Ruff or Not?

Ruffing as a defender is one of life's great pleasures. It often steals a trick from declarer that he didn't expect to lose. That said, we don't always want to ruff just because we can. You need to think strategically about whether you're ruffing with a natural trump trick or if you might be ruffing partner's winner. Think carefully before you answer in this quiz. 

  • You are East. The auction: 

      West     North     East     South  
          1hearts icon
    2spades icon 4hearts icon All Pass  

    Partner leads the spades icon6. 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? Q107
    ? 632
    ? KQ43
    ? KQ9

    		  
    Lead: spades icon6  

    YOU

    ? A2
    ? Q7
    ? J105
    ? 875432

     

    Dummy plays the 10, and you win the spades iconA. Declarer plays the 5. You continue with a spade, declarer plays the 8, partner wins the spades iconK. Partner continues with the spades icon4 to dummy's queen and you play? 

    Choose One:
    1. -

    hearts icon7

    2. -

    hearts iconQ

    3. -

    Diamond discard

    4. -

    Club discard

    Answer: 2

    hearts iconQ. It's frequently right to ruff high when it's likely to be your only chance. In this case, you know declarer will be able to ruff behind you. You should make it expensive for declarer. What good is holding on to the hearts iconQ going to do you later on? 

     

    Full deal: 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S    		 ? Q107
    ? 632
    ? KQ43
    ? KQ9
    		  
    ? KJ9643
    ? 1094
    ? 62
    ? A6
    		   ? A2
    ? Q7
    ? J105
    ? 875432
      ? 85
    ? AKJ85
    ? A987
    ? J10
    		  

     

    Partner doesn't have an honor, but look at what happens if declarer overruffs: partner's 10 becomes a trick. This would also succeed if partner held hearts iconJx. 

    Your result so far:
    Next

  • You are West. 

      West     North     East     South  
          1hearts icon
    Pass 1spades icon Pass 2diamonds icon
    Pass 2hearts icon All Pass  

     

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? 9853
    ? 75
    ? K84
    ? KQ85

    YOU

    ? J6
    ? A982
    ? J75
    ? J1032

    		  

     

    You lead the clubs iconJ. Dummy plays the clubs iconK. Partner wins the clubs iconA and declarer plays the clubs icon4. Partner plays the AKQ of spades, declarer follows. On the third spade, you discard a club (we're not testing whether you want to ruff this in order to find a new partner). Partner continues with the spades icon10 and declarer ruffs with the hearts iconK. Your choice? 

    Choose One:
    1. -

    hearts iconA

    2. -

    Underruff

    3. -

    Discard 

    Answer: 3

    Discard . Overruffing or underruffing will help declarer here. If you discard, you are guaranteed two heart tricks (look at the heart suit carefully and play it out if you don't see it). 

     

    Full deal: 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S    		 ? 9853
    ? 75
    ? K84
    ? KQ85
    		  
    ? J6
    ? A982
    ? J75
    ? J1032
    		   ? AKQ10
    ? 63
    ? 1092
    ? A976
      ? 1042
    ? KQJ104
    ? AQ63
    ? 4
    		  

     

    Your result so far:
    Next

  • You are East. The auction: 

      West     North     East     South  
          1hearts icon
    Pass 2diamonds icon Pass 2hearts icon
    Pass 4hearts icon All Pass  

    Partner leads the spades iconK against 4hearts icon. 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? 654
    ? A8
    ? KQJ1092
    ? K5

    		  

    LEAD

    ? K

    		  

    YOU

    ? 1097
    ? J1097
    ? 73
    ? AQ104

    Declarer wins the first trick with the spade ace. Next declarer leads the towards the hearts iconA (all following) and continues with a heart to the Q. Partner discards the clubs icon2. Declarer plays the hearts iconK and partner discards the diamonds icon4. Declarer now plays the diamonds iconA (everyone follows), and a diamond to the 9 (everyone follows). This is the position: 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? 6
    ?
    ? KQJ10
    ? K5

    		  
       

    YOU

    ? 109
    ? J
    ? 
    ? AQ104

    Dummy plays the diamonds icon10. And you? 

