The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FINESSES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
F
I
N
E
S
S
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "clever tricks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clever tricks = finesses.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FINESSES mean?
FINESSES verb- To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or strategem.
- To play (a card) as a finesse.
- To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way.
- To attempt to win a trick by finessing.
- To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.