Master Points Explained
Awards
Most bridge sessions played at both club and tournament level of affiliated clubs, are played for Master Points. If you finish in approximately the top third of your field, you will receive Master Points.
Masterpoints are only awarded to events run by an affiliated club, Region or NZBridge.
There are three categories of Master Point awards:
A Points
Awarded to players who finish in the top placings of approved A point tournaments along with winners of all session of Pairs Tournaments and fractional A points to the winners of each match in Match-Play (teams).
B Points
Awarded to players who finish in the top placings of approved B point tournaments along with winners of all session of Pairs Tournaments. B points cannot be converted into A points.
C Points
Awarded to players who finish in the top placings of approved one session C point events. C Points are converted to B Points in the ratio of 100 C Points to one B Point.
Click here to view the points tables
NZB Manual - Section E (Updated 15 Aug 2023)
Gradings- effective from 1 January 2021
Open
- Provincial Master or higher Rank
Intermediate
- Club Master or lower Rank and 30 or less Rating Points but 5 or more A Points or
- Club Master or lower Rank with more than 30 Rating Points or
- Local Master
Junior
- Club Master or lower Rank and 30 or less Rating Points and less than 5 A Points
*Rating points will show on the website as being rounded up eg 100.29 = 101
Future Rating Point Calculator
The ABC of Masterpoints for beginners.pdf
RANKINGS
There are twelve ranks accorded to holders of Master Points
| Rank | Aggregate of A & B Points | When stars are added |
| Certificate of Proficiency | 5 | NA |
| Club Master | 20 | NA |
| Local Master | 50 | 1* = 100 to 149, 2* = 150 to 199 etc |
| Provincial Master | 100 (including at least 50 A Points) | 1* = 200 to 299, 2* = 300 to 399 etc |
| Master | 200 (including at least 100 A Points) | 1* = 400 to 599, 2* = 600 to 799 etc |
| National Master | 350 (including at least 175 A Points) | 1* = 700 to 1049, 2* = 1050 to 1400 etc |
| Life Master | 500 (including at least 250 A Points) | 1* = 1000 to 1499, 2* = 1500 to 1999 etc |
| Grand Master | 1000 (including at least 500 A Points) | 1* = 2000 to 3999, 2* = 4000 to 5999 etc |
| Silver Grand Master | 2500 (including at least 1250 A Points) | 1* = 5000 to 7499, 2* = 7500 to 9999 etc |
| Gold Grand Master | 4000 (including at least 2500 A Points) | 1* = 8000 to 11999, 2* = 12000 to 15999 etc |
| Emerald Grand Master | 8,000 (including at least 6,000 A Points) | |
| Platinum Grand Master | 10,000 (including at least 7,500 A Points) |
NB: Points for stars refer to B points
Click here to see our latest Grand Masters
A player with less than 5 A & B Points is classified as “Novice”. On reaching an aggregate of 100 Master Points, a Local Master who has not earned 50 A Points is accorded the status of Local Master - 1 Star. At 150 Master Points he becomes Local Master - 2 Star, with an additional Star for each additional 50 Master Points if they have not attained sufficient A Points. Similarly, stars are awarded to masters of other ranks who have not attained sufficient A points for promotion to a higher rank. e.g. A one-star National Master will have acquired 700 plus total Points but not yet attained 250 A Points to move to the rank of Life Master.
Masterpoint fees- Effective from 1 January 2024
The Board of NZ Bridge sets the fees it charges Regions and Clubs to issue Masterpoints and may amend these fees from time to time on giving 3 months’ notice in writing.
The fee structure (+ GST where applicable) is as follows. (Tournament participation fees increase 1 Jan 2024 as per below)
- Club Sessions: 30c per participating Player for pairs or $0.0125 (1.25 cents) per board, per participating Player for Swiss Pairs and Teams.
- Tournament Sessions: $2.50 per participating Player per Session for pairs or $0.10 (10 cents) per board, per participating Player for Swiss Pairs and Teams.
- A Points: $1 per A Point awarded. per participating Player. Fractional A points are charged as a fraction of the $1. eg .48 A points for a match win = a charge of $0.4.8
MASTERPOINT Section of the Manual
This Section was updated April 2018 to reflect the changes made in September 2017 (please disregard Section E in the 2016 version of the Manual)
