Holiday Bridge Begins

An innovative tournament format was played at the Huntly Christmas Party; the last event on the Waikato-Bays calendar for the year. The field was split into three groups according to perceived stage of advancement. The highest rank group played a 7-table Howell in the morning while the other two groups faced off in a 13-table Mitchell. After lunch the highest ranked group was unleashed to savage the middle group in the Mitchell while the others played amongst themselves in the Howell. This arrangement gave all attendees a clearer shot at winning some of the eight B points on offer. Congratulations to Malcolm Kirkby from Te Aroha and Eunice Eccles of Cambridge, both Juniors, who narrowly missed winning top place for the day.

Looking for a game before February? Best check the web pages of clubs but a rough guide would be

• The Hamilton club has Holiday Bridge sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7pm start) and Friday mornings (10am start) but no bridge between 18th December and 8th January.
• The Waikato club is open to all on Monday nights 11th and 18th December and 8th, 15th, 22nd January.
• Mount Maunganui plays the same Mondays and Wednesdays of those weeks in January - 7pm start.
• Tauranga's sessions are too numerous to list here but may be easily found on the Tauranga site.
• Rotorua holds summer bridge through December and January on Monday afternoons and Wednesday evenings starting Monday 4 December.
• Te Aroha holds summer bridge through December and January on Tuesday evenings and Friday afternoons.

At time of writing we are not aware of what any other clubs may be offering but be sure to come along to the Thames Summer Festival which runs from January 12th to 14th.