If you do something with finesse, you do it with great skill and style. handling momentous diplomatic challenges with tact and finesse. if you do something with finesse, you do it with a lot of skill and style (fin; FINE)
To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to play
A finesse is a maneouvre in any trump game in which the highest ranking card is not played in the hope that no higher ranking cards may be played during the trick In Euchre, due to it's brevity, it is rare to finesse unless a trump card is being played As an example, imagine that the 9 of trump has been led and that 2nd hand has played the 10 of trump If, as 3rd hand you hold both the right bower and the Ace of trump, you might decide to play the Ace in the hope the 4th hand does not hold the left bower This maneouvre is referred to as finessing the Ace against the left bower Although incorrect, it is colloquially acceptable to refer to this maneouvre as having finessed the left bower Since the dealer may have picked up the upcard during bidding and you have seen that card, it may be possible to determine with some reliability whether a finesse is likely to work Experienced players may also determine the location of some cards based on their opponents' play
an attempt to trap an opponent's high card in a suit and thus avoid losing a trick to it The most common finesses are made in suits where you have most of the high honors but are missing the king or queen These holdings are called tenaces