8 Ever 9 Never

8 ever 9 never is a guideline in declarer play to help decide whether or not to take a finesse for the missing Queen when holding the other top honours. With eight cards in the suit, it's usually best to finesse, and with 9 cards, to play the AK and hope the Q will fall. Hints obtained during the auction may give you some clues as to which opponent holds the missing Queen.