7th May 2026

Winners

Beryl Webster & Gabriel McCarthy finished first with 61.11%, beating Pat Quinney & Julia Burge by 9.72%.
(Winning margin analysis: secured by several large swings (notably Boards 13, 15, 18))

Did you have the cards?

In this Howell movement, individual exposure varied by starting seat. The opening boards were largely quiet across the room. Overall, the session was low-ceiling with 0 potential slams and 9 game hands. Your final result depended less on "good cards" and more on whether you met the opportunity-rich boards when your system was firing.

Big Swings

- On Board 15, Liz and Duncan bid and made 4♠ for 680. Another pair made 5*♥ and scored 650 — a swing of 1330 points.

Slams

No slams were bid or made in this session.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers

HCP Efficiency (Performance vs Par)

Average tricks won above/below Double Dummy expectations per hand.

Where the choice of contract made a difference

- Board 15 saw varied evaluations, with contracts including 4♠, 5♠, 5*♥ producing different outcomes.

Individual Tops

- Ann Jenkey & Roy Lubman / Table 14 East: In 1♠, declarer secured an overtrick that other tables missed. This extra trick improved the score to -170, differing from the standard achieved by the field.

Distribution of Points

North/South held an average of 20.5 HCP compared with 19.5 for East/West. The balanced distribution meant results were determined more by contract choice and defence than raw strength.

Personal Pair Lookup

Select your name or pair number to see your personalised session summary.

Glossary: What does all this mean?

Double Dummy: The computer plays the hand as if everyone can see everyone else's cards. It never guesses and never takes a finesse that won't work. It's bridge played with the lights on.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers: "Par" is the computer's prediction of perfect play. A Par Breaker is when a human proves the computer wrong—either by making the "impossible" or finding the one Killer Lead that sinks a "sure thing."

HCP Efficiency: This measures what you actually did with your cards (Performance vs Par). A Positive (+) Diff means you're squeezing blood from a stone (winning more tricks than theory says you should). A Negative (-) Diff means you likely left a few tricks on the table as a charitable donation.

Avg Diff: The average number of tricks gained or lost per hand against the "perfect" baseline.

6th May 2026

Winners

David Wilcox & Sally Nicholls finished first with 59.05%, beating Ray Gibson & Gabriel McCarthy by 3.81%.
(Winning margin analysis: secured by several large swings (notably Boards 11, 15, 19))

Did you have the cards?

In this Mitchell movement, the session was marked by frequent scoring opportunities, featuring 1 slam opportunities and 12 game boards. North/South faced 4 game/slam opportunities while East/West had 9, so East/West were exposed to more of the session’s high-value boards. Most boards were part-score dominated, indicating that results relied on accurate partial contracts and defense rather than High Card Points. Ranking differences were largely driven by performance on the minority of high-scoring boards.

Big Swings

- On Board 18, Penny and Penny defended 6NT by E to collect 100 points (2 down). Another pair made 6NT and scored 1020 — a swing of 1120 points.

Slams

- Aidan Prescott & Ann Davies: On Board 18, Aidan Prescott & Ann Davies advanced to 6NT for -1020. While most other pairs stopped in 4♠, they bid this slam with 35 combined HCP. This decision produced a gain of 1120 points over the field.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers

HCP Efficiency (Performance vs Par)

Average tricks won above/below Double Dummy expectations per hand.

Where the choice of contract made a difference

- Board 18 split the field. Multiple pairs chose 6NT scoring up to -1020 (E making), while others preferred 4♠ scoring up to -480 (E making). This purely auction-based decision created a swing distinct from play or defense.

Individual Tops

- Val & Peter North / Table 18 East: In 4♠, declarer secured an overtrick that other tables missed. This extra trick improved the score to -450, differing from the standard achieved by the field.

Distribution of Points

North/South held an average of 18.2 HCP compared with 21.8 for East/West. This 3.6-point difference favored East/West, providing them with a consistent structural advantage.

Personal Pair Lookup

Select your name or pair number to see your personalised session summary.

Glossary: What does all this mean?

