odd trick
LowTechnical/Specialized
Definition
Meaning
In contract bridge, a trick won by declarer beyond the number required by the contract.
An unexpected or unusual advantage gained in a competitive situation; something that provides an unanticipated benefit.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a term from the card game bridge. In extended use, it often implies a small but meaningful advantage gained through skill, luck, or an opponent's error.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Identical in meaning and usage between British and American English, as it is a technical term from an international game.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both varieties. No significant connotative differences.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties, confined primarily to bridge contexts and metaphorical extensions thereof.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to win [an/the] odd trickto score [an/the] odd trick[the/an] odd trick proved decisiveVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not applicable for this technical term.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Could metaphorically describe a small, unexpected competitive advantage in a deal or negotiation.
Academic
Virtually unused outside of papers on game theory or bridge.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Understood only by those familiar with bridge.
Technical
Standard term in contract bridge commentary, analysis, and scoring.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He managed to odd-trick his way to victory.
- She was odd-tricking throughout the rubber.
American English
- He odd-tricked his opponent in the final hand.
- They are known for odd-tricking in tight matches.
adverb
British English
- He played odd-trickly to secure the win.
- The point was scored odd-trickly.
American English
- She bid odd-trickly to gain an edge.
- They won odd-trickly in the end.
adjective
British English
- The odd-trick advantage sealed the match.
- An odd-trick situation arose in the fourth round.
American English
- The odd-trick play was brilliant.
- We analyzed the odd-trick scenario.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He won an odd trick.
- The odd trick gave her enough points to win the game.
- Securing that odd trick in the final hand was the key to their overall victory in the tournament.
- While the contract was for nine tricks, declarer's clever finesse yielded an invaluable odd trick, swinging the IMP score decisively.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an ODD number being one more than an EVEN number. An ODD TRICK is the one extra trick you win beyond what you needed.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SMALL MARGIN IS AN EXTRA UNIT (e.g., 'That odd trick was the margin of victory').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'odd' as 'странный' (strange). Here it means 'extra' or 'additional' (лишний, дополнительный). The phrase is a fixed term.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'odd trick' to mean a strange or peculiar trick/deception.
- Confusing it with 'overtrick' (which is synonymous in bridge but more general).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'odd trick' primarily used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. It is the standard technical term in contract bridge. It can be used metaphorically in other competitive contexts but this is very rare.
In modern bridge, they are essentially synonyms. Historically, 'odd trick' had specific scoring implications in certain auction systems, but in general usage today, both refer to a trick won by declarer beyond the contract.
No. Despite the common meaning of 'odd' as 'strange', in this fixed phrase 'odd' means 'extra' or 'additional'. Using it to mean a peculiar trick is incorrect and will cause confusion.
In duplicate bridge, an odd trick (overtrick) typically scores a small number of points above the line (20-30 points per trick depending on the denomination) but does not contribute towards game or slam bonuses.