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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.

Also, if you would like to suggest a term not presently included on the list, or see a correction that needs to be made, please drop us a note.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Jacoby Transfers: Used over partner's opening 1NT or 2NT bid, and also after the sequence of 2C followed by 2NT. Jacoby bids are artificial and show length in the suit that is one above the suit bid, asking opener to bid that suit. In the sequence - 1NT - P - 2D - P - opener should bid 2H. Variations of Jacoby have been developed which include transfers to all suits in which 2S is a transfer to 3C and 2NT is a transfer to 3D (this is called 4 suit transfers).

It is also possible to super-accept a Jacoby Transfer bid. This means that if partner transfers (showing 5 or more in a suit), and the opening NT bidder has a maximum NT bid and four cards in that suit then he can jump in that suit or even Q-bid in support (ie: 1NT-2D-3H, or 2NT-3D-4H, or 2NT-3D-3S which shows a great hand in support of hearts and spade control).

Jacoby 2NT: A forcing raise of partner's opening bid of one of a major. Bidding 2NT at that point promises 4 card support (or longer) in the suit already bid and game-going values. It asks partner to further describe his opening bid. Generally, if opener bids a new suit at the three level, it shows a singleton or void in that suit. If opener bids 3 of his original suit, he is showing extra values and no singleton. If opener bids 3NT, it shows extra values a balanced hand. If opener bids 4 of a new suit, it shows a good second 5 card suit. And if opener rebids 4 of his original suit, it shows minimum values with none of the above.

Jump Shift: One level of bidding is skipped in a non-contested auction (i.e. 1C-P-2H or 1H-P-3C). In SAYC, this shows a very strong hand. In other conventions, it is weak. It can also have specialized meanings in established partnerships.
 

Copyright © 2008 Fifth Chair Foundation, Inc.