Welcome to the website of Bridge on the Edge, based in St. John's, NL, Canada.  In 2016 we became a player owned bridge club.  We support a respectful culture, both at the bridge table and in all BOTE communications, for the enjoyment and growth of all members.  

Please contact info@bridgeontheedge.ca if you need additional information.

Members who want to use the member's functions (ie bookings etc), please ensure you've accessed the site using the bridgeweb link bridgewebs.com/onedge/.

When I first sat down at a bridge table, I felt like I’d walked into a room where everyone was speaking a language I couldn’t quite hear. Bids flying across the table, signals, conventions, inferences… it was overwhelming in the most humbling way. I remember thinking: will this ever make sense?

And then, slowly, it did.

That’s the thing about bridge that nobody really warns you about. Learning it isn’t a straight climb. It’s more like breaking through atmospheres.

You start in the clouds, foggy, disoriented, just trying to remember what a splinter bid means or why your partner looked at you like that after you led the wrong card. Everything feels like too much. But you keep showing up. You keep playing. And then one day, something clicks. The fog lifts. You break through into clear air and you can see the logic of it, the beauty of it, the way a hand tells a story if you know how to read it.

And you think: I’ve got this.

Then someone introduces you to hand counting. To squeezes. To the inferences hidden inside what was not bid, the dog that didn’t bark. And just like that, you’re back in the clouds again. A new atmosphere, thicker than the last.

This cycle of fog, struggle, breakthrough, fog again… that is bridge. It’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong. It’s a sign you’re doing it right.

Every time you rise into a new atmosphere of confusion, it means you’ve grown past the last one. You’re not back at the beginning. You’re at a higher altitude, learning things you couldn’t even have asked questions about a year ago. The fog feels the same, but you are different.

I think about the players who can reconstruct an entire opponent’s hand from the auction alone. Who hear a 1NT response and immediately start calculating what that player didn’t have. Who feel the shape of a hand through the cards that have fallen. That didn’t come from talent. It came from walking through atmosphere after atmosphere, again and again, with patience and curiosity.

If you’re new to bridge and feeling lost, that feeling is not your enemy. It’s the feeling of growing. Every expert at your table has been exactly where you are. Every one of them has sat there thinking I’ll never understand this. And every one of them broke through.

So stay in the game. Ask questions. Play the hands. Embrace the fog.Your next clear sky is closer than you think.

Well mother nature ensured that last week didn’t go according to plan so let’s try those celebrations one more time.  This week, however, MUN is back in session so please try to carpool, walk or take the bus, especially at Supervised Play.  

Monday Morning   we will have a free Supervised Play session and will be providing sandwiches, coffee and tea.  Please bring something for the food bank in lieu of your table fees.  

Thursday Lunchtime   . . before the afternoon games we will have some sandwiches, tea and coffee.  There will be a free game for the Open Game and Duplicate Lite players.  Roy and Sandra’s students are invited to stick around and socialize after their class. Please bring something for the food bank and try to carpool if possible.

Thanks to everyone for their understanding and support. What can you do?  It’s winter. 

See you at the club!

Minutes from the February 19th 2026 Board Meeting can be viewed by accessing the Information tab on the left and opening the minutes section in the drop down menu.

Just a heads up if you get an unexpected email from Roy, or any executive member, requesting a meeting or asking you to buy them gift cards, it is a phishing scam email.  That information is false. If you have been a recipient of this internet hoax, do not reply.

Report it to your email server as spam!

Rahul recently went on a fabulous trip to Iceland to play top level bridge.  Despite flight problems (no surprise there!), he had a very fun tournament.  Playing against world class players, including Boye Brogeland from Norway, there were some very interesting hands and Rahul also learned a lot about international tournament organization. Check out the full report and some of the interesting hands, in the link below

https://tinyurl.com/RCReyk2026

Good morning!  Just a reminder about parking at our new home.  We are allocated forty (40) parking spaces per session.  We are to park in the first two rows nearest Elizabeth Avenue.  The first row there is hard to pick out if there is a slick of snow on the ground as it is close to the big snow pile near Elizabeth. We need to be mindful of our parking and try to stay within the lines (not exactly easy if you can’t see them, I know!).   If those two rows are full we can park elsewhere.  Don’t forget your permit and to display it when you park. 

