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 (e.g. specific to bridge, hearts, poker or rummy), 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 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. 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 One of the four suits in a German-suited pack of cards. Symbol:
active A card that is in play i.e. not sleeping. See active player.
active player A player who receives cards in the current deal (i.e. is not sitting out because there are more players than the game is designed for as in four-hand Skat or five-hand Schafkopf). A player who has not withdrawn from the current deal but elected to play on (as in Rams or Poker).
adversary Any opposing player, especially in two-hand games, or an opponent of the declarer. See defenders.
adverse Pertaining to an adversary or opponent e.g. an adverse lead is one made by an opponent; adverse trumps are those held by one's opponent(s).
age Order of priority for leading, betting or bidding, starting from the player next to the dealer. See eldest and youngest.
alliance A temporary partnership that lasts only for the current deal or hand (e.g. Prop and Cop in Solo Whist or the normal game in Schafkopf).
alone Playing without the help of a partner. See declarer and soloist.
announce See declare.
announcement 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 A mandatory stake made before the game begins - usually by all players, sometimes by the dealer only. Chips required to be put into the pot before the deal. To put in such chips.
around the corner Phrase that describes sequences or runs that are built either side of the Ace e.g. Q K A 2 3 4
auction The period of bidding. The phase in some card games where players may bid to lead the game, or bid on a certain hand or privilege in that hand such as naming the trump suit. The player with the highest bid wins the auction and plays his chosen game or exercises his privilege. Often used in trick-taking games.Glossary of Card Game Terms at www.catsatcards.com. Retrieved 11 August 2018
B
balanced hand A hand of cards with no void suit, singleton or very long suit.
banker Also called the house or the bank, the person responsible for distributing chips, keeping track of the buy-ins, and paying winners at the end of a banking game. A dealer against whom the punters bet.
banking game A less-skilled card game of the gambling type in which one or more punters play against a banker, who controls the game.
base value A constant factor in working out the value of a game e.g. Skat.
batch See packet.
batons One of the four suits in a Latin-suited pack of cards. Symbol: or
beater Term used in games of the Karnöffel family for quasi-trump cards able to beat those of lower rank or with no powers at all.
belle The last game of the rubber.
bells One of the four suits in a German pack of cards. Symbol:
best Highest ranking.
best card Highest card of a suit not yet played. The commanding card, master card. Also king card.
bet Any wager on the outcome of a deal or game; any chips put in a pot; to put chips in a pot. The first bet in a betting interval.
bête, bate, bete or beet. 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.„Bete“ In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon, Band 2. Leipzig 1905, S. 765. A player who fails to take a single trick in Mistigri.„Mistigri“ In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon, Vol. 13. Leipzig 1908, p. 907. Likewise in Mauscheln, if the declarer, or Mauschler, fails to win a trick, he is the Mauschlerbete. Failure to make a contract. Conceding defeat without playing. Double bête: a double penalty, usually for failing to make a contract after choosing to play out the cards.
bettel or bettler Bid or contract to win no tricks. Also misère.
bid An offer to win a minimum or specified number of tricks or points or the privilege of naming the trump suit or the game.Galt, David. Card Game Glossary at entertainment.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 11 August 2018. To make a bid.
bidder Any player who makes a bid. The player who makes the highest bid and plays out his announced contract.
blank In card-point games, a card that is worth no points. A non-counter. A hand with no court cards, i.e. only pip cards. A card that is unguarded by other, usually lower cards in the same suit: "I held the blank king of spades."Simpson, J.A. and E.S.C. Weiner (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary, Vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon. p. 261. To discard in such a way as to leave a card unprotected: "She blanked the king of spades." To void a suit.
blank suit A suit of which one holds no cards. A void (suit). To blank a suit is to get rid of all the cards of that suit from one's hand.
blaze A hand consisting only of court cards.
blind A dummy hand, for example, in Cego. Cards dealt to the table as a skat or widow.
blocking Blocking a suit is keeping a high card back so that the player with a number of smaller cards cannot win tricks with them.
bluff To attempt to deceive one's opponent(s) about the value of cards in one's hand. To use various tactics to mislead one's opponent(s) about the distribution of cards or one's strategy.
build To add cards to those already on the table in order to extend a set or sequence.
bonus An extra amount added to a player's score for the game for holding or winning certain cards or for achieving certain goals, such as Schneider.
bower The jack of the trump suit or the Jack of the same colour as the trump suit e.g. in Euchre or Reunion. left bower: the jack of the same colour as the trump suit. right bower: the jack of the trump suit.
bring in a suit Make tricks in a plain suit after the adverse trumps are exhausted.
bury a card To place a card in the middle of the pack or discard pile so that it cannot be easily located.
buy To receive a card from the dealer, face down, in return for a stake e.g. in Twenty-One. To receive or draw the spare hand, (skat or widow) in return for one's own hand and, possibly, a stake e.g. in Newmarket. 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. To draw cards from the stock or talon.
