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Ruffing Finesse

by Richard Pavlicek

A ruffing finesse is the lead of a significant side-suit card when the opposite hand is void, then ruffing or not depending on the whether LHO covers or plays low. When the ruffing finesse loses, it may still provide material gain with a loser-on-loser play, also covered here.

1.  Ruffing finesse

win all	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	K!
	3 2
	—
—		—
A 3		2
4		K Q
—		—
	—
	K Q
	A
South leads	—

2.  Ruffing squash finesse

win all	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	K!
	3 2
	—
—		—
A 10		Q
4		K Q
—		—
	—
	K J
	A
South leads	—

3.  Finesse or ruffing finesse

win all	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	A Q J		1. S	4	7
	A
	—
—		—
K 8 7		6 5
2		K Q
—		—
	2
	4
	4 3
South leads	—

Option to play either opponent for K.

4.  Desperation finesse

win 3/4	2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	A Q		1. S	2	3	Q!	10
	3		2. N	A	J	2	K
	—
A		3
K 3		J 10
K		A
—		—
	K Q
	2
	2
South leads	—

If East has K, South wins only 1 trick.

5.  Loser-on-loser

win 3/4	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	—		1. S	K	2	4!	A
	5 4
	4
—		—
3 2		A 5
K Q		—
—		A K
	—
	K Q
	A 2
South leads	—

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6.  Repeat ruffing finesse

win all	A K		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	Q!	A	K	2
	4 3 2		2. N	2	10	A	5
	—		3. S	J!
—		—
A K 9		3 2
6 5		Q J 10
—		—
	—
	Q J 10
	A K
South leads	—

7.  Repeat ruffing squash finesse

win all	A K		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	Q!	A	K	9
	4 3 2		2. N	2	10	A	5
	—		3. S	J!
—		—
A K 7		10 9
6 5		Q J 10
—		—
	—
	Q J 8
	A K
South leads	—

8.  Loser-on-loser ruffing finesse

win 4/5	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	—		1. S	Q	2	2!	A
	5 4 3 2		2. E	Q	K	6	3
	—		3. S	J!
—		—
K 3 2		A 4
7 6		Q J 10
—		—
	—
	Q J 10
	A K
South leads	—

9.  Finesse and ruffing squash finesse

win 4/5	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto?	K 10 9		1. S	2	7	9!	Q
	A K		2. E	6	2	10	K
	—		3. N	K!
—		—
J 7		A Q 8
Q J 10		6 5
—		—
	A
	2
	4 3 2
South leads	—

Appropriate if confident East has A (third).

10.  Overtake ruffing finesse

win all	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	A J 10 9		1. S	K	2	A!	6
	A		2. N	J!
	—
—		—
3 2		Q 8 7 6
K Q J		5
—		—
	A
	K
	4 3 2
South leads	—

With North on lead would be “undertake” instead.

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11.  Jettison ruffing finesse

win 4/5	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	Q	7	A!	K
	A		2. E	3	K	Q	2
	4 3 2		3. S	J	A
—		—
A 7		K 9 8
—		3 2
A K Q		—
	K
	Q J 10
	K
South leads	—

12.  Jettison loser-on-loser trump control

win 5/6	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. S	10	2	A!	A
	A		2. E	2	K	3	2
	5 4 3 2		3. S	K!
K		—
3 2		A 9 8
—		4 3 2
A K Q		—
	2
	K Q J 10
	K
South leads	—

Anti ruffing finesse

13.  Cover refusal anti ruffing finesse

win 1/5	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	A 10 9 8		1. W	K	8!	3	2
	2		2. W	Q	9!	4	2
	—
A K		Q
K Q J		—
—		6 5 4 3
—		—
	2
	2
	A K Q
West leads	—

Auto/bi cases trivial.

14.  Immediate cover anti ruffing finesse

win 2/5	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	A 4 3		1. W	J	A!	J	2
	4 3		2. E	5	K	7	3
	—		3. S	2!
K		A Q J
K Q J		—
7		6 5
—		—
	3 2
	2
	A K
West leads	—

Auto/bi cases trivial.

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© 2014 Richard Pavlicek