Vil's Views on Syching
Friday Psyche
The bidding on this hand, played on a recent Friday afternoon, has been brought to my attention - with a query as to what I would do as the Director if I were called to the table after the hand was played.
Board 12 Dealer W NS Vul
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A52This was the auction:
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Pass | Pass | Pass |
1 | Pass | 1 | 1 1 |
| 1NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
1. (!!)
Nothing was said about East’s 1S bid and South made 4NT. Much later, when the bidding came to my notice, I was appalled and suggested the Director should have been called immediately after the play. I was then asked for my opinion about the bidding and how I might have ruled had I been called to the table after the play, when South would have realised that East had made an outrageous psyche.
Psyches are not illegal, but as I read the rule book, they must not be in any way part of any partnership understanding and must mislead partner just the same way that they mislead opponents. My own view about psyches is that there should be no room for them in any game of bridge, if you want to psyche, play poker. But be that as it may, they are allowed, but not if your partner knows more about them than your opponents. That is why we have a Psyche Register at the club, where these things are recorded so that the regular psychers can be monitored and kept in check. But that register does not seem to be used at all, and few players even know it is there. I suggest if someone has psyched against you, and you realise it at the time, call the Director and see what he decides.
Tactical Bids vs Psyches. Don’t just call the Director any time someone takes an optimistic view of his hand and opens with a poor hand when you think he should not have. Learn to recognise the difference between TACTICAL bids and PSYCHES. Typical ‘tactical bids’ are light ‘third in hand’ openings with say 9 or 10 HCP, or a weak two with only five cards. Such Tactical bids I’m all in favour of, because they can be a two edged sword and do damage to both sides. PSYCHES such as East’s in this deal, I have no time for and believe they should be punished according to the laws of bridge.
In this particular case, I would rule as follows: East was entitled to bid 1S, which was clearly a psyche. BUT why did WEST not then bid 2S, having such a great hand in support? Whatever the reason, and I’m not suggesting that West wasn’t totally innocent, the evidence points to at least an inference that West had some ‘unauthorised information’ and West’s PASS could have been based on that. Had West bid his hand how most people would, he would have bid at least to 2S. I polled a number of Open and lower grade players, and they were almost unanimous that West would have bid 2S at least, or even doubled South’s 1NT. As the Director I would then have adjusted the score to 2S DOUBLED by East. Since NS can make nine tricks in a spade contract, NS would have been awarded a score of +500. Harsh? You be the judge.
Some suggestions for the readers:
1. Do NOT psyche.
2. If you suspect an opponent has psyched (after the hand has been played) then call the Director.
3. Make sure your opponents’ psyches get entered into the register.
4. Let us all try and eliminate the psyche virus from all our sessions! Bridge is complicated enough without adding poker to it.
