Bridge Defense Terms Glossary

Defense is the hardest part of bridge, and it has its own specialized vocabulary. This glossary covers signals, leads, and defensive techniques.

Good defense requires communication with partner through the cards you play. Here’s the language you need.

A

Active Defense: Leading aggressively to cash or establish tricks before declarer can pitch losers. Used when you can see declarer will develop discards if given time.

Alarm Clock Signal: An unusual discard or signal meant to wake partner up to a specific danger. “That was my alarm clock - I wanted a shift!”

Attitude: The most basic signal - showing whether you like a suit. High card = encouraging (like it), low card = discouraging (don’t like it). See Defensive Signals.

B

Breaking: Leading a new suit, usually from an honor. Often gives declarer a trick but sometimes necessary. “I had to break the spade suit.”

C

Cash Out: Taking all your winners before declarer can pitch losers. “Cash out now or we’ll never get them.”

Come-On: An encouraging signal. High card says “come on, lead this suit again.” Old-fashioned term for attitude signal.

Count: Signaling how many cards you hold in a suit. High-low = even number (2, 4), low-high = odd number (1, 3, 5). See Defensive Signals.

Cover: Playing a higher honor on declarer’s honor. “Second hand low, third hand high” and “cover an honor with an honor” are the general rules, but context matters.

Covering: See Cover.

Count Signal: See Count.

D

Dangerous Hand: The opponent you don’t want to give the lead to. Usually because they have entries or can lead through your partner’s honors.

Deception: Deliberately misleading declarer about your holding. False-carding. Ethical within rules. See Defensive Signals.

Defensive Ruff: Getting a trump trick by ruffing declarer’s winner. Sweet when it works.

Defensive Signal: Any card you play to give partner information. See attitude, count, suit preference.

Discard: What you play when you can’t follow suit and aren’t trumping. Critical for signaling.

Discovery: Figuring out declarer’s or partner’s hand from the bidding and early play. “I discovered declarer had only two spades.”

Distribution: The pattern of suits around the table. Knowing distribution helps you defend accurately.

Ducking: Not winning a trick you could win. On defense, often done to break communications or force declarer to use up entries.

E

Echo: Playing high-low to show an even number. Same as count signal.

Encouraging: A signal showing you want the suit continued. High card = encouraging.

Exit: Getting off lead safely, giving declarer nothing. “I had a safe exit with a trump.”

F

False Card: A card played to deceive declarer. Dropping the 9 from J9 to make declarer think you have a doubleton, for example.

Following Suit: Playing a card in the suit led. You must follow suit if you can.

Forcing Defense: Making declarer ruff to shorten their trumps. Effective against 4-4 fits or when declarer needs long trumps.

Fourth Best: Leading your fourth-highest card in a suit. The standard lead from length. Lets partner use Rule of 11.

Frozen Suit: A suit no one can afford to lead without giving up a trick. Both sides want the other to break it.

H

High-Low: Playing a higher card then a lower card. Usually shows an even number (count), but context matters. Could show a doubleton planning to ruff.

Holdup: Refusing to take your winner immediately. Defenders do this to disrupt declarer’s timing or communication.

I

Inside: A card that sits between two other cards in sequence. The 10 is inside if you have J109.

Interior Sequence: A sequence one rank below your top card. KJ109 has an interior sequence (J109).

J

Jettison: Deliberately discarding a high card, often to unblock or create confusion.

Journalist Leads: A specific leading system using 10s and 9s in particular ways. Ask your partner what they play.

K

Key Card: The critical card that will determine whether the contract makes. Finding the key card is often the key to good defense.

L

Lavinthal: An older term for suit preference signals. Less common now but you might hear it from older players.

Lead: The first card played to a trick. Opening lead = first card of the hand. Choosing the right lead is crucial. See Opening Leads.

Lead-Directing Double: A double of an artificial bid (like Blackwood or Stayman) asking partner to lead that suit. Specific rules apply.

Length Lead: Leading from your longest suit. Standard in notrump, trying to establish tricks.

Lightner Double: Doubling a freely bid slam to ask for an unusual lead (not trump, not the suit you bid, usually dummy’s side suit or for a ruff). Named after Theodore Lightner.

Low-High: Playing a low card then a high card in the same suit. Shows an odd number of cards (count signal).

M

MUD: Middle-Up-Down. Leading the middle card from three small cards (753), then the highest (7), then the lowest (3). Shows you have nothing in the suit. Opposite of “up the middle.”

Maintain Parity: Keeping the same length in a suit as declarer or dummy to prevent them from setting up the suit. “I had to maintain parity in clubs.”

Merrimac Coup: Sacrificing a high card to knock out a specific entry. Usually done at trick one. “I led the ♠K from KQ to kill dummy’s ace.”

N

Natural: A lead or play that’s straightforward, not based on a convention or special agreement.

O

Obligatory False Card: A false card you must play to give declarer a guess. From KJ9 under dummy’s AQx, you must play the J or 9 (never the king!) to give declarer a guess.

Opening Lead: The very first card played, before seeing dummy. The single most important defensive play. See Opening Leads.

Overruff: Trumping higher than declarer (or dummy) after they’ve already ruffed. Sometimes right, sometimes wastes a trump honor.

Overtake: Playing a higher card than partner’s to win the trick, usually to shift suits or continue the attack.

P

Passive Defense: Leading safely, not attacking. Used when you think declarer will go down if you just don’t give anything away. “Just play passive and wait.”

Peeking: Looking at partner’s or declarer’s cards. Don’t do this. Illegal and unethical.

Penalty Card: A card exposed accidentally (or through illegal play) that must be played at the first legal opportunity. Director rules apply.

Peter: British term for high-low signal (echo). “I petered to show count.”

