    ; game
    1. A pastime in general, usually involving some form of competing.
    2. A variant of a basic game e.g. Gin Rummy or Wendish Schafkopf.
    3. A bid, declaration or contract.
    4. A period in a session of play which results in a winner.
    5. The target number of points as in "game is 100 points".
    6. Fulfilment of the declared contract as in "their team made game".
    7. A style or system of play.
    ; game points
    ; [|game value]
    ; German-suited pack
    ; good
    ; go out
    ; go over
    1. To bid higher; overcall.
    2. To play a higher card than any so far played to the trick. Also head the trick or play over. Not to be confused with cover or overtake.
    ; guard

    H

    ; hand
    1. The cards held by one player
    2. The player holding the cards, as in "Third hand bid 1."
    3. Synonymous with the noun usage of deal.
    ; hand card
    ; hand game or handplay.
    ; hard score
    ; head the trick
    ; hearts
    ; hold
    ; [|hold up]
    ; honour
    ; house

    I

    ; index
    ; in turn
    ; invite

    J

    ; jan, jann
    ; Jack
    ; jeton
    ; joker

    K

    ; kibitzer
    ; [|kind]
    ; King
    ; [|king card]
    ; kitty
    ; knave
    ; knight
    ; knock

    L

    ; Latin-suited pack
    ; [|lay away]
    ; lay down
    ; lay off
    ; lead
    1. To play the first card of the trick.
    2. The card played first to the trick.
    3. The privilege of leading e.g. "A has the lead" or "A is on lead".
    ; Leaves
    ; led card
    ; led suit
    ; lone hand, lone player
    ; long card
    ; long suit
    1. A suit containing more than four cards e.g. at Whist
    2. The suit with the most cards in a player's hand.
    3. The Swords or Batons suit in Latin-suited packs
    ; loser
    1. A player who has lost a game.
    2. A losing card.
    ; [|losing card]
    ; low card
    1. A card of low rank
    2. A card of low value, especially in Tarot and Tarock games.
    ; lurch

    M

    ; march
    ; make
    1. Fulfil a contract.
    2. Name the trump suit or contract.
    ; maker
    ; master, master card
    ; [|matador]
    ; match
    1. A [|card game] [|session] comprising a number of rounds after which scores are finalised and a winner declared.
    2. To play a card of the same value of the card or cards on the table, for example in fishing games.
    ; matsch
    1. A slam in certain Austrian or Bavarian games.
    2. Failing to win at least a quarter of the points available in some German games. Equivalent to a schneider.
    ; meld
    1. Any scoring combination of cards announced, shown or played, e.g. three of a kind or a sequence of three or more cards. A declaration of such a combination.
    2. To make a meld.
    ; misère
    ; misdeal
    1. To make a mistake made in [|dealing] cards e.g. dealing too few or many or facing a card during the deal
    2. A mistake so made.
    ; mord
    ; multipliers

    N

    ; natural
    ; natural card
    ; natural order, natural [|ranking]
    ; natural suit
    ; negative game
    ; next, next suit
    1. The suit of the same colour as the trump suit e.g. in Euchre.
    2. The suit paired with the trump suit e.g. in Schlauch. For this purpose acorns are usually paired with leaves and hearts with bells.
    ; non-counter
    ; null, null game
    1. In games of the Skat family, a contract in which the declarer undertakes to lose every trick.
    2. In Swedish Whist, a game in which both sides aim to take the fewest number of tricks.
    ; [|numeral]

    O

    ; Ober
    ; open
    1. To make the first bid, declaration or move.
    2. To make the first bet.
    3. To make the first lead of a suit. "It was correct to open diamonds..."
    ; opening lead
    ; order
    ; outbid
    ; ouvert
    ; overbid
    1. A bid of more than the value of the game.
    2. Overcall.
    3. An unduly optimistic bid.
    ; [|overcall]
    ; overs
    ; overshoot point
    ; [|overtake]
    1. To play a higher card than any previously played to the trick. See also cover, go over, head the trick or play over.
    2. In Bridge, to play a card higher than the winning card played by your partner, unnecessary to win the trick but necessary to gain the lead.
    ; overtrick
    1. To take more tricks than bid or contracted.
    2. A trick exceeding the bid.
    ; overruff, overtrump

