Jane's blog

With 36 pairs competing in Heat 3 of the WAPs series it was great to see two Tokoroa pairs taking part. The afternoon session saw Vera and Sandy come second in their section with 58%. Well done also to Graeme and Willy for entering the shark pool and coming out with over 50% in their second session.

Applauding the efforts of both clubs. I have over 20 students so far registered for bridge lessons starting next week. So really well done in finding new people to introduce to our marvellous game. I will be encouraging all the students to join their home club following lessons and to play bridge at both clubs to hone their skills and get really stuck into their bridge. They come almost equally from both clubs. Still hoping for the South Waikato Times to come to the party and hopefully publish something next Wednesday.

A warm welcome to our 24 intrepid beginners who are attending lessons Tuesday evening in Putaruru and Wednesday morning in Tokoroa. Full details of the course, homework answers and upcoming lessons are on the Education tab above, under Beginners.

Cambridge Bridge Club is offering an innovative seminar for OPEN players wanting to develop their game. It is innovative because they are limiting it to six tables / 24 players and it is being targeted at open players still wanting to develop their game, for whom they believe there are fewer learning opportunities available in smaller clubs that mainly comprise junior and intermediate players. Cambridge are asking that players enter as a partnership so that learning can be put into practice afterwards.

Jane has just returned from a week promoting bridge and visiting clubs in Central Otago. Read all about it by clicking the link below.

http://www.cambridge.bridge-club.org/node/945

In amongst a sharkpool of open players Eileen Barker and Ann Berben battled bravely in Heat 2 of the WAP in Cambridge. They finished third in their section with a very respectable 56.85%, above the reigning WAP champions Ian and Cynthia Clayton (who went on to win this heat). The afternoon saw some challenging hands but Eileen and Ann finished 14th overall out of 34, punching well above their ranks. Well played!

Yes, it is time to get Wapped at the WAPs in Jane's home club of Cambridge. SUNDAY 22 MARCH the second heat of the WAPs will take place at Cambridge Bridge Club, Fort St, Cambridge (next door to the St John Ambulance station). Just $10 entry fee gives you a day of bridge among some of the best players in our region. There is a prize for the best non-open pair and the WAPs are an encouraging and supportive environment for very keen juniors and intermediates to play against open players. You just need to turn up on the day with a partner before 9.45 and BYO lunch. No pre-entry is required.

No less than 10 members from our clubs took part in Heat 1 of the WAP series 2015 held yesterday in Matamata. Some people in the region had said to me they had never seen anyone from Putaruru at a WAP and the only Tokoroa players they knew were Vera and Sandy ... so it was wonderful to see you all braving it into the WAP arena and having a go with the big guns.
FULL HOUSE!

At the Kelly Pierce teams event in Rotorua Sandy and Vera shone for Tokoroa. They finished the 6th ranked pair on the Butler Datum Ladder for the day out of 58 top ranked pairings. A stunning performance = CONGRATULATIONS to them both.

Eddie Kantar
There is just no stopping Putaruru and Tokoroa clubs this year. First they have No 1 player in NZ Michael Ware lending his support to them. Now they have TWO TIME WORLD BRIDGE CHAMPION, the bridge legend EDDIE KANTAR cheering them on from his home in Santa Monica, California.