Double Dummy: The computer plays the hand as if everyone can see everyone else's cards. It never guesses and never takes a finesse that won't work. It's bridge played with the lights on.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers: "Par" is the computer's prediction of perfect play. A Par Breaker is when a human proves the computer wrong—either by making the "impossible" or finding the one Killer Lead that sinks a "sure thing."

HCP Efficiency: This measures what you actually did with your cards (Performance vs Par). A Positive (+) Diff means you're squeezing blood from a stone (winning more tricks than theory says you should). A Negative (-) Diff means you likely left a few tricks on the table as a charitable donation.

Avg Diff: The average number of tricks gained or lost per hand against the "perfect" baseline.

5th May 2026

Winners

North/South: Penny Houlden & James Jones finished first with 63.75%, beating Sandie Mitchell & Michele Woodward by 3.12%.
East/West: Bill Burrows & Ted Hulme won the field with 60.63%, clear of David Platt & Roy Lubman (56.25%).
(Winning margin analysis: secured by several large swings (notably Boards 2, 7, 12))

Did you have the cards?

In this Mitchell movement, the session was marked by frequent scoring opportunities, featuring 1 slam opportunities and 14 game boards. North/South faced 11 game/slam opportunities while East/West had 4, so North/South were exposed to more of the session’s high-value boards. Most boards were part-score dominated, indicating that results relied on accurate partial contracts and defense rather than High Card Points. Ranking differences were largely driven by performance on the minority of high-scoring boards.

Big Swings

- On Board 19, Marian and Lynette held the opposition to 5♣ for -620. Another pair made 6NT and scored 1470 — a swing of 850 points.

Slams

- Bill Burrows & Ted Hulme: On Board 19, Bill Burrows & Ted Hulme advanced to 6NT for -1470. While most other pairs stopped in 3NT, they bid this slam with 32 combined HCP. This decision produced a gain of 850 points over the field.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers

HCP Efficiency (Performance vs Par)

Average tricks won above/below Double Dummy expectations per hand.

Where the choice of contract made a difference

- Board 14 split the field. Multiple pairs chose 5♣ scoring up to +400 (S making), while others preferred 3♣ scoring up to +170 (S making). This purely auction-based decision created a swing distinct from play or defense.

Individual Tops

- Anthony Newstone & Myrna Bennett / Table 19 East: In 3NT, declarer secured an overtrick that other tables missed. This extra trick improved the score to -720, differing from the -690 achieved by the field.

Distribution of Points

North/South held an average of 21.1 HCP compared with 18.9 for East/West. This 2.2-point difference favored North/South, providing them with a consistent structural advantage.

Personal Pair Lookup

Select your name or pair number to see your personalised session summary.

Glossary: What does all this mean?

Double Dummy: The computer plays the hand as if everyone can see everyone else's cards. It never guesses and never takes a finesse that won't work. It's bridge played with the lights on.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers: "Par" is the computer's prediction of perfect play. A Par Breaker is when a human proves the computer wrong—either by making the "impossible" or finding the one Killer Lead that sinks a "sure thing."

HCP Efficiency: This measures what you actually did with your cards (Performance vs Par). A Positive (+) Diff means you're squeezing blood from a stone (winning more tricks than theory says you should). A Negative (-) Diff means you likely left a few tricks on the table as a charitable donation.

Avg Diff: The average number of tricks gained or lost per hand against the "perfect" baseline.

4th May 2026

Winners

James Jones & Lorraine Krasner finished first with 64.24%, beating Penny Roberts & Jean Simpson by 6.60%.
(Winning margin analysis: secured by several large swings (notably Boards 5, 8, 15))

Did you have the cards?

The cards were evenly distributed across all directions, with no seat holding a significant structural advantage.

Big Swings

- On Board 6, Harriette and Michele bid and made 2*♥ for 470. Another pair made 3*♠ and scored 730 — a swing of 1200 points.

Slams

- Lesley Beilinsohn & Irene Ashcroft: On Board 16, Lesley Beilinsohn & Irene Ashcroft advanced to 6♠ for 1010. While most other pairs stopped in 4♠, they bid this slam with 35 combined HCP. This decision produced a gain of 1160 points over the field.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers

HCP Efficiency (Performance vs Par)

Average tricks won above/below Double Dummy expectations per hand.