Pitch: Discard. “I pitched a diamond to encourage.”

Positive Attitude: An encouraging signal. You want this suit continued.

Preference Signal: See Suit Preference.

Present Count: Giving a count signal (high-low or low-high) to show how many cards you have in a suit. See Defensive Signals.

Promote: Forcing declarer to use up honors so your lower honors become tricks. “We promoted the ♠10.”

Protection: A holding that prevents declarer from running a suit or finessing successfully. “I had the queen protected.”

Q

Queen from QJ: The standard lead from touching honors. QJ10, QJ9, etc. - lead the queen.

R

Remainder: Cards left after some have been played. “In the three-card remainder, I knew partner had the jack.”

Restrict: Keeping declarer from reaching a particular hand. “I restricted declarer to dummy.”

Revoking: Failing to follow suit when you could have. Illegal. Penalties apply. Also called “ruffing off.”

Ruff: Playing a trump on a side suit because you’re void. As a defender, ruffs are gold.

Ruff and Discard (also Ruff-Sluff): Leading a suit where both declarer and dummy are void. Usually terrible defense (gives declarer a free trick), but occasionally necessary.

Rule of 11: Subtract the opening lead (if fourth-best) from 11. The answer tells you how many higher cards are in the other three hands (your hand, dummy, and partner’s). Essential for third hand play. See Opening Leads.

S

Safe Exit: A lead that doesn’t give anything away. “I had a safe exit in trumps.”

Second Hand: The player who plays second to a trick. “Second hand low” is the general rule, but not always right.

Second Hand Low: The principle that second player usually plays low. But cover honors, and sometimes split honors.

Sequence: Two or more touching honors. KQJ is a sequence. Lead the top of a sequence.

Shift: Changing suits from what partner led (or what you’ve been leading). “I shifted to a diamond at trick two.”

Short Suit Lead: Leading a doubleton or singleton, often looking for a ruff later.

Signal: Any card played to convey information to partner. See attitude, count, suit preference. See Defensive Signals.

Smith Echo: An attitude signal at trick two in notrump, about the opening lead suit. High = like the lead suit, low = don’t like it. Not standard, discuss with partner.

Split: Playing a middle honor from a sequence when declarer or dummy leads the suit. From KJ10, play the jack or 10. Makes declarer guess.

Standard Signals: High = encouraging, low = discouraging (attitude). High-low = even (count). The default for most recreational players.

Suit Preference: A signal showing which of two remaining suits you prefer. High card = higher-ranking suit, low card = lower-ranking suit. Used when attitude and count are irrelevant. See Defensive Signals.

Surrounding Play: When you can play either of two touching cards. Surrounds declarer’s card. From J109 when declarer leads low toward dummy’s Q, play the 10 or 9.

T

Takeout: Winning partner’s trick. Not ideal unless you have a good reason (like shifting suits urgently).

Third Hand: The player who plays third to a trick. “Third hand high” is the general rule.

Third Hand High: The principle that third player usually plays their highest card. But not when dummy has strength, or when lower cards will do the job.

Top of Nothing: Leading your highest card from three or more worthless cards. Alternative to MUD. Agree with partner which you play.

Top of a Sequence: Leading the highest card from touching honors. From KQJ, lead the king. Standard opening lead strategy.

Trump Echo: Playing high-low in trumps to show three trumps. Helps partner count the hand.

Trump Promotion: Forcing declarer to ruff high or overruff with a higher trump than necessary, promoting your lower trump into a winner. Beautiful when you execute it.

Trump Return: Leading a trump. Often good defense to cut down ruffs or to lead “safe.” Other times terrible because it helps declarer.

U

Unblocking: Playing high cards early so the suit doesn’t block. If partner leads the king from KQJ and you have A32, drop the ace or you block the suit.

Underlead: Leading low from an ace or other honor. Rarely right from an ace but sometimes necessary.

Unusual Lead: Any lead that deviates from standard agreements. Alerts partner (hopefully) that something unusual is happening.

Upside-Down Signals: A method where low = encouraging, high = discouraging (opposite of standard). Common among experts. Discuss with partner.

Up the Middle: Old term for leading second-highest from a bad suit. Opposite of MUD (which is middle-up-down). Agree with partner.

V

Vacant Places: The principle that an opponent with more unknown cards is more likely to hold a specific missing card. Based on math.

Vienna Coup: More of a declarer play, but defenders need to recognize it. Declarer cashes a winner to unblock a stopper, setting up a squeeze.

Void: Having no cards in a suit. Valuable on defense for ruffing.

W

Waiting: Playing passively, letting declarer do the work. “I just waited for my tricks.”

Watch Your Discards: Advice to signal clearly. Every card you play sends a message.

Western Cuebid: A lead-directing cuebid of opponent’s suit in certain auctions. Ask your partner if they play this.

Z

Zero or Two Higher: A guideline for third hand play. When partner leads fourth-best and dummy plays low, play your lowest card that will force declarer’s honor (if possible), or play your lowest if you have no chance to win.

Common Lead Agreements

From Honor Sequences (Standard)

  • AKxx: Lead Ace (or King if playing Ace from AK)
  • KQxx: Lead King
  • QJxx: Lead Queen
  • J10xx: Lead Jack
  • 109xx: Lead 10

From Length (Standard)

  • Four or more: Lead fourth-best (helps partner use Rule of 11)
  • Three cards: Top of sequence, low from honors, MUD or top of nothing from small
  • Doubleton: Usually top, but depends on holding

Special Leads

  • Ax or Kx: Often lead the honor (suit contracts, rarely NT)
  • Singleton: Lead it (suit contracts)
  • Trump: Sometimes the best lead, often the worst. Context.

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