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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Monday

Champion Pairs – Richmond Trophy

Jenny Elgar & Diane Green

Champion Singles – Hawken Trophy

Joyce Reid

Ladder – Morpeth Trophy

Sue Gordon

Osborne Trophy

Lee Willetts

Congratulations to……

24th Feb                 Joyce Reid & Caroline Sarfati                     70.49%

3rd March               Joyce Reid & Caroline Sarfati                     73.91% 

Great celebrations (and much relief) on Wednesday night from the jigsaw affectionardos when, through a brilliant and intense penultimate week push by Catharine & Treena, the Scarecrow (Birdsong) Jigsaw that had caused such angst from June onwards was completed. It certainly provided extra challenges with glue sticks required at times to hold pieces in tact plus some (almost) brute force required in the final stages to make pieces stay . Enjoy it next week before it goes - it will never be back !

Each year our Club fundraises for our local SPCA holding a Melbourne Cup event at the Club. This year we raised $1056  through entry fees, raffles and donations with Rowena from the SPCA was on hand to present prizes to the winners of the Bridge and draw the raffles. It was great to see members in their finest racewear with some amazing hats on display.

Club members enjoyed a shared lunch followed by Bridge and then the bar was opened ready for the main event at 5 pm. 

The winners on the day were: 

Best dressed Man: Chris Groothoff