Psychic Bridge Bid
An intentionally misleading call
or bluff which departs from accepted partnership agreements or is otherwise
designed to confuse the opponents. Psychic bids attempt to provide an
illusion of strength or length in a given suit, thus concealing the weakness
of one's hand. Of course, since trust and confidence are cornerstones
of partnership bidding, psychic bidding can be disruptive to both sides. A
few systems, such as Roth-Stone and Kaplan-Sheinwold utilize disciplined
psychic bids in certain situations.
For mainline Bridge
bidders, the
psychic bidder seems to throw caution into the wind, walking where angels
fear to tread. Many players have bitter-sweet experiences with
psyches, be it by an unscrupulous opponent, cunning partner, or
self-inflicted from within. But before discussing the details, let’s define
the psych bid itself. Most would agree a psych is a bid that is a gross
misstatement of a player’s honor strength or suit length. The Official
Encyclopedia of Bridge goes on, saying, “A bid that bears little
resemblance to a logical choice for the hand in either a natural sense or as
a conventional or systemic partnership agreement.”
Interestingly, when it comes to a player’s strength and suit length, beauty
is in the eye of the beholder. Back in February 1978, the ACBL Bulletin
published the famous “Don Oakie” opinion of what constitutes an excessive
deviation to Law 40,
Partnership Understandings. In essence, Don defined a normal deviation
as, “A bid in which the strength of the hand is within a queen of the agreed
or announced strength, and the bid is of a suit of ample length or of
Notrump; the length of a suit varies by no more than one card from the
agreed or announced length.” (See the
ACBL Duplicate
Decisions, Law 40” for details). While Don’s guideline was helpful for
players and Bridge Directors, over the years many creative bidders have
pushed the envelope with some success on Don’s restrictive ruling. For
instance, most seasoned players would relate to significant player
“deviations” on what constitutes the proper strength for a strong 2 Club
opener.
Consider these hands:
A K Q J 10 9 7 6 5 7 5 4 2
--
A K Q 10 9 8 J 10 9 8 7 6 4 --
According to the ACBL, opening 2 Clubs with either of these hands is
acceptable if, “in the view of the bidder, there is a reasonable chance for
game in hand with little or no help from partner.” Hmm, so indeed the
classic cliché has an element of truth, “beauty is in the eye of the
beholder!”
At any rate,
for the purposes of our discussion, let’s simplify the issue by agreeing
that a player has psyched when their strength falls under 50 percent of
partnership strength agreements, or the suit length is several cards less
than expected.
Next, let’s
explore the motivation of the psych. Certainly the most common reason folks
psych is to obstruct the opponents from finding their best contract. Yet a
player might also make a bid for its merit on lead direction. A classic
example is the overcall; over the years, the strength (and length) for the
overcall seem to get lighter and lighter. Today many players would happily
overcall 1 Spade holding A Q J 3 2 with little else, especially
considering favorable vulnerability. True, these days players expect
overcalls could be light – duplicate players make this clear on the back of
their convention card. But what about opening 1 Diamond holding only K Q
J 3 2 in honor strength with favorable vulnerability? Definitely a
psych! Now then, again with favorable vulnerability, what might you open the
same hand in third seat? Those who like “action” might go anywhere from 1 to
3 Diamonds, with some creative bidders testing the water with a 1 Notrump
call. Let’s rate these bids:
1D = clearly a psych, albeit nice lead
direction
2D = definitely fits within Don Oakie’s normal deviation
3D = at best a semi-psych (deceptive tactical bid), even with an
outside Queen or four card side suit and using the “Rule
of 2-3-4”
In their
book, “The
Art of Psychic Bidding,” Julian Pottage and Peter Burrows identified two
general categories of psychic bids:
Blunderbuss Bridge Psyche
As we saw with the 3 Diamond bid above, the Blunderbuss
blasts a high-level bid, typically preemptive with the intent to consume
bidding space. As its name suggest, the blunderbuss fires lethal projectiles
over a wide path, at best reaching the opponent but perhaps inflicting
mortal damage to friendly forces.