Where the choice of contract made a difference

- Board 12 split the field. Multiple pairs chose 2♥ scoring up to +140 (N making), while others preferred 3NT scoring +660 (S making). This purely auction-based decision created a swing distinct from play or defense.

Individual Tops

- Penny Houlden & Gabriel McCarthy / Table 12 South: In 3NT, declarer secured an overtrick that other tables missed. This extra trick improved the score to 660, differing from the standard achieved by the field.

Distribution of Points

North/South held an average of 20.9 HCP compared with 19.1 for East/West. This 1.8-point difference favored North/South, providing them with a consistent structural advantage.

Personal Pair Lookup

Select your name or pair number to see your personalised session summary.

Glossary: What does all this mean?

Double Dummy: The computer plays the hand as if everyone can see everyone else's cards. It never guesses and never takes a finesse that won't work. It's bridge played with the lights on.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers: "Par" is the computer's prediction of perfect play. A Par Breaker is when a human proves the computer wrong—either by making the "impossible" or finding the one Killer Lead that sinks a "sure thing."

HCP Efficiency: This measures what you actually did with your cards (Performance vs Par). A Positive (+) Diff means you're squeezing blood from a stone (winning more tricks than theory says you should). A Negative (-) Diff means you likely left a few tricks on the table as a charitable donation.

Avg Diff: The average number of tricks gained or lost per hand against the "perfect" baseline.

29th April 2026

Winners

Lorraine Krasner & Jackie Greasley finished first with 56.50%, beating James Jones & Alex Hurst by 1.50%.
(Winning margin analysis: secured by several large swings (notably Boards 1, 4, 7))

Did you have the cards?

In this Mitchell movement, the session was marked by frequent scoring opportunities, featuring 2 slam opportunities and 14 game boards. North/South faced 8 game/slam opportunities while East/West had 8, so exposure to high-value boards was evenly balanced. Most boards were part-score dominated, indicating that results relied on accurate partial contracts and defense rather than High Card Points. Ranking differences were largely driven by performance on the minority of high-scoring boards.

Big Swings

- On Board 4, Lorraine and Jackie defended 7♠ by W to collect 200 points (2 down). Another pair made 6NT and scored 1440 — a swing of 1640 points.

Slams

- Judith Sutton & Penny Roberts: On Board 4, Judith Sutton & Penny Roberts advanced to 6NT for -1440. While most other pairs stopped in 5♠, they bid this slam with 34 combined HCP. This decision produced a gain of 1640 points over the field.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers

HCP Efficiency (Performance vs Par)

Average tricks won above/below Double Dummy expectations per hand.

Where the choice of contract made a difference

- Board 4 split the field. Multiple pairs chose 7♠ scoring up to +100 (W down 1), while others preferred 6NT scoring -1440 (E making). This purely auction-based decision created a swing distinct from play or defense.

Individual Tops

- Val & Peter North / Table 7 West: In 4♠, declarer secured an overtrick that other tables missed. This extra trick improved the score to -650, differing from the standard achieved by the field.

Distribution of Points

North/South held an average of 19.2 HCP compared with 20.8 for East/West. This 1.6-point difference favored East/West, providing them with a consistent structural advantage.

Personal Pair Lookup

Select your name or pair number to see your personalised session summary.

Glossary: What does all this mean?

Double Dummy: The computer plays the hand as if everyone can see everyone else's cards. It never guesses and never takes a finesse that won't work. It's bridge played with the lights on.

Killer Leads & Par Breakers: "Par" is the computer's prediction of perfect play. A Par Breaker is when a human proves the computer wrong—either by making the "impossible" or finding the one Killer Lead that sinks a "sure thing."

HCP Efficiency: This measures what you actually did with your cards (Performance vs Par). A Positive (+) Diff means you're squeezing blood from a stone (winning more tricks than theory says you should). A Negative (-) Diff means you likely left a few tricks on the table as a charitable donation.

Avg Diff: The average number of tricks gained or lost per hand against the "perfect" baseline.