Home | Whakatane Contract Bridge Club

The second heat of the 2026 Bay Pairs competition which was to have been held at Whakatāne on Sunday 12 April has been postponed due to the forecast weather and official advice for only essential travel on the day.

We will notify clubs of an alternative date as soon as possible.

Read more about Bay Pairs Whakatāne Round Postponed

Many hands in bridge you would like to bid again, or should I say PASS.

Board 19, South opens 1NT and a vulnerable West has a dilemma.

Those West who took action by doubling, quickly got their side to 2S or 2NT.

Two Norths became saviours and bid to 2NT and 3S.

The auction closed at 1NT for 3 N-S pairs.

None of the final bids in all the auctions make with proper defence.

Fortunately for those Souths in 1NT, West never got off to the best lead: 3H.

How often have you been told, you should "Pass".

Read more about Poison Chalice

Computer dealt hands throw up weird distributions.

Voids and long suits allow quite a lot of latitude in bidding and much over bidding.

40% of contracts going light, some by 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 tricks.

Board 1 is a prime example, needing sound planning to make 4S, bid on 16 points.

Put yourself in Norths' shoes, 7spade tricks and the Ace of clubs = 8 tricks.

How to keep losers to 3?

Standard methods involve ruffing losers or throwing them on a side suit or finessing.

Two rounds of trumps will clear the suit.

Can you find the solution?

Read more about Playing a Suit Contract

Hand 17 is an excellent example of when NOT to support partners 1H opening.

East opens 1H and West supports bidding 2H. East with a good hand raises or competes further to 3H.

6 out of 8 E-W pairs went 2 light. Why ?

Unfortunately for E-W trumps break 4-1 and South leads their singleton diamond.

More importantly both E-W hands are flat. Flat hands have more losers.

If you are in NT, it doesn't matter as much if the H"s and D's break badly, but costly in a suit as E-W found out.

Read more about Support Partner or not?

Wed night contracts were difficult to bid, play and defend.

Result often varied by 2 or 3 tricks on the same contract.

This indicates two things; Poor Leads or Declarer not having a sound plan.

Leads in Bridge are an anathema

Lead away from an Ace or King and declarer makes extra tricks.

Occasionally, you lead your 4th best from K108654 and partner has the Q.

How is one to know ?

Hand 28 is a classic.

Those Norths leading 6 Clubs kept West to 4S.

Read more about Good Leads - Bad Leads

This week's focus is on finding a line of play that ensures your contract.

Board 28 is a prime example.

North leads Ace and K of hearts and has a spade trick as well.

West is faced with either a finesse in diamonds or clubs to make 4S.

Of the 7 West players, 3 made the correct and logical play, making their contract of 4S.

Can you pick the best line of play ???

Hint: Both finesses fail.

Read more about Ensuring Your Contract

Not often can a grand slam be bid with confidence.

Board 5 from last Wed, should have had all pairs bidding 6S if not 7S.

Every West should open 2C and should get a positive reply of 2S. 5 card suit and 8 plus points.

Ace ask should get a zero reply and a King ask should get a "2" reply. Namely K spades and K hearts.

West now knows there are no losers in Spades, no losers in Diamonds. This is 10 tricks.

Two more in Clubs is 12 tricks.

Read more about Grand Slam 7S

Lessons for those wanting to learn how to play Bridge start on Thursday March 5th. They run from 7 - 9 pm at the clubrooms -167 Commerce St, Whakatāne.

For more information / register your interest please phone or text Sue 021 246 7268 or Marg 027 451 7130