Card Game Glossary — 150+ Terms Every Card Player Should Know

Card game glossary: A comprehensive reference of card game terminology used across Hearts, Spades, Poker, Bridge, and other popular card games.

A

Ace — The card ranked 1 or, in most games, the highest card in the deck. In some games (like Rummy and Cribbage), the Ace can be high, low, or both.

All-in — In poker, betting all of your remaining chips on one hand.

Ante — A forced bet placed into the pot before cards are dealt. Common in poker and some rummy games.

Auction — A bidding phase where players compete for the right to choose trump, play as declarer, or set the contract. Used in Bridge, Pinochle, and Euchre.

B

Bag — In Spades, an overtrick (taking more tricks than you bid). Accumulating 10 bags results in a penalty of −100 points. Also called a sandbag.

Bid — A declaration of how many tricks (or points) a player expects to win during a round. Used in Spades, Bridge, Euchre, Pinochle, and other trick-taking games.

Blackjack — (1) The card game also known as 21. (2) A specific hand: an Ace + a 10-value card, paying 3:2.

Blind — A forced bet in poker placed before cards are dealt. The small blind is typically half the big blind.

Bluff — Betting or acting as though you have a strong hand when you don’t, intending to make opponents fold.

Board — In poker, the community cards dealt face-up. Also called “the board” in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

Book — (1) In Spades, the first 6 tricks taken by a team (no value toward the bid). (2) In Hand and Foot, a completed meld of 7 cards, either clean (no wilds) or dirty (with wilds).

Bower — In Euchre, Jacks of the trump suit and same-color suit. The Right Bower (Jack of trump) is the highest card; the Left Bower (Jack of the same-color suit) is second highest.

Break — (1) In Hearts, “breaking hearts” means the first heart card played in a trick. Hearts cannot be led until broken. (2) In Spades, same concept for the spade suit.

Bust — In Blackjack, exceeding 21 points, resulting in an automatic loss.

C

Call — In poker, matching the current bet to stay in the hand. Also called “seeing” the bet.

Canasta — (1) A rummy-style card game. (2) A meld of 7 or more cards. A natural canasta (no wilds) scores 500 points; a mixed canasta scores 300.

Check — In poker, declining to bet when no one else has bet yet. Passing the action to the next player.

Community cards — Cards dealt face-up in the center of the table, shared by all players. Used in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

Contract — In Bridge, the final bid that the declaring side agrees to fulfill. The contract specifies the number of tricks and the trump suit (or No-Trump).

Crib — In Cribbage, a separate hand of 4 discarded cards that the dealer scores in addition to their own hand.

Cut — Dividing the deck into two portions before dealing, typically done by the player to the dealer’s right.

D

Dead card — A card that has been discarded and cannot be retrieved, or a misdeal card removed from play.

Deal — Distributing cards from the deck to the players at the start of a hand.

Dealer — The player who distributes cards. The deal typically rotates clockwise after each hand.

Deck — A complete set of playing cards. A standard deck has 52 cards (4 suits × 13 ranks). Some games use modified decks or multiple decks.

Declarer — In Bridge, the player who plays both their own hand and the dummy hand. The declarer is the player from the winning side who first named the trump suit.

Defender — In trick-taking games (especially Bridge), a player on the team opposing the declarer’s contract.

Deuce — A card with rank 2. In some games, deuces are wild cards.

Discard — Removing a card from your hand, typically placing it on a discard pile. Also, the act of ending your turn in rummy games by discarding one card.

Discard pile — A face-up pile where players place unwanted cards. In many games, the top card of the discard pile may be picked up by the next player.

Double — In Bridge, a call that increases the penalty if the opponents fail their contract (or the reward if they make it). Can be re-doubled.

Draw — Taking one or more cards from the stock pile into your hand.

Dummy — In Bridge, the declarer’s partner. After the opening lead, the dummy’s hand is placed face-up on the table, and the declarer plays both hands.

E

Euchre — A trick-taking card game played with a 24-card deck (9 through Ace). Features Bowers (special Jacks) and a maker vs. defenders structure.

Exchange — Swapping cards from hand with cards from a draw pile, crib, or widow. Common in many card games.

