In
contract bridge
Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking game, trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two Team game, competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each othe ...
, an uppercut is a defensive play that involves one of the defenders
ruff Ruff may refer to:
Places
*Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community
*Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community
Other uses
*Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader famil ...
ing high in the knowledge that an overruff by the declarer will result in the promotion of a
trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
card in their partner's hand into a winner. Thus, the technique presents a type of
trump promotion
Trump promotion is a technique in contract bridge where the defenders create an otherwise non-existing trump trick for themselves. The most common type of trump promotion occurs when one defender plays a side suit through, in which both the declar ...
.
It is best illustrated with an example:
Here declarer is South, spades are trump and the declarer can cash his two top spades, drawing all the defender's trumps, and claim the rest of the tricks. But if West, on the lead, plays a heart, covered by dummy's ace, East should ruff high with his jack of spades. Now, if South overruffs with the ace or king, West's queen will be promoted into a winner and the defense is assured of an otherwise unavailable trick.
References
* Victor Mollo and Nico Gardner (1955), ''Card Play Technique, or the Art of Being Lucky.'' Chapter 6.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uppercut (Bridge)
Contract bridge card play