    P

    ; pack
    ; packet
    ; pair royal
    ; partie
    ; partner
    ; partnership
    ; pass
    1. In bidding games, to make no bid. Usually called by saying "pass".
    2. In vying games to pass the privilege of betting first.
    ; [|penalty]
    ; penalty card
    ; penny ante
    ; picture card
    ; pile
    ; pip
    1. A numeral.
    2. A suit symbol on a card.
    3. A card point in point-trick games. Not necessarily the same as the actual number of pips on a pip card. Court cards also have a pip value.
    ; pip card
    ; pip value
    ; pitch
    ; pitcher
    ; plain card
    ; plain suit
    ; play
    1. To contribute a card to a trick.
    2. To move a card to a place on the table, in Patience games.
    3. The card played or the move made.
    4. The stage of the game during which the players' hands are depleted by plays to tricks or to a common pile, etc. 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.
    5. Betting in general.
    ; [|play over]
    ; point
    ; pone
    ; [|pool]
    ; positional priority
    ; pot
    1. A container into which money or chips are paid initially and during a game and from which the winnings are paid out.
    2. The contents of the pot. An accumulation of chips, antes, bets, forfeits, etc., to win which is the object of the game.
    ; preference
    ; preferred suit, preference suit
    ; prial
    ; protection.
    ; punter

    Q

    ; quart
    ; quart major
    ;Queen
    ; quinte or quint
    ; quinte major or quint major
    ; quinte minor or quint minor
    ; quitted trick

    R

    ; raise
    1. To name a higher contract than one has called previously because one has been overcalled
    2. To increase one's stake
    3. To increase the game value
    ; rank
    ; rearhand
    1. Usually refers to the player who sits to the right of the dealer in a four-handed, clockwise game. However, in a three-hand play, rearhand is the dealer; the last [|active player] to receive cards. Also [|called] endhand.
    2. The last player to the trick. Also said to be "in rearhand".
    ; redeal
    1. A new deal by the same dealer after an irregularity.
    2. :A new deal of some of the cards, e.g. the wastepile in Patience games.
    3. The action of dealing again.
    ; redouble
    ; reduce
    ; regular pack
    ; renege
    1. To revoke. This is the most common usage.
    2. To legally play a card of a suit other than the led suit.
    3. To legally withhold a high trump when a lower trump is led.
    ; renounce
    1. To fail to follow suit legally because one is void; a void. This is the most common usage.
    2. Of a suit, void. Having none of the suit led.
    3. To play a card of a different suit from the led suit. May be legal or not, depending on the rules.
    ; return
    ; reverse game
    ; reversible
    ; revoke
    1. To fail to follow suit when able to do so and the rules require it. Normally incurs a penalty.
    2. To breach the rules of following suit, trumping, heading or going over.
    ; [|rob]
    1. To exchange a hand card for the trump turn-up.
    2. To discard several cards in exchange for the remaining trumps in the pack.
    ; [|rotation]
    ; [|round]
    1. The events between the eldest player's action, and the youngest player's action of the same type, inclusive. A phase of play in which everyone has the same opportunity to perform such an action.
    2. A series of hands in which each player has dealt only once.
    ; round game
    1. One in which there are no partnerships and everyone plays for himself or herself.
    2. One playable by an indefinite number of players, typically 3 to 7.
    ; round suit
    ; royal card
    ; [|rubber]
    ; ruff
    1. To trump a suit i.e. when a non-trump was led.
    2. An instance of ruffing.
    3. Historically, to rob the trump turnup.
    ; run

