Articles for newer players

Forcing Bids and Major Suits! For Novice, Junior, Intermediate players.. and others..it's Fri  Day When the following auction ended rather abruptly, I felt that a few basic bidding principles should be revisited. What would you bid... read more here

Forcing or not? For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others. It’s Fri day! Although there were other factors which might have saved both auctions, two auctions on the same recent deal ended badly..and... read more here

A good lead: a not so good lead! For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players, and others. It's Fri Day.  You cannot make good leads all the time. Not even World Champions can do that! However, if we make sensible leads, leads that... read more here

Eyes Open? Have you got the pip (s)? for Junior and Intermediate players...and others! It's Fri  day! Defending is not always straightforward. Did I hear you say it never is?! You have got to be on the ball, alert, all the time. Are you... read more here

A Legal “Thumbs Down”! For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others. It’s Fri Day! Well, it is a very generous opening lead problem today as you are allowed to see dummy before you lead! West... read more here

The Opening Bid Sets the Scene. For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players… and others! It’s Fri day. Bidding and making a slam is one of the most satisfying parts of our game. We are known to moan (just a little) when we... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players.. and others. It’s Fri Day. Don’t Think too much! Now, that seems a strange piece of advice for a bridge player! Sometimes you do need to think and at other times, just do what comes... read more here

  It’s Friday day: an article for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players ..and others! The Traps to avoid. In 3NT, your primary aim is to come to 9 tricks before one’s opponents can score 5. The following deal should... read more here

Chance it! For Junior, Intermediate, Novice players and others! It’s Fri day! Are you tired of getting few high card points? When we start playing, we think it is good to have weak hands as there are no decisions to make. We keep... read more here

The Risk of the Unusual. for Junior and Intermediate Players and any others who have been on lead to a competitively bid high level contract. It's Fri  day.  High-level competitive bidding deals are exciting, nerve-wracking and... read more here

A Second Chance. For Junior, Intermediate and other players. It’s Fri Day. That little box on the hand record says you should beat the opponents’ 3NT game. So, even though you did not find the lead that gives the game no chance,... read more here

When Everyone Speaks. For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri day! High-level competitive bidding is a very difficult judgement area of bidding, even for experienced players. No-one will always be right... read more here

Are all your eggs in the one basket? For Junior, Intermediate players and others. It’s Fri  Day. Some deals provide a declarer with alternative routes to make their contract, not all of which will be successful. Today’s... read more here

  for Junior and Intermediate players and others. It's Fri  day! A “Free” Finesse. One way of describing today’s deal is one of combining chances. It would be very easy for the declarer to make presumptions... read more here

No Questions Asked. For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri day! The Multi 2D is pretty common in this country whether it shows just a Weak 2 in a Major, or maybe that and a strong balanced hand, or even those... read more here

For Junior and Intermediate players…. And plenty of others, too! It’s Fri day. A Bad Break! This is an “almost true” story. This board occurred at the National Congress, well almost. It carries a very simple but... read more here

  For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri  day! Good Signalling. As some 800 players prepare to play in all or part of the National Congress, today’s defensive hand is one they would all hope to... read more here

It Takes Two To Signal! For Junior and Intermediate players..and others! It’s Fri day! Well, not really but for a signal to be worthwhile, both defenders need to be involved, one to make the signal and the other to be aware of it and act... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri  day. Winning the part-score…or ensuring you do not lose it! Whether playing for imps or matchpoints, going minus on the board below would be a bad result for... read more here

A Wise Precaution. For Junior and Intermediate players and others. It’s Fri  day. The bidding has been short and swift. We are up to the 5 level after just one round. Are you going to continue bidding and if so what?  ... read more here

“Cream or Custard?” for Junior and Intermediate players and others. It's Fri ! day! It was Match-Point Pairs where overtricks count for a lot… and South thought they were on track for “a lot” of overtricks.... read more here

Seeking Help. for Junior, Intermediate players... and others. It's Fri day! They may not want to assist but there are times when you can get help from your opponents to make your contract. South DealsBoth Vul J... read more here

  The Correct Lead. for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players...and others.It's Fri day! The technically correct lead is not always the winning lead. Yet, any slip here and you will give the declarer a chance to make a game contract... read more here

  Be Careful!       for Junior and Intermediate players...and others. It's Fri day.  The last few weeks have seen some difficult deals mainly from the World Championships in Denmark. Today, it is back to a... read more here

