How much information would you give away in this situation?

AP controls Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit; Kitchen Finks; and Viscera Seer.
NAP casts Lightning Bolt targeting Anafenza.
In response, AP sacrifices Kitchen Finks.
NAP reveals a Murderous Cut from his hand and isn't sure what to with with it, so AP calls you to the table.
“Hey judge, is there a way for him to stop the loop? Can you tell him how?”

“I can't provide strategic information, but if you have a rules question, I'd be happy to answer it”

I would remind both players that it's not my place to give strategic or play advice during a game, but that if they have a specific rules question, I'll be happy to help them solve it. I will also offer to, work permitting, discuss possible lines of play or hypothetical card interactions after the match is over.

Even though this is Regular, I think that those guidelines apply to any REL.

If it's Regular REL (which I assume from the choice of Forum), and both players want me to explain a piece of strategy (and in this scenario, I would double-check that indeed both players want this), then I absolutely will, with the only thing that would stop me being time concerns.

It's Regular, deviate like hell!

Is it strategic advise if you provide them with the Rules? Meaning you explain exactly what happens in “one loop” to clarify the situation.

The player should then be able to realize which creature to kill to break the loop. Since there is more than one solution i find it hard to say… well it's better to kill Anafenza to prevent the Bolster or you better kill the Seer to negate his “Sac-Ability” because next Turn he could play Murderous Redcap and you are screwed again.

Killing the kitchen finks after they entered the Battlefield with the Bolster Trigger on the Stack is also a valid option… So… hm, I really don't know how to give strategic advise^^

BTW, after confusing me so much: WHAT is the correct play?

Considering AP is basically asking the judge “how can my opponent stop me from winning?” it seems to me that AP is quite aware of the focus of Reg REL on fun and education, and I see no problem answering the question as asked.

To maximize the opportunity for player education I'd try to walk the players through the steps of the loop and kind of ‘prod’ them in the right direction so they end up answering their own question.

Since this is regular and the AP is asking me to explain to NAP how to prevent AP from winning, I first confirm that both players want me to give this advice, then explain that it's a deviation because regular is about fun and learning, and then I answer.

Originally posted by Denis Leber:

BTW, after confusing me so much: WHAT is the correct play?

Finks is in graveyard, there's a persist trigger on top of a lightning bolt on the stack. Murderous Cut the Seer now. When everything resolves, AP will have a Finks with no counters on it and two more life than AP started with. Both the Seer and Anafenza will be dead, preventing AP from casting a Redcap the following turn to win. Also, even better would be bolting Anafenza once Finks hit the graveyard, but unfortunately that's no longer an available choice.

Edited Pi Fisher (Aug. 3, 2015 10:16:35 AM)