[Benoit35]

As West, you hold:

♠Q8
♥J9532
♦K8
♣J943

Love all, North deals and opens :
(1♠) - 1NT - (X) - XX
(2♦) - P - (3♣) - P
(3NT) - P - (P) - ???

[helene_t]

D means queen, right?

I would double. Somebody has overbid but I trust partner. My ♦K may be useless but my clubs assure that declarer can't run that suit immediately.

[Benoit35]

Hint/Spoiler:

Spoiler

Any ethical issues?

[JLOL]

I've already redoubled with my 7 count and now the opps are bidding 3N and partner has passed. Doubling this would really mean my head was in the sand.

[mtvesuvius]

Pass. Partner has probably psyched, but it's possible that LHO has 13, P has 14, we have 7 and RHO has AQTxxx♣ or something... Otherwise partner must have psyched. Therefore, I pass, I've already XXed, if partner cannot X, then I certainly cannot...

[helene_t]

I think opps are messing it up. Why would LHO first run from 1NTxx and then bid 3NT? Either he thinks 3♣ shows extras, or his 3NT is meant as running away from a worse 3♣ contract. Yeah I know I have played too much in weak fields, I guess against good opps I would have to conclude that p has psyched.

[Codo]

Partners thoughts:
I showed my 16-18 HCPs with my 1 NT bid, but maybe pd psyched his Xx, or he thought that this is part of our runout cheme and I must bid 2 Clubs. So I better pass now. He is in the pass out seat, so he surely will bid when he has his promised values. I have my bid, no need to double 3 NT.

But unluckily, pd passes and a golden opportunity is missed. Opener opened with KTxxx, Qxx,AQxxx,V and responder double with xx,xx, xxx,AKTxxx.

Quite unlucky that they are allowed to play it undoubled.

I sat opposite a 1 NT psych once, doubled and redoubled. They reached 6 NT, so even I saw that pd psyched.

[jdonn]

Doubling on this is a sign that someone doesn't know how to think about bridge. I toiled over this post for about 2 minutes but couldn't think of any more accurate way to put it.

[Benoit35]

I'll post the full board later today, but here are some follow-up questions (full spoiler alert):

#1:

Spoiler

West passes and NS makes 12 tricks. At the other tables, 6NT was bid and made 90% of the time. Turns out, East - OK, if you insist, I - psyched the 1NT overcall with nothing but the King of clubs. If you're the tournament director, what do you think about West's handling of the situation? (By the way, 3NTx+3 = 850, still less than 6NT = 990.)

#2:

Spoiler

West was a "beginner", but a competent one. He was completely oblivious of the psych. Does this affect your ruling?

#3:

Spoiler

South had 18 hcp (AQ in all three lower suits), yet failed to explore slam, let alone make a forcing bid. Does this affect your ruling?

Last thoughts:

Spoiler

This board, playing pick-up bridge on BBO, made me realize that psyching could put a B/I partner in an ethical fix of which he might not be aware, and thus put him under suspicion when his bidding was simply a result of his lack of experience. He passed because he was a beginner, but I thought a more advanced player's pass would look an awful lot like fielding a psych.

Fortunately in this case, it seems the opposition didn't even notice the psych - ever! We moved on to the next board and the next and the next, deafening silence blaring from the chat box...

[mtvesuvius]

Benoit35, on Jan 22 2009, 11:52 AM, said:

I'll post the full board later today, but here are some follow-up questions (full spoiler alert):

#1:

Spoiler

West has passed and NS makes 12 tricks.  6NT was bid and made 90% of the time.  Turns out, East - OK, if you insist, I - psyched the 1NT overcall with nothing but the King of spades.  If you're the tournament director, what do you think about West's handling of the situation?  (By the way, 3NTx+3 = 850, still less than 6NT = 990.)

#2:

Spoiler

West was a "beginner", but a competent one.  He was completely oblivious of the psych.  Does this affect your ruling?

#3:

Spoiler

South had 18 hcp (AQ in all three lower suits), yet failed to explore slam, let alone make a forcing bid.  Does this affect your ruling?

Last thoughts:

Spoiler

This board, playing pick-up bridge on BBO, made me realize that psyching could put a B/I partner in an ethical fix of which he might not be aware.  He passed because he was a beginner, but I think a more advanced player's pass would look an awful lot like fielding a psych.

My Response (Hidden b/c of spoilers)

Spoiler

1. The bidding has revealed to West that partner has psyched, this is LEGAL information assumed from the bidding. I would let the result stand. If the director truely feels it's nessesary, he can adjust to 3NT X +3 for 850... A striped ape X

2. No. West made a decision, maybe a bad one, but a decision.

3. I don't think so... I let the result stand, south also bad a bad decision, but it was blatantly obvious that East had psyched.

4. This is true, but a player cannot ignore inferences on the table during the bidding.

My Ruling: Result Stands. South should have known that it was a psych, West can know that it's a psych b/c he can count to 40. East has the right to psych, and in fact it was a good one.

[Benoit35]

The complete board:

Scoring: IMP

---

[gwnn]

The 1NT was right on shape, but a little light on values.

[Benoit35]

Nay, it was maximum. Really.

[Phil]

Does partner always psyche a vulnerable 1N at red with no escape suit? This is the bridge equivalent of the movie Crank. Looking at my hand, a psyche is possible, but partner has some sort of runout, but that seems impossible.

I would have doubled 3N. I think the opponents have had a serious train wreck. If I don't double here is there ever a hand that I would double on?

I also think pard might have misread my xx. If we play systems on after a 1N overcall, xx might be a runout. I can't tell.

[jdonn]

Phil, on Jan 22 2009, 10:11 PM, said:

I would have doubled 3N. I think the opponents have had a serious train wreck. If I don't double here is there ever a hand that I would double on?

I wonder the opposite question. If you double on this, is there a (strength showing) redouble you WOULDN'T double on??

[JLOL]

lol of course there is no hand you would double this auction on, partner has clearly psyched so you shouldn't be doubling unless you have them set in your own hand. There are not 60 HCP in the deck.

[Benoit35]

Quote

Does partner always psyche a vulnerable 1N at red with no escape suit?

LOL, if that were the case it wouldn't be a psyche would it? (This was white btw.)

Looking at things with the West cards, I see three possibilities:

(1) NS have messed up and reached an impossible 3NT (having at most 18 hcp between them) - gotta double.
(2) North has some freak distribution which will allow him to make 3NT and/or my unknown partner has made a light (say 12-14) overcall, in which case I'm looking at a bad score - a 4♥ sac might be a tempting option there.
(3) Partner has psyched, and we should pass.

Are we allowed to consider (3) possibility, or is "fielding a psyche" forbidden unless we have 100% evidence from the bidding?

Quote

There are not 60 HCP in the deck.

LOL no, only 50! (NS have 26 cause they bid game, and EW have 22-24.)

[mtvesuvius]

Benoit35, on Jan 22 2009, 11:13 PM, said:

Are we allowed to consider (3) possibility, or is "fielding a psyche" forbidden unless we have 100% evidence from the bidding?

We are 100000% sure from the bidding. 14 + 14 + 8 + 7 does not equal 40.

[JLOL]

This thread is just so LOL... we announced that we could make 1N XXed and the opps then bid 3N and partner has passed... we are not fielding a psyche when we pass we are just being bridge players jeez.

[mtvesuvius]

JLOL, on Jan 22 2009, 11:18 PM, said:

This thread is just so LOL... we announced that we could make 1N XXed and the opps then bid 3N and partner has passed... we are not fielding a psyche when we pass we are just being bridge players jeez.

So LOL it already!