  Play Low, Joe! For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others! It’s Fri Day! Remember that basic rule: second player plays low…except when they do not! Yes, there are exceptions to about every rule and... read more here

Learning The Hard Way. For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players….and maybe a few others too…. It’s Fri day. Sometimes we make the right bid and it does not work out for us. On other occasions, we make the wrong bid and yet... read more here

For Junior and Intermediate and other players. It’s Fri day! A Pairs …or Anytime Bid? Most players at clubs around New Zealand play mainly Match Point Pairs bridge. The tactics in this form of the game are very different from... read more here

            Equal and Unequal Length. For Junior, Intermediate and Novice Players… and others. It’s Fri - Day. There’s a message here for all grades, even if the play may... read more here

for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players .. and others. It's Fri  day.  How Weak is your Weak Two? Weak 2 Opening bids are very common (apart from 2C, of course!). Therefore, those who play them should have a clear idea of how to... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others! It’s Fri   day! “Light Hearted” It has been a bit of a heavy week with deals involving squeezes and end-plays. It’s time for something more... read more here

for Junior and Intermediate players...and others! It's Fri day! Wishing and a ‘hoping. Having dreams is nice. They do sometimes come true and that is even nicer. We are, of course, talking about playing bridge hands! It’s strange.... read more here

  For Intermediate and keen Junior players...and others. It's Fri   Day.  The Question to be asked. Today’s deal should be a promotion for a very common convention but it would seem that the vast majority of those who... read more here

A Lesson for all…. Whether Novice, Junior, Intermediate or Open. It is fri day. Staying out of Slam! There is in today’s deal a lesson for all four players at the table. Here’s the opening lead issue:  ... read more here

The Best Game. for Junior and Intermediate players....and others. It's Fri day! Sometimes, the best game is not in the trump suit where we have the most trumps. It is not in no trumps, either. We are normally talking about the situation where... read more here

The online supported play series starts on the 8th of June and the first session is free.  There is no need to register on Hello Club to experience the real bridge free trial for supported play. Beginners can use the following link after... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…. And others. It’s Fri   day. Keeping partner happy. What to lead? That usually seems to be a problem! So, you are defending 1NT and your partner overcalled a suit and you are... read more here

For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri day.  More Balancing! Yesterday, we discussed the question of when and how you should balance..and the dangers involved. We gave you three hands from a recent Pairs... read more here

For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri day. Good Shape: Bad Shape. Te shape of a hand is a very important factor, maybe as important as the number of high card points held. Take a look at the following hand:... read more here

For keen Junior, Intermediate and other players: It’s Fri  Day. Time for a change? Some interesting defending for you to do today. It is not always right to return partner’s opening lead…or is it! North... read more here

for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players...and others. It's Fri  day. The new “boss suit”! You heard perhaps that spades is the “boss suit”. That is so because whoever holds the spade suit should be able to... read more here

For Junior and Intermediate players…and others. It’s Fri   day. The Rules are there to be followed. Well, they are usually guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Sometimes they backfire and you concede a big minus score... read more here

  For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players..and others! It’s Fri day. “Make it Easy on Your Self” The title of a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song from the 1960s (am I showing my age?!) can be applied to today’s... read more here

No guess at all! For Junior and Intermediate players and others…even US pros! It’s Fri day. We all hate it. We have the king and the jack and our opponent leads a small card in the suit. Who has the queen and who has the ace? It... read more here

The Power of Aces. For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others. It’s Fri Day. You may have heard it before. Aces are often worth more than 4hcp. They control suits. They usually will win a trick in that suit,... read more here

      Throw a loser...and be a winner! for Junior and Intermediate players... maybe others too! It's Fri day. Today’s deal provides an example of a technique in playing a board that many players overlook. Whether... read more here

Double and plus! When we make a penalty double, we always aim to record a plus score. Sometimes, the plus may not be huge but any plus is so much better than a minus score. With that in mind, what action would you take as North here?... read more here

Safety Day! For Junior, Intermediate and Junior players..and all those who failed to make at least 10 tricks in today’s deal! It’s Fri day. Do not feel too bad if you get today’s deal wrong since when it was played, around... read more here

Bread and Butter. Yes, a day early for our easier Friday deal. Well, it’s Waitangi Day: so, why not! Today’s deal should not have caused the declaring side many problems though is quite educational. Our game is not all about freaky... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players..and others. It’s Fri day. Attack or Go Passive. It might seem obvious to say that when making the opening lead that one aims to get as many tricks for one’s side as possible. Sometimes,... read more here