In
contract bridge
Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions ...
, an uppercut is a defensive play that involves one of the defenders
ruffing high in the knowledge that an overruff by the declarer will result in the promotion of a
trump
Trump most commonly refers to:
* Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
* Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank
Trump may also refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Donald J. T ...
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