Bridge Jargon - I - Fifth Chair Foundation

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Bridge can be as bad as NASA for confusing acronyms and lingo! Welcome to the Jargon Jungle - a glossary of bridge terms designed to help you hack your way through to a better understanding of the game of bridge. Just click on the first letter of the word you wish to find! Each letter of the alphabet reloads the page.

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IMPs (International Matchpoints): A scoring method in which the difference between a pair's score and some other score is converted to an IMP score using a roughly logarithmic scale. In conversion, it is spoken of as "IMPing." In a team game, you IMP against the other table's score. In IMP Pairs, the IMPing may be either against some sort of average of all the other tables, or individually against each other table.

Individual: A form of tournament bridge play where you are partnered with a different person in each round. At the end of the round each of you is credited with whatever points your partnership scored while it was together.

Inverted Minors: The name inverted minors comes from the fact that a single raise in a minor suit is forcing and a double raise is pre-emptive.

This definition assumes there is no competitive interference. If there is interference, most partnerships revert back to Standard American style. The auctions 1C-P-2C and 1D-P-2D both show at least 4 card support and at least 11 HCP. As a rule, the 2C and 2D bidder has more that 4 card support. Both auctions are forcing to 3NT or 4 of the agreed upon minor suit. The openers FIRST responsibility is to bid major suit stoppers up the line, thus 2H would show a heart stopper and would deny a spade stopper and 2S would show a spade stopper and would deny a heart stopper. 2NT shows stoppers in both major suits and (normally) a minimum hand 3NT shows stoppers in both major suits and (normally) a maximum hand.

All other rebids by opener are natural. Thus, a three club rebid by opener would tend to deny stoppers in either major and show a long suit and a minimum. The auctions 1C-P-3C and 1D-P-3D show at least 5 card support for the minor and show less than 10 HCP. Opener can then proceed according to their hand.

Invitational bids: A bid which invites partner to continue to game (or slam) with a good hand. It may or may not be forcing.

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