Rapier Bridge Psyche
The rapier
psyche typically begins with a low-level bid which deliberately misleads players regarding
the bidder’s suit shape. Recall the psych bidder who opens 1 Notrump holding
something like:
4 3 2 3 2 K Q J 3 2
4 3 2
If the
bidder’s intention was to ultimately flee to 2D or 3D when
doubled, the tactic would be considered a rapier – thrust and retreat. An
initial bid of 1S would be a more classic form of the rapier. Note:
if the rapier was not already dangerous enough, doing so with extreme
shortness can be especially disastrous since partner is more likely to have
length in the suit and make a monstrous jump in the short suit! Some of
those who say psyches are akin to the boomerang (likely to come back and
whack the perpetrator), are probably in this category. Assuming a
partnership does not have the Gambling
3 Notrump bid in their conventional arsenal, a player might also try the
rapier 1S third seat opening bid holding:
3 2 4 3 2 2 A K Q J 4 3
2
If necessary,
the rapier bidder hopes to stall the opponents’ bidding. If the auction gets
lively, the rapier will repeatedly rebid Clubs, hoping partner will
eventually figure out the psych based on the opponents’ bidding. This
illustrates the psycher’s dilemma, requiring one’s partner to believe the
opponents instead of the supposed trustworthy partner. Perhaps this is the
origin of the tongue-in-cheek term “Center Hand Opponent!”
Here's an example of
a classic rapier psyche by Zia, perpetrated against unsuspecting opponents
at the 2010 World Bridge Series Championship.
Yet the psych
aficionado will go so far as to provide gradations of the notorious psych.
Baby Bridge Psych
This category is less obnoxious, yet still creating an element of
confusion. Perhaps partner opens 1H, with right hand opponent
doubling and you bid 1S holding:
2 5 4 3 2 5 4 3 2 5 4 3
2
Mini Bridge Psych
As we discussed above, our third hand opener with a short 2-3 card suit
falls in the category of a mini psych, as does the 3 level third seat opener
holding a 5 card minor (especially bidding 3 Clubs). Another classic mini
psych eluded to earlier was the 1D opener holding:
Q 3 2 3 2 K Q J 3 2 4 3 2
Another
favorite rapier mini psych is the 1 Notrump response holding a bust hand
with a great fit in partner's suit. The mini psycer plans belated support of
partner's suit when opponents jump into the auction. To illustrate this
tactic, let's say partner opened 1H, where responder bids 1N
holding:
3 2 J 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3
2
Maxi Bridge Psych
While the maxi has enough strength to justify a bid, the shape constitutes
a distortion of the call. Perhaps you have an 18 count and envision a jump
rebid of 2 Notrump holding:
K Q 2 A Q 2 4 3 2 A Q J
10
A normal
opening bid would be 1C, rebidding 2N. Yet an opening bid of
1D might inhibit the left hand opponent from leading Diamonds when
the partnership winds up in a 3 Notrump contract. However, be careful doing
this with a doubleton, as the auction could result in a passout around the
table (a suicide psych?)
Incidentally, “walking the dog” technically does not constitute a psych but
is merely a bidding strategy. Perhaps you overcall 1S with an 8 card
major that’s a two-suiter with a 4
Losing Trick Count hand; you intend to slowly bid up to 4S,
hoping to draw a double and make game when the bidding reaches a level
perceived unmakeable by the opponents. Walking the dog falls in the realm of
everyday bidding.
Making a
third seat preemptive 2 or 3 level bid when holding full opening values and
a 5 card suit might be either a strategic bid or a maxi psych, depending on
your point of view. Perhaps you are concerned the opponents will find a
Spade fit, so you choose to open 2H holding something like:
2 A K Q 3 2 K 4 3 2 4 3
2
The matriarch of the psychic
bidding dates back to 1931 by Dorothy Rice Sims. Bridge was in its heyday
during this era, as psychic bidding swept the Bridge tournament circuit. All
this was followed by millions of avid Bridge readers who followed the
psychic pros in newspaper columns. To fuel the fire, in 1932 Dorothy
published her works, titled “Psychic Bidding.” Even the legendary Ely
Culbertson, who professed to be opposed to the psych, occasionally found its
strategic use in tournament play. Yet aside from Ely’s Bridge prowess, he
was arguably the most successful Bridge marketer the game has ever seen.
Thus, in Ely’s official “Culbertson System” that made him millions of
dollars during the Great Depression, Ely stressed the importance of
partnership harmony. Good advice Ely, and with that let’s examine psyches in
the wild.
Even before Dorothy’s movement
caught fire, the great Sidney Lenz wrote about the evils of the “Shift Bid.”
The opener tried a bizarre 1 Notrump opener holding:
A K Q 9 3 2
A Q 6
A Q 7
5
Sitting to the left of the
opener with a solid 7 card Club suit, Lenz passed as did the table. The
result was down one instead of a cold Spade slam! Surprisingly, the declarer
tried to chide Sidney for not bidding his long suit! Ah, how times have
changed.
