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No-trump for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: noʊ_trəmp

What does No-trump really mean?

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"No-trump" is a term that we often come across in the game of bridge, and it may seem a bit confusing at first. But don't worry, I'm here to help you understand it in the simplest way possible! So, let's dive in, shall we?

In bridge, "No-trump" or "NT" is a bidding option that players use to indicate that their hand does not have a long suit or a specific suit they want to declare as trump. Now, you might wonder, what on earth is a trump? Well, in bridge, a trump suit is a suit chosen to have a higher rank than any other suit. It can dramatically change the dynamics of a game.

But here's the thing with "No-trump" – it's like the black sheep of the bidding options! When someone says "No-trump," it means they are aiming to win the game without relying on any specific suit to be the highest-ranking one. Instead, they depend on the strength of their individual cards, their overall strategy, and their ability to win tricks, which are the individual rounds of play.

Imagine you're playing a card game with your friends, and for each round, one of you gets to choose a special power that helps you win the round. But what if you're feeling extra confident in your abilities, and you decide you don't need any special powers because you believe your cards are strong enough on their own? That's when you'd say "No-trump" in bridge. You're declaring that you have the confidence to win the game without relying on a specific suit to be your trump.

Now, there's another definition of "No-trump" that we should discuss to have a complete picture. In contract bridge, there's a scoring system where certain bids earn different numbers of points. When a player successfully fulfills the contract (the number of tricks they committed to winning), their final score depends on whether they chose a trump or a "No-trump" contract. By choosing "No-trump," they indicate their belief that they can win the required number of tricks without relying on a specific suit to be the trump.

To put it simply, "No-trump" in bridge means that a player is confident in their ability to win without having a trump suit that gives them an advantage. They're betting on their individual cards' strength, their overall strategy, and their ability to win tricks. It's like saying, "I've got this! I don't need any special powers, my cards are strong enough on their own!" So, the next time you hear someone saying "No-trump" during a bridge game, you'll know exactly what they mean!

Revised and Fact checked by Sophia Moore on 2023-10-29 11:45:02

No-trump In a sentece

Learn how to use No-trump inside a sentece

  • In the game of bridge, if a player has a hand that is not strong in any suit, they can bid 'no-trump' to indicate that they will try to win tricks without relying on a specific suit.
  • When playing spades, if a player has a hand with no strong cards in any particular suit, they can choose to bid 'no-trump' and try to win tricks with high-value spade cards instead.
  • During a game of contract bridge, if a player's hand lacks strength or has evenly distributed cards across all suits, they might opt to bid 'no-trump' and focus on winning tricks without relying on a specific suit's strength.
  • In the card game of euchre, if a player does not have a particularly strong suit or prefers to win tricks without depending on suits, they can declare 'no-trump' as their bid.
  • When playing the game of canasta, if a player's hand does not contain a strong suit or they choose not to rely on suits, they may decide to announce 'no-trump' as their intended strategy.

No-trump Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.