[nigel_k]

bluejak, on Aug 5 2009, 11:10 PM, said:

Either you are pregnant, or you aren't: either a psyche was fielded or it was not.

The above quote is from another thread. I just wanted to clarify this separately because I'm not sure I agree with and/or understand what David said.

I'd suggest that fielding a psych means you chose action X over action Y where Y is more effective if partner has his bid and X is more effective if he is psyching. This can be done unintentionally, e.g. the possibility of a psych never occurred to you and you chose X just because you wrongly judged it to be better than Y.

So in order to know whether a psych was fielded, you have to make difficult bridge judgments about the merits of various actions, the same as when an action is taken by a player who has UI. It's not a clearcut either/or situation.

Can I also ask what the director should do in the case where a psych has been fielded? Does intention matter or is it like UI where your entirely innocent normal action can be cancelled if other players would have chosen something else?

[bluejak]

Long experience on various forums have shown that the term fielding is used as two different things. The majority use the term to mean allowing illegally for partner's psyche/misbid/deviation. There is a minority use that uses the term to mean allowing for it in a way that may or may not be illegal. I always use the term in the majority way: it is defined that way in England: I feel because it is the majority and has a specific meaning that it is best to use the term in that fashion and ask people to do so here.

[Cascade]

What makes allowing for a psyche illegal?

[RMB1]

Cascade, on Aug 6 2009, 01:50 AM, said:

What makes allowing for a psyche illegal?

Good question. It is worth reiterating the legal position.

Allowing for a psyche when it is not clear from general bridge knowledge that partner has pscyhed is evidence of an (implicit) partnership understanding: a concealed partnership understanding is illegal.

Robin

[Cascade]

RMB1, on Aug 6 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

Cascade, on Aug 6 2009, 01:50 AM, said:

What makes allowing for a psyche illegal?

Good question. It is worth reiterating the legal position.

Allowing for a psyche when it is not clear from general bridge knowledge that partner has pscyhed is evidence of an (implicit) partnership understanding: a concealed partnership understanding is illegal.

Robin

Are you quoting a rule?

[bluejak]

No, he was politely explaining, which is what this forum is for.

The relevant Law is:

Law 40 said:

C. Deviation from System and Psychic Action

1. A player may deviate from his side’s announced understandings always provided that his partner has no more reason to be aware of the deviation than have the opponents. Repeated deviations lead to implicit understandings which then form part of the partnership’s methods and must be disclosed in accordance with the regulations governing disclosure of system. If the Director judges there is undisclosed knowledge that has damaged the opponents he shall adjust the score and may award a procedural penalty.