F

Face card — A Jack, Queen, or King. Also called a court card or picture card.

Finesse — In Bridge and other trick-taking games, a play aiming to win a trick with a lower card by guessing the location of a higher card.

Flush — Five cards of the same suit (not consecutive). The fifth-highest poker hand.

Fold — In poker, surrendering your cards and forfeiting your bet. You are out of the hand.

Follow suit — Playing a card of the same suit that was led. In most trick-taking games, players must follow suit if they can.

Foot — In Hand and Foot, the second stack of cards (usually 11 or 13) that a player picks up after their first “hand” is depleted.

Four of a kind — Four cards of the same rank. Also called quads.

Full house — A poker hand containing three of a kind plus a pair (e.g., A-A-A-K-K).

G

Game point — In Bridge, reaching 100 or more trick points below the line within a single deal or across deals.

Gin — In Gin Rummy, going out with zero deadwood (all cards melded). Scores a 25-point bonus.

Go — In Cribbage, what a player says when they cannot play a card without exceeding 31 during pegging.

Going out — Completing the final play of a hand, either by melding all cards or meeting specific conditions (like having the required books in Hand and Foot).

Grand slam — In Bridge, winning all 13 tricks. Earns a massive bonus (1000 or 1500 points depending on vulnerability).

H

Hand — (1) The cards a player is holding. (2) A complete round of play from deal to scoring. (3) In Hand and Foot, the first stack of cards a player receives.

Hearts — (1) One of the four suit families. (2) A trick-avoidance card game where each heart taken scores 1 penalty point.

High card — In poker, a hand with no pairs, straights, or flushes. The highest card determines value. Also, a method for deciding who deals first.

Hit — In Blackjack, requesting another card.

Hole card — A face-down card. In Texas Hold’em, each player’s two private cards are hole cards.

J

Jack — A face card ranked between 10 and Queen in most games. In Euchre, Jacks serve as Bowers.

Joker — An extra card included in some decks, often used as a wild card. Many games remove Jokers before play; rummy variants and Hand and Foot use them.

K

Kicker — In poker, an unpaired side card used to break ties between equivalent hands. For example, if both players have a pair of Kings, the highest remaining card (kicker) determines the winner.

Kitty — (1) A pot of collected bets or penalties. (2) In some games, undealt cards set aside as a draw pool or prize.

Knock — In Gin Rummy, ending the hand when your deadwood total is 10 or less. The knocker reveals their hand and compares deadwood with the opponent.

L

Lay off — In Rummy, adding cards to an opponent’s existing melds on the table.

Lead — Playing the first card of a trick. The lead rotates based on who won the previous trick.

Left Bower — In Euchre, the Jack of the same color as trump (but not the trump suit). The second-highest card.

M

Maker — In Euchre, the player (or team) that selected the trump suit and must win at least 3 of 5 tricks.

Meld — (1) A combination of cards placed face-up for points: a group of same-rank cards or a run of consecutive same-suit cards. (2) The act of placing such cards.

Misdeal — An incorrect deal that requires re-dealing the hand.

Muggins — In Cribbage, a rule allowing an opponent to claim points you missed counting.

N

Natural — A card that is not wild. In Canasta and Hand and Foot, a natural canasta (book) contains no wild cards.

Nib — See “His Nobs” and “His Heels” in Cribbage. His Nobs is a Jack in hand matching the starter suit (1 point). His Heels is a Jack turned as the starter (2 points to dealer).

Nil — In Spades, a bid of zero tricks. Successfully bidding nil scores +100; failing scores −100.

No-trump — In Bridge, a contract played without a trump suit. The highest card in the led suit wins each trick.

O

Opening lead — The first card played in a hand, typically by the player to the left of the declarer (Bridge) or the player who didn’t deal.

Overtrick — A trick won beyond the number bid. In Spades, overtricks are bags (+1 point each but penalized at 10 bags). In Bridge, overtricks score above the line.

P

Pair — Two cards of the same rank. In Cribbage, a pair scores 2 points during pegging and hand counting.

Partner — A teammate in a multi-player game. In Spades, Hearts (not typically), Bridge, and Euchre, partners sit across from each other.

