Glossary of Contract Bridge Terms - R

R

Rainbow

A movement used in individual events.

Raise

A bid of partner's suit at a higher level. A raise shows a fit for partner's suit. 1?–2? is a single raise; 1?–3? is a double raise.

Rank

1) The position of an individual card relative to others: Aces have the highest rank, followed by K, Q, J, 10, ... 2.

2) The order of denominations in the bidding. Notrump is highest-ranked denomination, followed by spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. A higher-ranked suit may be bid at the same level as a lower-ranked suit; the reverse is not true.

Rebid

1) Second and subsequent bids by the same player.

2) A bid by the same player in a suit he has already bid.

Rebiddable suit

A suit with sufficient length and strength, according to partnership agreements, to be rebid in certain defined circumstances.

Recap

(Abbreviation of "recapitulation") A summary of results in a bridge tournament.

Recorder

A member of a bridge organization whose responsibility it is to maintain a record of reports of possible violations of the Proprieties.

Rectify the count

To lose some number of tricks in preparation for a squeeze. Losing the tricks "tightens up" the position, removing idle cards from the defenders' hands before they can be used as safe discards in the squeezed position.

Red

(Slang) Vulnerable. From the color of the paint on a duplicate board. Also: "Red vs. red" to mean both teams vulnerable, and "red vs. white" to mean vulnerable vs. not.

Redeal

In rubber bridge, the prescribed remedy for a faulty deal. In duplicate bridge, redeals are not used except in special cases and under a director's supervision.

Redouble

A call that doubles the penalties and bonuses that apply to a previous double. Used conventionally, a redouble may also convey additional information.

Re-entry

A card that enables a hand to gain the lead on a later trick, after that hand has already gained the lead with a different entry card.

Refuse

(Verb). Of a trick, to duck.

Reject

To fail to comply with a bid that has made a request, such as an invitation or a transfer.

Relay bid

An artificial bid that requests partner to further describe his hand. The relay is usually the lowest available bid, so as to leave as much room for description as possible.

Relay system

A bidding system that consists of many relay sequences.

Remove

To bid on over an undesired contract, especially a doubled contract.

Renege

Informal term for Revoke; associated with other games such as whist.

Reopen

See balance.

Repechage

A form of knockout event in which losing teams enter a secondary event, with the possibility of re-entering the primary event if they have a high finish in the secondary.

Rescue

To remove from a contract that partner has bid and which, often, has been doubled.

Responder

Opening bidder's partner.

Response

A bid by responder immediately following an opening bid and RHO's call.

Responsive double

A double that follows LHO's opening bid, partner's takeout double and RHO's raise of opener's suit, to show moderate values and no clear opinion as to the best strain.

Result merchant

(Slang) One who evaluates bids and plays according to their outcome, rather than to their intrinsic merit. Also, "Result player."

Retain the lead

Maintain the right to lead to the next trick by leading and winning the current trick.

Return

To lead back, usually the suit that partner led.

Reverse

A bidding sequence in which a single player, on consecutive calls, bids two different suits, and bids the two suits in the reverse order to that expected by the basic bidding system. The specific definition of a reverse therefore depends on the bidding system (see main article). The reverse is designed to show additional strength without the need to make a jump bid. Because the reverse takes up bidding space, the reverse bidder is usually expected to hold a stronger than average hand, usually more than 16 HCP.

Revoke

Failure to follow suit as required when a player is able to do so.

Rewind

(Slang) To redouble.

RHO

Right-hand opponent.

Rise with

To play a high card in the hope of taking a trick: "Rise with the ace." Also, "go up with"

RKCB

Roman Key Card Blackwood, a slam bidding convention.

Roman

Descriptive of bids and carding agreements used or originated in the Roman system:

1) Roman 2♣ and 2♦: Three-suiters.

2) Roman Blackwood, Gerber and Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB): Step responses to the ace-asking bid that entail mild ambiguity.

3) Roman jump overcall: Two-suiter.

4) Roman asking bid: A request that partner bid his number of controls wholesale, via step responses.

5) Roman discards: odd-even discards.

6) Roman leads: Rusinow leads.

RONF

Acronym for Raise Only Non-Force. A treatment used for responding to preempts, usually weak two bids. All bids except the single raise are forcing.

Rosenblum Cup

The award for winning the world knockout team championship that is held in even numbered years other than leap years. (The Bermuda Bowl is contested in odd numbered years and the World Team Olympiad in leap years.)

