Beginners Lessons Finesse or Drop (Lessons by Allan & Claire Whiteford)

Sometimes when we are playing a suit we have a choice of taking a finesse or playing the top cards and hoping the missing honour drops e.g.

	A K J 5
	9 8 5 4

We could play Ace and King hoping the Queen will fall, or we could play small to the Jack hoping the finesse will work. Or:

	A K J 6 5
	9 8 6 2

Here we have the same choice, but this time we have 9 cards between the 2 hands. Or:

	A K Q 10
	4 3 2

This time we have fewer cards but more top honours.

Sometimes we will have clues from the bidding or play as to who has the missing honours in a suit. The following method assumes that we have no such clues – it just gives general guidelines as to how to play these types of combination. Step:

1. Count how many cards you are missing in the suit (5 in the 1st example, 4 in the second and 6 in the 3rd).
2. Assume that the missing cards split in the most even way possible (3-2 in the 1st, 2-2 in the 2nd, 3-3 in the 3rd).
3. Assume that the missing honour is in the hand with most cards (the hand with 3 cards in the 1st example, with even numbers missing it makes no difference).
4. With the above assumptions, consider if playing your top honours would catch the missing honour. If it would, play for the drop, if not finesse.

In the 1st example we are missing 5 cards so assume a 3-2 split. We place the Queen in the 3 cards so playing Ace and King would not drop it. Therefore we would finesse. However it would be sensible to cash the Ace first in case we drop the Queen singleton and can finesse against the Ten.

In the 2nd example we are missing four cards so we assume a 2-2 split. Playing Ace then King would drop the Queen so that is the correct play.

In the 3rd example we are missing 6 cards and assume a 3-3 split. Playing Ace, King, Queen would drop the Jack so that is what we do. We may have the option of switching to a finesse if the East hand shows out after Ace or King is cashed.