Thursday, May 21, 2009

Break the rules

One of the rules they teach you when you are learning bridge is don't give declarer a ruff-sluff. I was playing at the club last night with Beverly, and she doesn't believe in rules (deal rotated):

8 7 4
Q 8 2
A 8 4 2
10 7 2
A 10 Q 6
A K 10 6 3 J 9 5
K 7 Q J 10 9 5 4
J 8 6 4 9 3
K J 9 5 3 2
7 4
6
A K Q 5


West North East South
2 2
2NT Pass 3 3
All Pass

Beverly led the A (ace from A-K) and continued with the K and then another. Declarer discarded a club and led a spade to her jack, forcing Beverly's ace.

Now partner broke the rules. She led a fourth round of hearts, giving declarer a (useless) ruff-sluff. I ruffed with the Q, forcing the king and setting up partner's 10. It was "only" a saved overtrick, but a nicely thought-out play indeed.

The play is called an upper cut. Here's the definition from Wikipedia:

Uppercut -- To ruff in the expectation of being overruffed, when the overruff will cause a trump in partner's hand to become a winner.

An uppercut is often confused with a trump promotion, but that is a different maneuver. Go here and scroll down.

Here is the deal in HandViewer mode (from Bridge Base Online):



You can (repeatedly) click on "next" to see the play of each trick.

1 comment:

  1. That bridge sure appears complicated. Good thing poker is easier on the surface.

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