cr|264|cb|2255|cg|2255|cr|1255|cb|164|cg|1255|cr|364|cb|364|cg|3255|cr|4255|cb|464|cg|464|cr|5255|cb|5255|cg|5255|bg|5|bt||mn|Finessing with no back up cards compiled by Harold Schogger|nt|













   Use the 6th  ^$40  button on the toolbar below to advance to the next page. 
            (6th blackened icon along bottom line)

             Once you start, Use ^$6 , the   5th   button on the toolbar below to go back
            to previous  page to go over a point as many times as you like.
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 Please make sure you click  ^$8   below next to the cog ^$87   

 so you can view the pages easily  and see all the cards properly displayed|pg||st||md|Sk654,A9,Q732,Jt8|sk|ns|nt|
          With this as our trump suit how do we try to make 3 tricks ?|pg||nt|
            We have to try and imagine the layout of the opponents cards.|pg||nt|

      Maybe, they will be as above.|md|Sk654,A9,Q732,Jt8|sk||pg||nt|

     or like this|md|Sk654,Jt8,Q732,A9|pg||md|Sk654,A9,Q732,Jt8|sk||nt|

         Now, let us see the  original layout and how the hand might pan out.|pg||nt|
         With the knowledge that West has this doubleton Ace the winning line is to start from the south hand with the 4|pc|s4|pg||nt|

      West cannot afford to play his Ace now, and, of course, follows low|pc|S9|pg||nt|
          You now play dummy's Spade queen from dummy and are delighted to win the trick  when East follows low|pc|sq|pc|s8|pg||nt|

          You now play low card from dummy and when East follows with the 10 you play
          low from hand|sk||pc|s2|pg||nt|East follows low|pc|st|pg||nt|you play low|pc|s5|pg||pc|sa|nt|

    East wins with the Ace, as he only has the Ace left, and cannot help himself|pg||sk||nt|
           You have lost the trick but YOUR KING IS STILL RETAINED to take care of East's
          remaining Jack shortly.

        West's Ace has "fallen on air" ie only captured low cards - Poor West  (AHHHHH)|pg||md|Sk654,A9,Q732,Jt8|nt|

                       The reason this worked was because the Layout of the cards meant that since
                       the Ace was doubleton in the West hand it fell on low cards round two|pg||nt|


            What happens if the layout is as above  ?|md|Sk654,jt9,Q732,a8|pg||nt|

           we will now have to finesse the Ace through East at the beginning ie start with low card
          from the North hand as above|wt|n|pc|S2|pg||nt|

             Now East has to play low and cannot afford to release his Ace|pc|s8|pg||pc|sK |nt|  

       We follow with the King|pg||pc|s9|nt| and when West follows with the @S9 Our King has won the trick|pg||nt|

       again we must now play a low card from each hand as  this time we watch, as East has to release his Ace "on air"|pc|s4|pg||pc|st|pg||pc|s3|pg||pc|sa|pg||nt|

       Shortly we will be able to remove West's remaining Jack when we regain the lead  |pc|s5|pg||nt|

     So how do we know if the layout is as above 

OR|md|Sk654,A9,Q732,Jt8|pg||md|Sk654,jt9,Q732,a8|nt|

      with East now holding the doubleton Ace|pg||bt||nt|To help us decide who might have the doubleton Ace let us consider the following points :-

1. Did either player bid ? if so they are more likely to have Ace so play that player for it and that it should  be a doubleton.
2. Did either player pre-empt ? If so, then play the other player to have the Ace  since a pre-emptor is unlikely to have an Ace outside his long suit.
3. Did somebody make a take-out double ? - assume they are more likely to have an Ace
4. If neither player bid,  assume the remaining points to be equally divided,  THEREFORE, do some detective work
a) see what was led
b) play on other suits and ascertain where other honours are and if one player has already turned up with 7 points assume rest of  the points are with the other defender.

and if you are STILL NOT SURE

Play low card from one hand , intending to go up with the honour first time around and then low card from each hand and hope for the best !!!!!!!!! |pg||pg||bt||nt||mn|Happy Finessing|