Glossary of Card Game Terms

Card games are rich with specialized terminology. While some terms like 'deal' are widely recognized, others such as 'void' are less familiar. Below, you'll find explanations for various card game terms:

Bid: A verbal commitment to achieve a specific number of tricks or points; also refers to the act of making such a commitment.

Contract: A commitment to secure a particular number of tricks or points during a game or round.

Cutthroat: A game mode where every participant competes individually.

Deal: The process of distributing cards to players; also refers to the gameplay phase between one distribution and the next.

Declaration: A formal statement made to achieve a specific contract.

Deuce: A card with the rank of two, often referred to as a two-spot.

Draw trumps: The strategy of playing high trump cards to remove trumps from opponents' hands.

Draw: To pick a new card or multiple cards from the deck.

Face card: A card depicting a king, queen, or jack.

Face value: The inherent numerical worth of a card.

Flush: A collection of cards all belonging to the same suit.

Follow suit: To play a card that matches the suit of the leading card.

Foundation: In solitaire, a base card upon which other designated cards are built.

Game: The target number of points required to win; also refers to the conditions that define victory or the conclusion of a game.

Going out: The act of playing, melding, or discarding your last remaining card.

Hand: The set of cards distributed to a player; also, the phase of gameplay between one deal and the next.

Kitty: A shared pool of chips; in some games, it also refers to cards available for swapping.

Lay off: To place one or more cards in accordance with the rules of permissible plays.

Lead: To initiate a trick by playing the first card.

Maker: A player who assumes a specific responsibility, such as securing a set number of points or tricks, often with the privilege of selecting the trump suit.

Marriage: A combination of the king and queen cards in a meld.

Match: To pair cards of the same rank or based on another specified criterion.

Meld: A scoring combination of cards, typically three or more in sequence within the same suit or of identical rank; also refers to the act of displaying or playing such a combination.

No-trump: A situation in trick-taking games where no suit is designated as trump.

Pass: A verbal declaration to abstain from bidding; in Hearts, it also refers to three concealed cards exchanged between players.

Plain card: Any card ranked as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or ace.

Pot: A collection of chips or counters to be claimed by the winning player.

Reserve: In solitaire, a set of cards set aside for potential use during gameplay.

Sequence: Two or more cards arranged in consecutive order.

Singleton: Holding just one card of a particular suit.

Stock: The remaining undealt cards reserved for later use in the game.

Table: The designated playing area; also refers to the act of placing a meld onto the playing surface.

Tableau: In solitaire, the arrangement of cards on the playing area, excluding the foundation piles.

Talon: A section of the deck set aside for future use during the dealing process.

Trey: A card with the rank of three, also known as a three-spot.

Trick: A round of play where each participant contributes one card from their hand.

Trump: A suit chosen to outrank all others; any card within that suit. Also refers to playing a trump card during a trick.

Upcard: The initial card revealed after dealing, frequently used to start the game or form the discard pile.

Void: The absence of a particular suit in a player's hand.

Wild card: A card or group of cards, predetermined before gameplay, that the holder can assign to represent any other card.