How to Execute a Dummy Reversal

Normally, declarer draws trumps using their long trump hand and ruffs side-suit losers in dummy (the short hand). A Dummy Reversal flips this logic. You intentionally ruff so many times in declarer's hand that dummy's originally short trump holding becomes longer than your own. You then use dummy's remaining trumps to draw the opponents' last trumps.

Why the Dummy Reversal works

Ruffing in the long hand usually does not create extra tricks because those long trumps were already natural winners. However, if you can ruff enough times to make dummy the master trump hand, you score your long trumps separately via ruffs, while scoring dummy's trumps by drawing the opponents' cards.

This technique is vital when dummy has excellent side-suit entries and strong, albeit short, trumps (like A-K-Q).

A worked example: Reversing a 4 Spade contract

You are declaring 4♠. West leads the ♥K.

Dummy (North):

♠ A K Q

♥ 4 3 2

♦ A K Q

♣ 5 4 3 2

(3 Trumps)

Declarer (South):

♠ J 10 9 8 5

♥ 5

♦ 6 5 4

♣ A K Q 6

(5 Trumps)

Caption: You have only 9 top tricks (5 Spades, 3 Diamonds, 1 Club). If you draw trumps, you still have 9. Instead, win the ♥A, ruff a Heart in hand. Cross to dummy's ♦A. Ruff a second Heart. Cross to dummy's ♦K. Ruff a third Heart. You have scored three extra trump tricks. Dummy now holds ♠A K Q, while you only hold two Spades. Use dummy to draw the defenders' trumps!

Four common mistakes

• Attempting a dummy reversal without enough outside entries to cross back to dummy repeatedly.
• Drawing a round of trumps early, which depletes dummy's ability to draw trumps at the end.
• Missing a simpler line, such as establishing a long side suit.
• Getting over-ruffed because you started the reversal too late.

When the rule does not apply

Do not attempt a dummy reversal if dummy lacks high trumps. If dummy holds ♠ 4 3 2, you cannot use dummy to draw the opponents' high trumps at the end of the hand.

Key takeaways

• Ruff in declarer's long hand repeatedly.
• Requires abundant side-suit entries to dummy.
• Dummy must hold high master trumps to draw defenders' cards later.
• Generates extra tricks when side suits cannot be established.