This level exposes you to having to defend a contract that the opponents have declared. On some of the hands, they will have the majority of the points (20+), and they will ‘call’ a contract. All you’ll see is your hand, and you’ll know partners point count, but you won’t see the hand.

As on levels 1 & 2, you are competing with the Robot, so make sure that you restrict opponents to making as few tricks as you can … because Robot surely will!

Now … ready for some excitement? Here we are also going to introduce a brand new concept, which has never been used in any form of Mini Bridge. Stealing a contract! Take a look at this hand

‘They’ have bid part-score in Diamonds. They have the majority of points, and are likely to make their contract, scoring a minimum of 70 Pts. You’ve got 8 Pts, but a lovely ‘shapely’ hand with long ‘major’ suits. Partner has got 10 Pts. Now’s the time to look at your options:

  1. Defend the contract. That’s the ‘easy way out’, as the Robot playing at the other table hasn’t even been given the ‘stealing’ option. That’s reserved for our human players only (we assume all WiZBridge+ players will pass for being humans)
  2. Steal it and declare your own contract. let’s look at the pros and cons

PROS: You have a lovely Spade suit, which could/should produce 5 tricks. Hearts …. you can expect one trick;  and as your trump suit is likely to be a ‘major’, you only have to make 7 tricks. Partner has 10 points …. surely there’ll be a trick there somewhere.  And …. if they manage to set you off and you go ‘down’ by one trick, that’s only -100 points. If they make two overtricks, they’ll score +110, which is still a win for the goodies.

CONS: If you go down by more than one trick (-300) or … highly unlikely …. they fail to make 7 tricks in Diamonds, then you’ll lose, and lose HEAVILY, and you’ll wish you’d never taken the leap to steal.

In this example, the ‘pros’ outweigh the ‘cons’ …. so let’s go for it!

BINGO !!!

Just ‘love it’ when partner turns up with the goods.

6 Tricks in Spades are guaranteed. A 7th will come … for sure! It maybe a Heart … or the KD … you’ll make it.

And indeed we did. Just made the 7 tricks, but as it’s a ‘stolen’ contract, all points scored are doubled, so you score +160. At the other table Robot didn’t have the opportunity to steal, and scored -130. that’s a massive ‘swing’ to you of 290 Pts.

And who was it that said that crime doesn’t pay

 

 

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