Reese’s Famous Finesse Position

Terence Reese wrote more about bridge card play than almost anyone. His books taught generations of players how to think at the table. But one hand stands out above the rest: a deal so simple it looks boring, and so instructive it changed how players approach finesses.

This isn’t a flashy grand slam or a brilliant squeeze. It’s a 3NT contract with a basic decision. And it’s famous because Reese proved that the “obvious” play is wrong.

The Deal

        North (Dummy)
        ♠ A 7 3
        ♥ K 6 4
        ♦ K Q J 10
        ♣ 8 5 2
        
West                    East
♠ Q J 10 9             ♠ 8 6 5 2
♥ J 10 9               ♥ 8 7 5 3 2
♦ 7 6 5                ♦ 4
♣ Q 10 4               ♣ J 9 7

        South (Declarer)
        ♠ K 4
        ♥ A Q
        ♦ A 9 8 3 2
        ♣ A K 6 3

Contract: 3NT by South
Opening Lead: ♠Q

The Question

Count your tricks. You have two spades (after giving up the lead), two hearts, five diamonds, and two clubs. That’s 11 tricks, way more than you need for 3NT.

But wait. The diamonds aren’t cashing. You have to knock out the ♦A. When you do, the defense might run spades. So your actual count is two spades, two hearts (including the ♥Q), five diamonds (after they take the ace), and two clubs.

Still 11 tricks. So what’s the problem?

The problem is the ♥Q.

The Obvious Play

Win the ♠Q with the ♠A (or ♠K, doesn’t matter). Lead a diamond. When they win the ♦A, they clear spades. You take your ♠K, cash five diamonds, and you have seven tricks.

Now you need two more. You have the ♥A-K and ♣A-K. That’s four more tricks. You’re home.

But what if you want to make an overtrick? You could finesse the ♥Q. If it works, you get three heart tricks instead of two. Nine tricks becomes ten.

Most players, sitting South, would take the heart finesse. Why not? It’s free, right?

Wrong.

Why the Finesse Loses

Here’s what Reese noticed. If you finesse the ♥Q and it loses, you don’t just miss an overtrick. You might go down.

Watch what happens if East has the ♥K (and West has been leading spades from ♠Q-J-10-9).

You win the ♠A, lead a diamond to your ♦A. Now you try the heart finesse. You lead low to the ♥Q. East wins the ♥K and returns a spade.

You’re stuck. You have to win in hand (let’s say the ♠K). You have no entry to dummy’s diamonds except the ♥K. But if you lead a heart to the ♥K, East might have another heart to cash. Or worse, West might get in with a club honor and run spades.

In the actual layout above, the heart finesse loses to East’s… wait. Look at the hand again.

East doesn’t have the ♥K. West does. So the finesse works, right?

Right. In this specific layout, the finesse works. But that’s not the point.

The Real Point

Reese’s lesson isn’t about whether the finesse wins or loses on this particular deal. It’s about risk versus reward.

Reward for finessing: One overtrick. Maybe 30 points at rubber bridge, 10-20 IMPs if you’re lucky.

Risk if it fails: You might go down in a cold contract. That’s -50 or -100, or a huge IMP swing.

The math is brutal. You’re risking your contract for a tiny potential gain. That’s not bridge. That’s gambling.

Here’s the right play: Win the ♠A. Lead a diamond to the ♦A. Lead another diamond. They win the ♦A (or they win it on the first round, doesn’t matter). They clear spades. You win, cash your diamonds and black-suit winners, and make exactly 3NT.

No heart finesse. No risk. No problem.

When Overtricks Matter

“But what if I’m playing matchpoints?” Good question.

At matchpoints, every trick matters. Scoring 630 instead of 600 can be the difference between a top and a middle. So shouldn’t you finesse?

No. Because half the field won’t be in 3NT. Some pairs will bid too much, some too little. Some declarers will misplay. Your job isn’t to chase every overtrick. It’s to make your contract.

If you go down chasing an overtrick in a cold game, you get a zero. If you make 3NT without the overtrick, you get an average or better. Easy choice.

The time to risk the contract for an overtrick is when:

  1. You’re convinced the entire field is in the same contract
  2. You’re sure everyone will make it
  3. The overtrick is the only way to beat them

None of those apply here. Don’t finesse.

The Reese Principle

This hand demonstrates what Reese called “safety play thinking.” Before you make any play, ask yourself:

What am I trying to achieve?
Make 3NT. Not 4NT, not 5NT. Just 3NT.

What’s the minimum I need?
Nine tricks. Count them: two spades, two hearts (without the finesse), five diamonds, and two clubs (or some variation).

What could go wrong?
If I finesse and it loses, I might not be able to get to dummy’s diamonds. Or the defense might run their suit.

Is the upside worth the risk?
One overtrick versus going down? No.

This framework applies to every hand you play. Not just finesses. Count your tricks, identify your risks, and don’t gamble when you don’t have to.

Other Reese Lessons

Reese used this type of hand constantly in his teaching. Here’s what they all have in common:

Simple layouts. No exotic squeezes, no crazy distributions. Just normal hands with instructive decisions.

Practical questions. Not “can you make 7NT?” but “should you finesse in 3NT?”

Clear analysis. Reese showed the percentages, the risks, and the alternatives. No mystery, just logic.

Applicable lessons. You’ll face this exact situation. Maybe not this hand, but this choice. Overtrick versus safety. Every session.

That’s why his hands are still famous 50 years after he wrote them. The lessons don’t age.

Why Players Still Get It Wrong

You know what’s hard about this hand? Making the boring play.

Finesses are fun. They’re active, dramatic, skill-testing. Cashing out is passive. It feels like you’re not even trying.

But bridge rewards boring. Make your contract, collect your points, move to the next board. Save the heroics for hands where you need them.

The best players make game look easy. That’s not luck. It’s discipline. They don’t finesse just because they can. They finesse when they should.

The Modern Application

Today’s players face this choice constantly, especially at IMPs. You’re in 3NT, you have nine tricks, you could try for ten. Do you?

Run the math:

  • If you’re cold for nine tricks, take your nine tricks
  • If you need ten tricks to make, finesse
  • If you have eleven tricks but need to guess a finesse, don’t guess

It’s not complicated. But it requires discipline.

Reese’s Famous Finesse Position is famous because it teaches that discipline. It looks like you should finesse. Every instinct says finesse. And the right play is to not finesse.

That’s the lesson. Bridge isn’t about making the exciting play. It’s about making the right play. Usually, they’re not the same thing.

Key Takeaways

Count your tricks first. If you have enough, stop. Don’t get greedy.

Risk versus reward matters. An overtrick isn’t worth risking your contract.

Safety plays aren’t cowardice. They’re smart bridge.

At matchpoints, making the contract beats going down. Even if everyone else makes an overtrick, you’ll outscore the pairs who went down.

Simple hands teach lasting lessons. You don’t need brilliancies to learn. You need instructive examples.

Terence Reese gave us dozens of hands like this. But this one, the simple 3NT with the tempting heart finesse, might be his best teaching tool.

Every time you’re tempted to finesse for an overtrick in a cold contract, remember Reese. Make your nine tricks, write down +600, and move on.

That’s not boring. That’s winning.

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