Returning
to Dorothy Sims, in the famous Culbertson- Sims match, she held:
A 9 7
J 10 5 4
A K J 4 2
J
Back in those days, players
opened a four card major, so Dorothy had a tough decision choosing between
the weak Heart suit and the honor bound Diamond minor. Certainly the hand is
not suitable for a Diamond-Heart
reverse call. Instead, Dorothy got creative, opening 1 Club -
Dorothy was noted for bidding in such a way to ensure her husband Hal’s
strong declarer play would prevail. We’ve previously spoken here about the “Rule
of Anticipation” and, sure enough, Hal jumps to 7 Clubs. This
time the luck was with Dorothy as Hal presented a beautiful dummy:
5
A Q 6 2
--
A K Q 9 8 6 5 3
With the
Heart King onside, Dorothy pulled trump and easily made the grand
slam.
Let’s jump forward to the 1966
Bermuda Bowl. In third seat with favorable vulnerability sat Eric Murray,
who ventured a mini-psych holding:
9 3
Q 8 7 6 5 4 2
9 6
10 6
Certainly the stars were in
ideal position for the mini- psych. Eric had to know his Left Hand Opponent
held a proverbial rock crusher, and Eric’s seat and vulnerability provided
an irresistible temptation to do something. And although one might argue the
Heart suit does not conform to the standard definition of “self sustaining,”
many would agree the hand is 7- 8
Losing Trick Count. At any rate, sitting to his left was the Italian’s
Walter Avarelli who jumped to 3 Notrump holding:
A K 7
A J
K Q 10 7
A K Q 8
Unfortunately, Walter’s
partner did not realize he was a “card rack,” missing the slam bonus found
at the other table where the auction was not impeded; Bob Hamman began 3
Notrump, bidding 4 Diamonds after Lew Mathe’s Stayman bid, who
subsequently signed off in 6 Notrump (making 7). Today many bidders
overcall using the following step sequence with stoppers:
15-17 = 1 Notrump
18-20 = Double followed by Notrump
21-23 = Double followed by jump in Notrump
Speaking of Notrump overcalls,
recall last month we covered the “rapier,” a low-level bid intended to
deliberately mislead opponents regarding the bidder’s suit shape.
10 9 7 6
K 8 2
7
K Q 10 6 4
J 8 4 A K Q 2
J 10 3 A 9 7 6 5
Q 9 8 2
A J 8 7 9 5 2
5 3
Q 4
A K J 10 6 5 4 3
3
West North East South
1H 1N
2H X P 3D
P 3N P P
X XX AP
Here our psycher was Pamela
Granovetter, not known to attempt a rapier. Unfortunately, hubby Matthew
didn’t recognize the psych after Pamela pulled his Double to 3
Diamonds. After the smoke cleared, Pamela was down six for a whopping
3600!
While Matthew was not a
stranger to an occasional psych (having earlier opened 1H with zero
points), pointed out it only makes sense to psych in the first seat before
the opponents get in the bidding. But as the saying goes, imitation is the
most sincere form of flattery. From Pamela’s perspective, Matthew ignored
the aggregate bidding. But as often happens, the psychic bidder mistakenly
assumed partner is at least as creative as the psycher – a fateful
conclusion. Pamela felt Matthew mistakenly deduced she had the requisite
points to overcall Notrump but not the requisite shape (perhaps a 3=1=5=4
hand). Thus, hubby Redoubled 3 Notrump to show a Heart stopper and,
never having seen his bride psych, figured their contract was secure
(ignoring West’s freebid). We close with Matthew’s immortal words, “I'm
beginning to think that for partnership bridge, psyching is self
destructive.”
Perhaps Matthew would relate
to this psych, taken from “Psychological
Strategy in Contract Bridge” .” (pg 107)
A Q 2
8 2
K 6 5 3
Q 7 6 4
K J 9 5 4 3 10 6
A 7 K 4
A Q 7 9 8 4 2
J 9 A K 10 8 2
8 7
Q J 10 9 6 5 3
J 10
5 3
West North East South
1H
1S 1N 2C P
2S AP
Despite the offside SA-SQ
and HK, East-West missed their Spade game. Chalk one up for the
psycher. Earlier we saw how Matt couldn’t believe Pam’s psych. Next, we will
see how the converse is doubly (sic) true. We have all heard the story about
the little boy who cried wolf one too many times. Sure enough, Bridge
players may suffer the same epitaph:
A K Q
7 6 2
A K 10 6 5 3
5
J 9 7 5 10 6 4
K J 9 8 5 A 4
9 8 7 2
3 2 10 9 8 7 6 4
8 3 2
Q 10 3
Q J 4
A K Q J
This hand comes from the 1997 McCallan Pairs held in London. Most players
bid 6D, going down. Michael Rosenberg and Seymon Deutsch were among
the lucky few that made slam, even though Zia Mahmood sitting East, doubled
Hearts for lead direction. So why didn’t Michael go down, you ask? Well, a
few boards earlier Zia made a psychic lead directing Double with
three inconsequential cards when the opponents cuebid a suit. That time it
worked well, seducing the opponents to misplay the hand. So Zia’s partner,
Gabriel Chagas, figured his partner was up to his old tricks. Thus, Gabriel
led a Spade instead of his HA to set the contract after Zia’s
HK. As the saying goes, “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!”
