Devil's coup

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This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.

The Devil's Coup is a declarer play in Bridge that prevents the defense from taking an apparently natural trump trick. A typical example is when the defense holds Qx opposite Jxx in trumps.

The aim is to come to a position similar to that shown below. Spades are trumps and the lead is in dummy (North):

		♠	A9
		♥	3
		♦	-
		♣	-
♠	Q4	N W E S		♠	J32
♥	7			♥	-
♦	-			♦	-
♣	-			♣	-
		♠	K107
		♥	-
		♦	-
		♣	-

The ♥3 is lead. If East ruffs low, then declarer overruffs low and cashes the Ace and King of spades. If East ruffs high, declarer overruffs with the ♠K and finesses West for the ♠Q to make the remaining two tricks.

Devil's coups are fairly rare: not only the trump suit but the side suits must lie well for declarer.