Review of the Month of February
February 2026 once again confirmed the dynamism of competition on Funbridge. The Bridge Points Circuit brought together 14,543 ranked players, while the February Bridge Cup gathered 2,951 participants in its always intense knockout format.
Circuit: Pikarek Takes the No. 1 Spot 🥇
The February Bridge Points rankings were won by Pikarek, who claimed first place with 5,051 BP, confirming his consistency among the top Funbridge players.
Top 3 of the Bridge Points Ranking – February 2026
🥇 Pikarek — Belgium — 5,051 BP
🥈 Lovelyyou9 — Sweden — 4,700 BP
🥉 PM2792 — France — 4,570 BP
Over the past few weeks, as you may remember, players were also invited to answer a Funbridge survey to nominate the stars they would like to face in the weekly Beat the Star events.
As a reminder, this format allows you to compare your score with that of a star player over 10 deals. If you perform better, you win back your stake in Diamonds.
And among the most requested names… Pikarek!
We will therefore try to organize a Beat the Star event with him soon — a perfect opportunity to challenge the leader of the Bridge Points rankings. 👀
February Bridge Cup: Victory for PSMartin 🏆
The February Bridge Cup, a BP500 knockout tournament, brought together 2,951 players on Funbridge.
After a series of single-elimination matches, victory went to PSMartin, also known as Phillip Martin, an American player based in Scarsdale, United States.
International Participation and Notable Performances
The February Bridge Cup once again highlights Funbridge’s international reach. France largely leads the field with 983 participants, followed by Poland (155) and the United States (124). Several other European countries also feature among the most represented nations: Belgium (118), the United Kingdom (106), Norway (101), Sweden (97), the Netherlands (96), Switzerland (78), Italy (60), and Germany (50).
Among the well-known players on the circuit, several also delivered strong performances in this highly competitive event. Valardent stood out by reaching the 10th round and the podium, while Xavier Barrois advanced to the 7th round. Milan Macura and Pikarek reached the 6th round, followed by Paweł Wittenbeck, Benicio, Galesh, and Bloedi, all eliminated in the 5th round. Tidou exited in the 4th round, while Aviram1, Timour, and Vanessa Reess reached the 3rd round.
Who is Phillip Martin?
The winner of the February Bridge Cup, Phillip Martin is not only an experienced player but also a well-known figure in the online bridge community.
Based in Scarsdale, New York, Phillip Martin regularly shares his analyses and strategic reflections through his YouTube channel, The Gargoyle Chronicles.
On this channel, he posts detailed videos focusing on notable deals, competition analysis, and different aspects of bridge reasoning. These videos are particularly appreciated by players who want to deepen their understanding of the game and explore advanced analytical thinking.
Regarding the competition itself, Phillip Martin says he especially enjoys the knockout format. In his view, this format rewards consistency more than traditional pairs tournaments. In a pairs event, winning often requires a series of exceptionally strong results, which tends to favor players with high variance who can produce spectacular scores. By contrast, KO matches rely more on steady performance: to win a match, you only need to be slightly better than your opponent — sometimes with as little as 51% of the points — but you must repeat that performance round after round.
However, the most difficult moment remains the final. Phillip Martin acknowledges that it is a particularly stressful situation: after making it all the way through the tournament, losing at the last stage can be devastating. This added pressure can make the final emotionally and mentally demanding.
To deal with this, he explains that he adopts a simple mental approach: trying to forget that he is playing in a tournament and instead treating each deal as if it were simply a problem in a bridge book. Focusing only on the decision at the table helps him stay calm and prevents the pressure from affecting his play.
Phillip Martin is widely respected for the quality of his analyses and writings about bridge, which are highly appreciated by many experienced players.
Some of his articles have been published in specialized media, and he has also been mentioned in the bridge column of the New York Times.
Here is a video by John Stell, a bridge streamer, analyzing his match against Phillip Martin during a Weekly KO on Funbridge:iés par de nombreux joueurs expérimentés.
All of which makes it clear that PSMartin’s victory in the February Bridge Cup on Funbridge was no accident.
Your turn! ⭐
Here is a deal from the Bridge Cup final that allowed Phillip to take the lead with a +12…
At the end of the deal, you will be able to see Phillip’s score, along with his bidding and his line of play.
Funbridge Tournaments Not to Miss in March 📅
March promises to be a particularly eventful month for online bridge tournaments on Funbridge, with several original formats offering players the chance to earn Bridge Points.
🍀 St. Patrick’s Tournament
From March 16 to 18. This free tournament will spotlight the club suit. A great opportunity to earn Bridge Points with no entry constraints.
Special Preempts Tournament 🧱
From March 25 to 27. This free themed tournament will highlight high-level bidding, promising strategic decisions and spectacular sequences.
⚡ Equinox Arena: A New BP1000 Tournament
March will also see the launch of a new tournament format on Funbridge with the Equinox Arena, a brand-new BP1000 tournament.
How it works:
- Qualification rounds scored in percentage, like standard BP1000 tournaments
- Followed by a knockout final
To win the Equinox Arena, players will therefore need to perform well in both matchpoint-style tournaments and IMP scoring. A complete challenge that promises high-level matchups.ontations de haut niveau.
💬 What was your highlight of February on Funbridge?
An exceptional deal?
A tournament you particularly enjoyed?
Share your experience in the comments… and see you in March for another exciting month of competition on Funbridge!
