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99er Pairs - An ACBL tourney where all players must have fewer than 100 masterpoints.

NA - Abbreviation for National Authority

Duplicate

NABC - North American Bridge Championship -- the ACBL conducts three NABC tournaments each year.  The tournament locations are rotated around the major cities in the United States and Canada.  The two week event offers competition at all player ranking levels.  Special emphasis is given to newer players, under the ACBL's Intermediate/Newcomer (I/N) programs which includes two free celebrity speaker talks daily.  NABC awards of achievement include masterpoints, trophies, special events, and entertainment. See NABC Awards and high resolution pix (slow load)
 

NABC Appeals Committee - An ACBL-appointed committee to determine the merits of player appeals based on Director rulings or Ethics.
 

NABC Master - A player with at least 200 masterpoints, including at least 50 pigmented points of which at least 5 must be gold, at least 15 must be red, and at least 25 must be silver, is known as an NABC Master.
 

NAMYATS - See Conventions

National - Referring the ACBL's NABC tournaments.

National Authority - The body within a Country responsible for jurisdiction, sponsorship, and promotion of Bridge.
 

Natural Call - Referring to a call which genuinely represent the makeup of a hand.
 

NBB - Abbreviation for Nederlandse Bridge Bond [Dutch Bridge League]

NBO - Abbreviation for National Bridge Organization
 

NCBO - The National Contract Bridge Organization, an independent self-governing Bridge authority within a Country.
 

Neapolitan - See Conventions

NEC - The Nippon Electric Corporation, associated with sponsorship of a major Bridge tournament such as the Bermuda Bowl and the Venice Cup.
 

Neener - The colloquial term referring to the 9 (nine-spot) card.  See Card Names

Negative Bid - A call rejecting interest in a higher level auction, usually a signoff request.
 

Negative Double - See Conventions.

Also see Books on Doubles
 

Negative Free Bid - See Conventions

Negative Inference - A deduction based on a player's failure to make a call, indicating lackluster holding.
 

Negative Response - A negative call in response to partner's inviting  bid denying strength
 

Negative Slam Double - See Conventions

Play

Neutral Lead - A lead of a non-aggressive waiting card to avoid losing tricks.  Also see Opening Leads, Passive Lead, Trump Lead, Active Defense, Forcing Defense, Carding,  Fourth Best or Third and Fifth leads, Coded 9 and 10 (Jack denies, 10 implies), Obvious Suit Preference, and Middle Up Down (MUD), Bottom Of Something Top Of Nothing (BOSTON).
 

Newcomer (Novice) Game - This is an event that is restricted to players with fewer than 20 masterpoints. Participation may be even more restricted — the upper limit may be as low as 5 masterpoints.
 

Laws

New Deal -
Auction closed without a bid - See Law 22
Correction of misdeal - See Law 13
Discretion of director to require - See Law 6  86
Misdeal - See Law 13
Team event - See Law 86
 

New Minor Forcing - See Conventions

New Suit - To bid a suit not previously called.

NIBU - Abbreviation for Northern Ireland Bridge Union

Nickel - The colloquial term referring to the 5 (five-spot) card.  See Card Names
 

Nina Ross - The colloquial term referring to the 9 (nine-spot) card.  Card Names
 

Nine - Represented by 9 pips.  See Example

NO - Abbreviation for Non-Offender

NOs - Abbreviation for Non-Offenders

NOS - Abbreviation for Non-Offending Side

No Bid, No Call - An English phrase indicating a pass call.  However, Law 74  makes it clear players cannot use different designations for the same call (pass, no bid, no call, check, knock, etc).
 

Non Forcing - Referring to an intermediate call that provides partner the option to either bid or Pass.
 

Non Forcing Stayman - See Conventions

Non Material Squeeze - A different squeeze strategy that works against opponent's idle cards rather than the typical squeezes against their guard cards.  However, the Non-Material Squeeze still frustrates the opponent's transportation and eliminates tactics such as a throw in play. See Example
 

General

Non Vulnerable - A Non-Vulnerable condition may occur on one, both, or neither side of the table, depending on the circumstance.  In Rubber Bridge, the state where the side has not won a game.  In Duplicate Bridge, the condition where the side is enjoys a higher game or slam score but incurs additional penalties. Sometimes referred to as the color "white".  Thus, "White versus white" means neither side is Vulnerable. See Example
 

Nordic Championships - Biennial international Bridge championships originally organized by Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland after World War II.
 

General

Normal Expectancy - The mathematical probability of players holding the remaining strength and length, not including one's own 13 cards.  For instance, before bidding begins one could "expect" partner's High Card Points to be one-third of the remaining HCP; holding 16 HCP, subtract 40-16=24 and 24/3=8 so Partner's HCP Expectancy is 8.  Also see Rule of 7
 

Norman 4 Notrump - See Conventions

North - In a standard Bridge Diagram, the player at the top of the table.  See Example
 

North American Championship - See NABC.

North American Pair - A successive series of ACBL tournaments, with District qualifiers sending their top teams to the Fall NABC.  See Director Tech File: North American Pairs Conditions of Contest
 

North South - In a standard Bridge Diagram, the players to the top and bottom of the table (North at top).  See Example
 

Notification -

By director to contestant of right to appeal - See Law 83
By player to director of accidental receipt of information - See Law 16

Notrump - A non-suit denomination call which, if it becomes the final contract, dictates that all suits have equal control.  During the bidding phase, Notrump is the highest ranking bid (above Spades).
 

General

Notrump Distribution - Referencing opener's Call, a balanced hand that contains adequate controls in each suit.  Balanced notrump hand pattern distribution includes: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-2-2 shape.  Semi-balanced hands include: 5-4-2-2 and 6-3-2-2 shape, particularly with controls in short suits (including partner's hand).
 

Notrump Game Doubled - When opponents bid a 3 Notrump game contract or above, partnership doubles have various lead directing possibilities depending on bidding and conventional agreements.  See details.
 

See Director Tech File (Opening with singleton and voids)
 

Not Vulnerable - See Non-Vulnerable

Novice - A newer Bridge player lacking experience.  The ACBL has established a 20 masterpoint threshold for a Novice games.
 

Novice (Newcomer) Game - This is an event that is restricted to players with fewer than 20 masterpoints. Participation may be even more restricted — the upper limit may be as low as 5 masterpoints.
 

NP - Abbreviation for No Problem

NPC - Referring to a Non-Playing Captain of a Bridge team.

Nuisance Bid - A call intended to interrupt opponent's auction, frustrating their efforts to find the optimum contract.
 

Number - A potentially derogatory term, such as "going (down) for a (telephone) number", indicating the side will or has incurred a very large loss.  The loss typically includes costly penalties for Doubled contracts, significantly more than opponent's game or slam bonuses.  Hopefully the context of the term is an attempt to add a bit of levity when referring to a 4 digit number when going set in a doubled contract, tersely saying "we went for a number" instead of admitting to a loss of 1100 points or more.
 

Number Of Cards - The a priori probability of a player holding a given number of cards is based on mathematical odds. Number of Cards

Card Distribution (remaining two hands)
Hand Distribution (suits within a hand)
High Card Point Count (HCPs in one hand)
Miscellaneous Probabilities (assorted interesting odds)
Number of Cards (card quantity in a suit)
Posteriori Probability (example when additional information is known)
Suit Combinations (best lead and plays)
Expected Controls (based on HCP)

Also see books on Probabilities
 

Nuts - The colloquial term referring to winning cards, typically honor cards.  See Card Names
 

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