[nick_]

Hello,
I recently played in a BBO tournament as a sub (I had never previously played with my partner before), my partner opened 2D (sayc) with 7 points and 4 diamonds. I raised optimistically to 4S with 11 points and 6 good spades (ok poor bidding I agree). The opps called the director who then converted the result of 4S -2 to 4S-4 because 'psyches' were not permitted in the tournament. Please note the rules of the touranment was blank!
I have the following questions:
a) Is this common place to ban psyches ( or mis bids) ? and to punish them by adjusting scores ?
b ) I believe psyches are an intrinsic part of bridge and therefore the concept of 'psyche' free bridge IMHO reduces the skill (and therefore the fun) of the game. Do others agree ?
c) Did the 2D bid with only 4 cards in the suit qualify as a psyche or was it just a poor bid ?
d) If your answer to c) was yes, were the opponents damaged enough to warrant an adjustment of 2 tricks ?

Thanks and regards,

Nick.

Surrey,
England.

[inquiry]

ON SOAP BOX.... Tournaments that bar psyches, or bar psyches in first or second chair are not real bridge

OFF SOAP BOX

Having said that, directors can pretty much run their tournaments like they want. Bar systems or conventions, and yes bar psyhces. Of course, it is sometime hard to tell what is a psyche and what is not.

But any tourney that has funny "non-bridge" rules, such as no psyches, should make those rules clearly visible in both the tournament description and the tournament rules.

I don't play in such tourneys if I can help it. (Well there is one, but I happen to like the TD, just not the way the event is run).

[Walddk]

Hi Nick. Welcome to the forums!

1) No, but some TDs ban psyches and they are entitled to do that.

2) Yes, to a certain extent. I think it's ok to ban psyches in tourneys for beginners and intermediates.

3) Yes to both. A weak 2 with only 4 cards is a significant distortion. It's also a poor bid.

4) No. If the tournament rules didn't specify that psyches were disallowed, no-one has been damaged and the table result should stand.

Roland

[mr1303]

For what it's worth, a ruling of 4♠-4 when the table result was 4♠-2 is not allowed.

Either psyches are permitted, in which table result stands, or psyches are not permitted, in which case it is treated in the same way as an illegal convention, and the correct ruling is Ave- to the offenders and Ave+ to the non-offenders.

[paulg]

mr1303, on Jul 10 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

For what it's worth, a ruling of 4♠-4 when the table result was 4♠-2 is not allowed.

Either psyches are permitted, in which table result stands, or psyches are not permitted, in which case it is treated in the same way as an illegal convention, and the correct ruling is Ave- to the offenders and Ave+ to the non-offenders.

Many bodies forbid the psyching of conventional bids at some levels of the game. So partial bans of psyches is common and considered lawful.

Although the above policy is reasonable (actually Ave- or their actual score if worse) it is only the EBU's scheme as the Laws fail to prescribe the penalty for playing an illegal convention: for example, I seem to recall that the ACBL has no such published policy on how to deal with this.

And when you are playing a game outside the Laws the Director is entitled to make any adjustment - this may not be bridge as we know it but you can judge its popularity from the tourneys that offer it.

Paul

[Miron]

IMHO: The bridge law allows to psych, it is explicitly said there - player is allowed to choose any bid (even deceptive unless it is not unannounced agreement - my czech2english translation). The director cannot and should not be more then the law.

I can understand ban in newbee tournament with also some system limits (no brownsticker etc.), but not elsewhere. But even here it is against the bridge law (I understand the ban, I don't agree with it).

[Echognome]

Miron, on Jul 11 2006, 07:34 AM, said:

(even deceptive unless it is not unannounced agreement - my czech2english translation)

The jargon in English is Concealed Partnership Understanding (CPU).