Glossary of Relevant Terms
Ace of spades
The most powerful card in the game.
Bags
Tricks won during a round in excess of the number bid.
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).
Breaking Spades
Cutting a hand lead by clubs, hearts, or diamonds. From that point on trump can be lead.
Cut
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.
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.
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
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