Bridge: Trumps


Some bridge deals are played with a trump suit. A trump suit means that if you can’t follow suit and you play that suit, you win the trick. You win unless someone else played a higher trump. Let’s modify an example from the tricks page.

Trumps:
Here East doesn’t have a spade, and plays a trump.

This time East wins the trick because hearts are trump.

Trumps:
Here East plays a trump and South plays a higher trump.

A note on slang: We use the terms ruff, overruff, and underruff to describe playing a trump.
ruff: To play a trump when trumps weren’t led.
overruff: To play a trump higher than one already played, when trumps weren’t led.
underruff: To play a lower trump than one already played, when trumps weren’t led.

In the trick above, South overruffed East.

If you have a trump in your hand and it’s your lead, you may always lead it. Here is a small example of someone leading trump.

Trumps: ♠

North and South lead trumps first. This prevents East or West from ruffing the A.