    S

    ; sandbag
    ; sau or sow
    ; scat
    ; schmear
    ; schneider
    ; schwarz
    ; seat
    ; second hand
    ; second turn
    ; see, seeing
    ; see saw
    ; selected suit
    ; sequence
    ; set
    ; shed
    ; short deck
    ; short game
    ; short suit
    ; short pack, shortened pack
    ; shuffle
    ; shut out
    ; side
    ; side card
    ; side money
    ; side payment
    ; side pot
    ; side strength
    ; side suit
    ; signal
    1. Any convention of play whereby the team members properly give each other information as allowed by the rules.
    2. Any permitted physical sign or gesture, such as winking or tapping the table when playing a card, that conveys information to one's partner.
    ; single, singly
    ; single-ended, single-figured, single-headed
    ; singleton
    ; [|skat] or scat
    1. Widow; extra cards dealt to the table which may be used for exchanging later. Also blind.
    2. Note that, in German, 'skat' can also mean void i.e. lacking any cards of a given suit and therefore 'seeking the skat' means looking for an opponent's void suit.
    ; [|slam]
    ; [|sleeping]
    ; sluff or slough
    ; smear or schmear
    ; sneak
    ; soft score
    ; solo
    1. A hand contract i.e. one played without the aid of the skat or widow.
    2. A contract played alone against the combined efforts of all other players.
    ; soloist
    ; sous-forcer
    ; Spades
    ; spot card
    ; squeeze
    ; stack
    ; stake
    1. The money, counters or chips that a player places during a game.
    2. The agreed monetary amount to be paid for each point, game or rubber.
    ; staking board
    ; staking layout
    ; stand
    1. Refuse to draw additional cards.
    2. Accept the turn-up as trump.
    3. Remain in the current deal or pot, as opposed to drop.
    ; stay
    1. Remain in the current deal or pot, as opposed to drop.
    2. Refuse to draw additional cards. Also stick.
    ; stick
    ; [|stock]
    ; stop, stop card
    ; Stops family, Stops group
    ; straw man, strawman
    ; subgame, sub-game
    ; suit
    ; sweetener
    1. An additional stake anted to the pot in Poker to encourage players to stay in the game.
    2. A small bet in Poker not meant to cause an opponent to fold but to build up the pot.
    3. An agreed amount that everyone pays into the pot following an auction in which all passed e.g. in Schafkopf. The pot goes to the next player to win a bid.
    ; sweep
    1. In fishing games to clear the table by capturing all the table cards upon it at that time. Usually earns a bonus.
    2. The cards so captured.
    ; swing
    1. Lead the master card of a suit.
    2. One of an unbroken sequence of cards from the top of the suit downwards.
    ; Swords

    T

    ; tableau
    ; talon
    ; tariff
    ; Tarocchi
    ; Tarock
    ; Tarot
    ; team
    ; tenace
    ; throw in
    ; throw off
    ; throw up
    ; touching
    ; tout
    ; Trey
    ; Tribute
    ; trick
    ; triplet
    ; tripleton
    ; trump
    1. A privileged card whose trick-taking power is greater than any plain suit card.
    2. The trump suit.
    3. A card in the special suit of trumps found in tarot packs such as the Tarot Nouveau.
    4. To play a trump after a plain suit has been led. Also ruff.
    ; trump suit
    ; turn the corner
    ; turn-up, turnup

    U

    ; ultimo
    ; unchosen suit
    ; underforce or under-force
    ; underlead
    ; underplay or under-play
    1. To lead or follow suit with a lower card when holding a higher one; hold up; refuse to cover.
    2. See underforce.
    ; undershoot point
    ; undertrick
    1. To fall short of the declared number of tricks.
    2. A trick short of the bid.
    ; [|unguarded]
    ; unload
    ; unselected suit
    ; Unter
    ; upcard
    1. A card laid on the table face-up.
    2. The top card of a pile, turned face up.

      V

    ; valet
    ; value
    ; variant
    ; variation
    1. A game version in which there are minor rule differences, but in which the aim, mechanism of play and tactics remain the same.
    2. A minor rule difference.
    ; vie, vying
    ; void
    ; vole

    W

    ; wastepile or waste-pile
    ; whitewashed
    ; widow
    ; wild card

    Y

    ; [|youngest]

    Game-specific glossaries

    A few games or families of games have enough of their own specific terminology to warrant their own glossaries:
    Card game terms
    Glossary
    Category:Wikipedia glossaries using description lists