C
call To declare, bid or pass. Any such declaration
capture To pick up or take cards during play, often as part of a trick.
captain the player who directs the play of his team or who has the final decision in certain partnership games.
card money The charge levied by an establishment on the playing of card games.von Gumpoldskirchen (1875), p. 9.
card points The scoring value of a card or cards in point-trick games. Card points are used to determine the winner of a hand, based on the value of individual cards won. Not to be confused with game points. Sometimes called pips.
card value Ambiguous, may refer to card points or face value. It usually does not refer to rank. May be used to differentiate against "face value." For example, the Ace has a face value of 1 for its single pip, but in Blackjack, the Ace may have a flexible card value of 1 or 11.
carte blanche A hand with no court cards (see blank), for example, in Piquet, Comet or Bezique; or with either no court cards or no pip cards in BriscanLe Briscan at academiedesjeux.jeuxsoc.fr. Retrieved 11 Jan 2019.
case card The last remaining card of a denomination left in play.
cavalier The court card in certain card packs that usually ranks below the queen and above the jack.
chicane A hand with no trumps.
chip A token used in place of money; a counter; to put chips in the pot Also jeton.
chosen suit A suit characterised by a disturbed ranking and in which some cards have privileges over cards of the unchosen suits or special powers when led. Chosen suits are found in most games of the Karnöffel group. Sometimes called a selected suit. Often misnamed a trump suit.Karnöffel Group at pagat.com. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
circle A local group of card players who meet regularly to play a particular game.
claim An action or statement by which a player indicates he believes he will take all the remaining tricks. 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."The Rest are Mine" at bridgewebs.com. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
clear Establish a card or suit by forcing out adverse higher cards or stoppers. Having taken no penalty cards e.g. in Hearts.
close To bar further use of the talon by turning the trump card over and placing it on the top in card games such as Sixty-Six and Schnapsen.
clubs One of the four suits in a French-suited or Spanish-suited pack of cards. Symbol: or
coat card Original term for court card, now obsolete.
coffee housing To talk and act in order to mislead one's opponents about one's cards.
Coins One of the four suits in a Latin-suited pack of cards. Symbol: or
color, colour In French-suited packs, this is the colour of the suit symbols, which is red for hearts and diamonds and black for clubs and spades.
combination Two or more cards that score a bonus when melded. Often called a meld.
command The best card of a suit, usually applied to suits which the adversary is trying to establish. See best card, king card and master card.
commanding card The best card of a suit in play. Also best card, king card or master card. The top trump or highest matador such as the knave of clubs in knave noddy or the right bower in euchre.Euchre at ohioeuchre.com. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
compendium game A game in which a number of different contracts is played in succession e.g. Barbu, Quodlibet and Poch.
contract An agreement or obligation to play a certain type of game, to win a certain number of points or tricks in a hand, round or game.
contractor The highest bidder who then plays out his contract.
contrat A short rectangular counter or chip used in some French card games and Danish Tarok that is worth a number of jetons or fiches, typically 100 jetons.Mouche for example. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
counter Object used to score. Token used in place of money; a chip. Also jeton. Card with a point value. Also counting card.
counting card A card that has an intrinsic scoring value when taken in a trick. Also counter.
count out During play, to claim to have enough points for game, thus ending the play; to go out during the play.
court card One of the picture cards i.e. a king, queen or jack in a French pack; a king, Ober or Unter in a German pack, or a king, queen, cavalier and valet in a Tarot pack. Also face card, picture card or royal card. Originally coat card.
cover To play a higher card of the same suit than any previously played to the trick. See also overtake. 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 Two partners alternately trumping a different suit.
cross-suit Suit of the opposite colour.
Cups