Most advanced Bridge players are aware of the mantra, “anything goes in
third seat.” (especially with favorable vulnerability) Witness the
Blunderbuss in action – akin to the shotgun spewing projectiles in every
direction (heads down, partner):
10 8 7 6 4 3
A 10 6
K Q 6
7
A K Q 2
K J 9 8 7 5 2 Q 3
A J 10 8 7 5 4 3 2
A K 4 2
J 9 5
4
9
Q J 10 9 8 6 5 3
Playing in the 1967 Vanderbilt
Team Championship, Martin Cohn opened 3H sitting in third seat,
definitely earning the “Gross Misstatement” award! West hoped his Pass
would be converted to Penalty Pass but East passed out the
auction. At the other table South proved not to be a shrinking violet and
opened 5C, overcalled 5H by West. North could not resist
doubling the contract, but alas, the contract made with an overtrick.
And who said Bridge can’t be as risky as poker?
Those who follow international
competition have seen psyches like this one, albeit usually not with such a
devastating result:
K Q 8 3
A J 3 2
10
8 5 3 2
J 10 7 6 3
K 10 8 5 Q 7
A K 7 Q J 8 6 2
A 9 6 K Q J 10
A 9 5 4
9 6 4
9 5 4 3
7 4
West North East South
P P 1H
P 3H P P
X AP
It was 1957, the United States
playing Italy. Koychou, sitting South tried a risky 1H with all
vulnerable. Sitting West was Walter Avarelli who smoothly passed, awaiting a
positive development. Apparently Koychou and partner Harold Ogust did not
play
Drury, so Harold’s 3H seemed like the perfect bid. Walter could
hardly believe the gift, Doubling the contract and was awarded 1100
points for his patience. As we said last month, sometimes the psychic
boomerang hits the wrong target. One could easily imagine dinner
conversation was strained for the U.S. team that evening!
Now let’s view an Appeal of a
psych, taken from the
Spring 2003 Philadelphia NABC. First the hands:
K Q 3 2
J 10
A K Q 5 4 3
Q
J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
A 8 5 K 9 6 4
-- 9 8 6 2
10 5 2 K J 8 4
A
Q 7 3 2
J 10 7
A 9 7 6 3
West North East South
1C* X 2C
2D X P P
2S X AP
North’s 1C* was
Precision, showing 16+ points and East’s Double ostensibly showed Clubs and
Hearts. When the dummy came down, the defenders summoned the Director,
claiming East had “fielded” West’s 2D psych. The Director ruled there
was not any evidence to support the assertion (Law
40), letting the score stand. Afterwards, the defenders persisted,
filing an Appeal. While the Committee ascertained East/West had played
Bridge together in excess of 20 years, North/South’s bidding promised
game-going values. Thus, West’s 2 Spade bid could not be interpreted
to show interest in competing to win the auction. The Committee noted
North’s Double of East’s 2 Diamonds demonstrated they had a method to
expose the psychic bid. Their confusion in follow-up bidding was not the
fault of East/West – it was North/South who did not appear to know their
best follow-up action. The Appeal team went on to note that given East’s
poor holding, the pair aggressively competed with favorable vulnerability
against the strong Club system.
For a comprehensive book on
the psych, we encourage you to read “The
Art of Psychic Bidding,” Julian Pottage and Peter Burrows. Fred Karpin’s
“Psychological
Strategy in Contract Bridge” also has many illustrative hands showing
beneficial and detrimental psych hands including some wonderful humor. In
the 1950 Master Pairs Championship, South opened 1H with 6 Hearts and
A-K-Q-J. No, the honors were not in Hearts, instead one in each suit
(a nasty holding, regardless of the fact Matthew Granovetter might
understand the semi-psych, since the bid was made in the first seat).
Unfortunately, North made a strong jump shift, inviting slam. Rather than
Pass (see next article), South rebid Hearts and North bid 4N,
Ace-asking. Sometimes a lie gets out of hand and so South bid 5C,
showing no Aces. This time South figured if North could signoff in 6N
when South held no Aces, certainly South could be a hero by bidding 7N.
Apparently North read the conventional response as showing two Aces
and jumped to 7N without assistance! Holding the trump Ace, East
found an easy Double with South going down 800. Next, our psycher
asked partner to fetch a Coke. Returning with a Coke and a beer, psycher
South grabbed the beer. Again befuddled, North chortled , “I thought you
wanted a Coke.” Not missing a beat, South chimed, “Gosh, partner, can’t you
recognize a psych?”
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