    Choose One:
    1. -

    Discard the clubs icon10

    2. -

    Discard the spades icon9

    3. -

    Ruff and then play a spade

    4. -

    Ruff and play the clubs iconA

    5. -

    Other

    Answer: 3

    Ruff and play a spade. Declarer is going to take discards now. You need to ruff ASAP. We don't love to ruff with the trump winner, but it effectively cuts off the dummy. If you wait, declarer gets to take extra discards. 

    Full deal: 

    Vul:None
    Dlr: S    		 ? 654
    ? A8
    ? KQJ1092
    ? K5
    		  
    ? KQJ3
    ? 4
    ? 654
    ? J9832
    		   ? 1097
    ? J1097
    ? 73
    ? AQ104
      ? A82
    ? KQ6532
    ? A8
    ? 76
    		  

    If you ruff, declarer can discard one spade, but will still need to try clubs later (hoping for the ace onside) and lose one heart, one spade, and two clubs. If you wait to ruff, declarer discards both spades (and maybe a club or two, depending on how long you wait). 

    Your result so far:
    Next

  • You are East. North deals. None vul. 

      West     North     East     South  
      1diamonds icon Pass 1spades icon
    Pass 2spades icon Pass 4spades icon
    All Pass      

     

    Vul:EW
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? J876
    ? K93
    ? AQ87
    ? Q6

    		  
    LEAD
    ? J

    		  

    You

    ? Q92
    ? AQ107
    ? 432
    ? 1043

    Partner leads the diamonds iconJ. Declarer plays small from dummy and wins the trick with the diamonds iconK in his hand. He leads out the spades iconA, all following. Next he plays diamonds icon6, partner's diamonds icon9 and dummy's diamonds iconQ, you following. Declarer plays a spade back to the spades iconK, partner plays the spades icon10. Now another diamond to the 10 and Q, and your last diamond. Declarer leads the 13th diamond and? 

    Choose One:
    1. -

    Ruff and play a club

    2. -

    Ruff and play a heart

    3. -

    Discard

    Answer: 3

    Discard. You don't want to ruff with your high honor here: declarer will throw away a loser whether or not you ruff. Declarer is out of diamonds. If you ruff, you'll allow declarer to potentially score trumps separately. Look at the full deal: 

    Vul:EW
    Dlr: S    		 ? J876
    ? K93
    ? AQ87
    ? Q6
    		  
    ? 104
    ? J652
    ? J109
    ? AJ87
    		   ? Q92
    ? AQ107
    ? 432
    ? 1043
      ? AK53
    ? 84
    ? K65
    ? K952
    		  

    Declarer discards a heart regardless of your ruff. If you ruff, though, declarer can ruff two hearts in hand and two clubs in dummy (losing only one spade, one heart, and one club). If you discard, you'll eventually get in with the hearts iconA and be able to draw a trump from both declarer and dummy with your spades iconQ. 

    Your result so far:
    Next

  • You are West. None vul. South Deals. 

      West     North     East     South  
          1hearts icon
    Pass 1spades icon Pass 2hearts icon
    Pass 4hearts icon All Pass  

    You choose to lead your singleton spades icon7. 

    Vul: None
    Dlr: S

    DUMMY

    ? AK543
    ? K5
    ? 876
    ? A65
    ? 7
    ? 963
    ? AQ92
    ? K9732
    		  

    Declarer wins the spades iconA in dummy (partner plays the spades iconQ). Next, dummy plays the hearts icon5 to declarer's hearts iconJ (partner following), and leads a spade towards dummy. What do you do?

    Choose One:
    1. -

    Ruff and play a trump

    2. -

    Ruff and play a diamond

    3. -

    Ruff and play a club

    4. -

    Discard

    Answer: 4

    Discard. There's a generally good rule which is you don't want to ruff "air". It frequently turns out that you are ruffing a trick declarer is going to lose no matter what (that's why declarer is letting you do that here). Discarding will make life very difficult for declarer who might make double dummy, but will have a lot of work to do. 

    Vul: None
    Dlr: S    		 ? AK543
    ? K5
    ? 876
    ? A65
    		  
    ? 7
    ? 963
    ? AQ92
    ? K9732
    		   ? QJ109
    ? 104
    ? J1053
    ? J104
      ? 862
    ? AQJ872
    ? K4
    ? Q8
    		  
    Your result so far:
    Next