The four suits in ascending order of value are

Clubs ♣ (TREFLES),

Diamonds ♦ (CARREAUX),

Hearts ♥(COEURS)

and Spades ♠ (PIQUES).

No Trumps is SANS- ATOUT. The most important cards in a suit are AS (ace), ROI (king), DAME (queen) and VALET (jack).

If you learnt your bridge in the UK you will probably use a bidding system based on Acol. You will open the bidding with One No Trump if you have a balanced hand of 12 to 14 points and you will bid One Heart or One Spade if you have four or more cards in the suit. This is a weak No Trump system (SANS-ATOUT FAIBLE). Your French friends will have learnt a system called SEF or STANDARD FRANCAIS. They will open One No Trump with 15 to 17 points (QUINZE A DIX SEPT POINTS) and will only open one in a major suit (MAJEUR) with five or more cards in the suit (UN MAJEUR CINQUIEME). Most English players play Stayman which means that in response to one No Trump Two Clubs is an artificial bid asking the opener to bid either Two Hearts or Two Spades with a four card suit. If he does not have a four card Major he bids two Diamonds (DEUX CARREAUX). The French also play STAYMAN and use the same word for the convention.

Many English players also play a transfer system after one No Trump. Two Diamonds shows a five card Heart suit and asks the opening bidder to bid two hearts. Two Hearts shows a five card Spade suit and asks the opener to bid two Spades (DEUX PIQUES). This enables the hand to be played by the opening bidder who generally has the stronger hand. The French also use this system which they call TEXAS. Most will also use transfers into the Minors (MINEURS) with DEUX PIQUES showing a six card Club suit and TROIS TREFLES showing a six card Diamond suit. The opening bidder then transfers into three Clubs or three Diamonds.