Declarer Play -- Avoiding Finesses

Anyone can take a 50-50 Finesse.

Good players look for alternatives. Try other suits first. Maybe you can set up a long suit and won't need a finesse. Maybe you can throw the opponents in to break the key suit. Maybe you can figure out where the cards are from the early play.

There are many things you can try before taking a finesse. You can resort back to a 50-50 finesse later in the play if nothing else materializes.