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Bidding is the process in many card games, such as Skat, Pinochle, Binokel, Bridge, Solo Whist, Préférence, L’Hombre, Bauernschnapsen and most types of Tarock, whereby players vie to be able to specify the type of contract, the trump cards and/or to be able to pick up a set of face-down cards known variously, for example, as the talon, skat, dabb.
Players may raise the bid until the highest bidder is determined when the others all say "pass." Naming a higher contract than an earlier player is known as outbidding or overcalling. By contrast, if a player bids higher than allowed by the rules or higher than the strength of his hand can reasonably sustain, this is overbidding and usually has negative consequences, often involving the loss of the game. However, overbidding in Bridge may be used as a tactical manoeuvre in order to prevent the opponents playing a high value game.
Bidding may be done in successive pairs as in Skat or Schafkopf, known as bidding and holding, or in strict rotation as in Euchre and Königrufen. Bidding may be limited to one round, or it may be permissible for bidding to go around more than once.