Pass — (1) In Hearts, giving 3 cards to another player at the start of each hand. (2) In Bridge, declining to bid. (3) In Euchre, declining to name trump.

Peg — In Cribbage, moving a scoring peg along the board. “Pegging” refers to the play phase where players alternate playing cards and scoring points for combinations.

Penalty card — A card worth negative points. In Hearts, each heart = 1 point, Q♠ = 13 points.

Pip — (1) The suit symbols printed on a card. (2) The number of pips represents the card’s value (e.g., a 7 has seven pips).

Pot — The total amount of chips/money at stake in a round of poker.

Q

Queen of Spades — In Hearts, the single most costly card, worth 13 penalty points.

Quads — See “Four of a kind.”

R

Raise — In poker, increasing the current bet. Other players must call, raise further, or fold.

Rank — A card’s numerical or face value (2 through Ace). Distinct from suit.

Renege — Failing to follow suit when able. Also called a revoke. Usually incurs a penalty.

Revoke — See “Renege.”

Right Bower — In Euchre, the Jack of the trump suit. The highest card in the game.

River — In Texas Hold’em and Omaha, the fifth and final community card.

Round — A complete cycle of play — one deal through scoring. Also called a hand in some games.

Rubber — In Bridge, a series of games. The first side to win two games wins the rubber and earns a bonus.

Ruff — Playing a trump card when unable to follow the led suit, thereby winning the trick.

Run — A sequence of consecutive cards, often of the same suit. In Cribbage, runs score 1 point per card. In Rummy, a run is a valid meld.

S

Sandbag — See “Bag.”

Set — (1) In poker, three of a kind when you hold a pocket pair and one matching card appears on the board. (2) In Bridge, to defeat a contract. (3) In Rummy, a group of same-rank cards.

Shooting the moon — In Hearts, taking all 13 hearts and the Q♠ in one hand. Instead of receiving 26 penalty points, the shooter gives 26 points to all opponents (or subtracts 26 from their own score).

Showdown — In poker, the point where remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner.

Shuffle — Randomizing the order of cards in the deck before dealing.

Slam — In Bridge, bidding and winning 12 tricks (small slam) or all 13 tricks (grand slam).

Small blind — In poker, the smaller of two forced bets, placed by the player to the left of the dealer.

Spade — (1) One of the four suit families (♠). (2) In Spades, the trump suit for the entire game.

Starter — In Cribbage, the card cut from the deck after the deal. All players use it in their hand scoring.

Stock — The remaining undealt cards, placed face-down as a draw pile.

Straight — Five consecutive cards of any suit. The sixth-highest poker hand.

Suit — One of the four families of cards: Clubs (♣), Diamonds (♦), Hearts (♥), Spades (♠).

T

Trick — A round of play where each player contributes one card. The highest card (or highest trump) wins the trick.

Trips — Three of a kind in poker — specifically when one card is in your hand and two matching cards are on the board (as opposed to a “set” where two are in your hand).

Trump — A designated suit that outranks all other suits. A trump card wins over any non-trump card regardless of rank.

Turn — (1) A player’s opportunity to act. (2) In Texas Hold’em, the fourth community card (also called “Fourth Street”).

U

Undercut — In Gin Rummy, when the non-knocking player has equal or lower deadwood than the knocker. The non-knocker wins and earns a 25-point bonus.

Undertrick — In Bridge, a trick short of the contract. Undertricks give points to the defenders.

V

Void — Having no cards of a particular suit. Being void in a suit allows you to ruff (trump) when that suit is led.

Vulnerability — In Bridge, a state that increases the value of game bonuses and undertrick penalties. A side becomes vulnerable after winning one game in a rubber.

W

Wheel — In poker, the lowest possible straight: A-2-3-4-5.

Wild card — A card that can represent any rank or suit as the player chooses. Jokers and 2s are wild in many games like Canasta and Hand and Foot.

Widow — Extra undealt cards set aside, sometimes auctioned off or given to the winning bidder. Common in Pinochle and some Euchre variants.

Y

Yarn — Informal term for a very long, drawn-out hand or game.

Card Game Terms by Category

Poker Terms

Trick-Taking Terms

Rummy & Meld Game Terms