Rotation

The progression of the bidding and play in a clockwise direction around the table.

Roth-Stone

A bidding system popular during the 1960s in the US. It features sound opening bids, five-card majors and negative doubles. It is the principal foundation for 2/1 Game Forcing.

Round

1) In the bidding, a sequence of four consecutive calls.

2) In duplicate bridge, a set of boards leading to another round (e.g., the semi-final round), or a set of boards that two pairs play against one another.

3) Of a control, the round on which the control can stop the opponents from winning a trick. An ace, for example, is a first round control; the king is a second round control.

Rounded suit

Hearts or clubs. The term refers to the shape at the tops of the suit symbols. Contrast with pointed suit.

Round-robin

An event format in which each team eventually opposes each other team.

Rubber

In rubber bridge, the set of successive deals that ends when one of the pairs wins two games.

Rubber bonus

A bonus awarded to the pair winning the rubber: 500 points if the losers are vulnerable, 700 if they are not.

Rubber bridge

The original form of contract bridge, a contest with four players in two opposing pairs (as distinct from duplicate bridge, which requires a minimum of eight players).

Rubens advances

Transfer advances of overcalls. See Useful Space Principle.

Ruff

To play a trump on a trick when a plain suit was led.

Ruff and discard

The lead of a suit in which both opponents are void, so that one opponent can ruff while the other discards (or sluffs). A ruff and discard is usually damaging to the side that leads to the trick. Also, ruff and sluff or ruff and slough.

Ruff out

To establish a suit by ruffing one or more of its low cards.

Rule of Eight

A way to decide whether to overcall an opponent's 1NT opening. Length in long suits, the losing trick count and HCP are combined.

Rule of Eighteen

The Rule of Eighteen is a World Bridge Federation regulation which states that an opening bid is acceptable if the sum of the number of cards in the two longest suits plus the number of HCP is at least 18.

Rule of Eleven

A calculation that can be used when it is assumed that opening leader has led the fourth highest card in a suit. By subtracting the pips on the card led from 11, the result is the number of cards in the other three hands that are higher than the one led. Third hand, for example, can then make inferences about declarer's holding in the suit by examining his own and dummy's holdings; likewise, declarer can make inferences about right-hand-opponent's holding in the suit. (The rule can be modified to subtract from 12 if the lead is thought to be third best, and from 10 if the lead is thought to be fifth best.)

Rule of Fifteen

Guideline for opening light in fourth seat: open if your high card points plus your number of spades is 15 or more. Also known as the Cansino Count.

Rule of Five

When the bidding has reached the 5-level in a competitive auction, tend to defend rather than bid on. In other words, in competitive auctions, 5-level contracts belong to the enemy. See also Law of Total Tricks

Rule of Four

Avoid giving support for partner's 5-card suit if a superior 4-4 fit might be available.

Rule of Seven

When declarer's only high card in the suit lead by the opponents is the ace, count the number of cards in that suit held by declarer and dummy, subtract from seven and duck that many times.

Rule of Three

On a competitive part score deal, with the points roughly equal between your side and theirs, once the bidding has reached the 3-level, tend to defend rather than bid on (unless your side has 9 trumps.)See also Law of Total Tricks

Rule of Twenty

A widely used guideline of the Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) bidding system which states that a hand may open bidding "normally" (that is, by bidding one of a suit) if the sum obtained by adding the combined length of its longest two suits to its high card points is twenty or more, but that weaker hands must either open with a preempive bid or pass. See also Zar points evaluation method.

Rule of Two

When missing two non-touching honors, it is normally superior to finesse first for their lower honor. In the following two example hands, three tricks or the maximum possible are needed.

♠ AQ10

♠ 765

♥ KJ1053

♥ 87642

In the first hand, finesse the ♠10, not the ♠Q. Similarly in the second, lead the ♥2 and when West follows with the ♥9, it is best to finesse the ♥10. When one of the missing honors is the 10 the rule will not apply, as one does not normally finesse for a 10 on the first round.

Rule of Two and Three

A bidding guide suggested by Ely Culbertson, which counsels preemptors to be within two tricks of their contract if vulnerable, and within three if not. Few players now follow the Rule of Two and Three.

Ruling

A finding and decision by a tournament director or appeals committee.

Run

To play the winners in a suit.

Rusinow leads

An agreement to lead the second highest of touching honors.