We also need to carpool.  For supervised play tomorrow we have 64 people signed up.  Which is absolutely wonderful but we don’t have 64 spots for parking, hence the need for carpooling.  Please try to share a ride with a friend.  Apparently the parking is patrolled by MUN Campus Enforcement.  At this point we have no clue how diligent they are with enforcement, we are still in learning mode, but we do know we don’t want any problems for our players or the church.  So let’s all work together on this and it won’t be a problem.  

We’ve had  a lot of positive comments about the new space, quieter, brighter, cleaner.  We’re glad it’s working out so far.  

Thanks to all, see you at the club! 

C Sharon Sizzle, C Exceptional Elizabeth, C Paul Play, C Go-Getter Gary. What a great christening for our new home to see all 4 C - Rating players each capture all 3 places in our first-day Open Pairs Game after the big move from the old venue. Yup you read that right.  Our North-South Pair, & our East-West Pair, both won all the 3 Sections A, B, & C, outright! 

Both winning pairs played with purpose & they dazzled with decisions.  We know all too well, when you have 10 or more tables in play, that in order to creep up the winning ladder a really decent score is no small feat. The more tables in play, usually, the lower the over all average top scores.

But, apparently, on Monday, Sharon & Elizabeth, didn’t get that memo, as they completely ignored the Laws of Probability and turned in a solid score of 60%, perhaps to the chagrin of the table directly behind them.

Over on the East Side-West Side there was also adventure abundant. Didn’t Eleanor Roosevelt once say “Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be again.” While that may be a relief to some and a mantra for others, this past Monday saw one of our newest players team up with one of our long-standing members, and produce a game well above average. Gary & Paul built a huge lead, with a great start out of the gate, scoring a 6:50, 9:50, & an 8:50 for a total of 24.5 Match-points out of 30. They never looked back.

Congratulations to all our finalists, and welcome to your new home. Some pictures from our first day are included

 

In early 2026, Roy, & Sandra were right back at it in the New Year with new classes that have attracted even more interested players to join us. We intend to keep the ball rolling as those 2026 Sessions will resume promptly at our new location.

As of today, Bridge on the Edge is moving all operations to St. James United Church, 330, Elizabeth Avenue. There will be no bridge lessons on Thursday 5th, this week. We will have just two Thursday morning Begin Bridge III Classes in February, on the 12 & the 26. Same format as before, Theory, Quizzes, Handouts, & Practice Play. Cost is just $25 per Session.

There are some important arrangements at the new venue. Here is what we need to know. First, we need to get you a personal parking permit so, Regina or I will be there to arrange that for you on the 12th. Take the steps up to the side door at the top of the ramp. Secondly, all players must wear clean, indoor footwear to protect the gym floor when we play. No outdoor boots/shoes permitted.  No problem, we can just bring an extra pair of comfy shoes or slippers & slip on our clean footwear when we get inside. Third, We need to sign a new waiver with the change of location. Fourth, we will be having our Club Welcome Celebration on February 26, not the 12th.  On the 26th we will be having our regular morning class & lesson ($25). But at 1 o’clock, Begin Bridge III students can meet with the Duplicate Lite, & Open Duplicate Players & enjoy some tasty refreshments. Then we will have a free Session of guided Practice Play for a few enjoyable hours for you in the afternoon. We can discuss the arrangements further on February 12. This event is open to all our Begin Bridge students & is held during MUN's midterm break so lots of parking is available. See you at your new Club!

Bridge on the Edge is offering a series of eight Beginner Bridge Lessons starting on Wednesday February 18th, 7:00- 9:00pm. There will be a two week break April 1st and 8th, so the course will finish up at the end of April. Cost is $200 for the block of lessons, this includes a student manual. The classes will be held at St. James church, 330 Elizabeth Ave. The instructor will be Anne Hughes, certified bridge teacher. No previous knowledge of bridge or card playing is required. Come along and learn to play the best card game in the world, it’s social, mind stretching and lots of fun! For more information, or to register, contact education@bridgeontheedge.ca.