[han]

Playing online with the right (wrong?) people, I get to see a lot of psyches. Some are great, some have little effect, and others create disasters. What makes a psyche a good psyche? Here are some examples:

Pass pass to you, would you open 1NT? How about 1M?

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Pass pass to you, would you open 1NT? How about 1M?

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Pass pass to you, would you open 1NT? How about 1M?

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I'm sure that you can think of many more. Which psyches are likely to be winners in a serious high-level game?

[DrTodd13]

Hand 1:
The flatness of the outside suits makes me somewhat fear a psyche here, but if I am going to psyche then, #include <hrothgars_standard_mixed_strategy_rant>. Open 2♦ sometimes, 3♦ sometimes, 1N sometimes, 1♠ sometimes, 1♥ sometimes, pass sometimes.

Hand 2:
See no reason to psyche here. Want to get to the right spot and just try to right side the contract.

Hand 3:
Again, mixed strategy. 2♠ sometimes, 2N sometimes, 3N sometimes, 3♥ sometimes, 4♥ sometimes, Pass sometimes.

[Walddk]

1. No. I would bid 2♦ or 3♦ depending on the vulnerability.
2. No. I would bid 2♦, just like I would at the bridge table.
3. Maybe. NV against Vul I might try 3NT.

I psyche once every other year on average. It's not my style, and I strongly believe that it's not the way forward, regardless of level!

Roland

[fred]

My opinions:

Hand 1: 1NT is a reasonable psych, especially if your opponents play a convention (like DONT) that does not allow them to make a penalty double.

Psyching 1H or 1S is not a good idea. You could get lucky, but you are more likely to go for a number.

Hand 2: It would be insane to psych unless perhaps you desperately needed a top board or a large IMP swing and have little confidence in your partnership's ability to generate such a result simply by playing well.

As a general rule I would say that psyching in the early rounds of bidding when you have a strong hand is very bad idea.

Hand 3: Bidding 3NT is not likely to work as well as bidding 4H if you are playing against strong opponents. Still, I don't think it is totally unreasonable to make some kind of psych on a hand like this (though I doubt I would do this myself).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Kalvan14]

1. I would not psyche: 3♦ is good enough.
2. Never ever. We hold the majority of the points.
3. Maybe. I'd like better something like 3♦, if it is forcing (or at least a game try). If my LHO holds length/strength in diamonds he might be reluctant to bid. 3N is a bit smelly (and oppos have something like 27-28 points, so a double is quite likely).

Possibly, the best psyches come when pard opens 1m, and you bid 1♠ on 2 cards, hoping to be in misfit.
My experience is that psyches can work, but must be subtle, and very rarely used. There was that British guy (forgot the name) in the 1950s who was notorious for opening 1♠ in psyche. It was another age, and I'm sure that he had very good judgment: just the notoriety, however, made psyches unlikely to succeed (unless you went for a double bluff; or a triple one )

[Free]

1: I'd just bid 3♦, never 1M. 1NT might be a winner when opps don't have a penalty Dbl, but I'd rather just take as much bidding space away as possible without smoking myself.

2: No, strong hands don't need psyching in the early rounds. What do you expect partner to do when he has 4♣ and a monster hand? He'll try for slam instead of your 3NT.

3: bidding 3NT on such hands rarely helps. If you want to sacrifice in 4♥, do it immediatly. Everyone knows what 3NT might mean in such situations, so the Dbl from LHO will expose the 'psych' anyway. Imo this qualifies better for a 2♠ psych, or just an immediate 5♥ raise.


A hand I psyched recently in 1st seat with success was following:

Scoring: MP

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I opened 1NT (14-16) in 1st seat NV vs V (opps had a penalty dbl available). The entire bidding went:
1NT - Dbl - pass* - pass
2♦! - pass - pass - Dbl
pass - pass - 2♠ - Dbl
all pass
* = forces me to RDbl when RHO passes
! = exposing the psych imo, but partner still didn't realise this
2♠*-3 in a 5-1 fit (instead of 2♦ in a 5-3) for a top.

[Gerben42]

My partner just psyched.

Could've worked out worse

http://online.bridgebase.com/myhands/fetch...php?id=39662557

[DrTodd13]

The one time I played with Fred, we weren't having such good luck so crazy me, Fred opens 2♠ in first seat, pass on my right, I psyche a 2N asking bid with ♠ support and something like 4 or 5 points. If the opps points had been split roughly evenly I might have gotten away with this without getting doubled in the ultimate 3♠ contract. Unfortunately, my LHO had like 20 points and doubled at every opportunity. I think it was equal vul and Fred tried valiantly but couldn't keep it to down 2 so it ended up losing IMPs.

[joshs]

DrTodd13, on Feb 2 2006, 04:27 PM, said:

Hand 1:
The flatness of the outside suits makes me somewhat fear a psyche here, but if I am going to psyche then, #include <hrothgars_standard_mixed_strategy_rant>. Open 2♦ sometimes, 3♦ sometimes, 1N sometimes, 1♠ sometimes, 1♥ sometimes, pass sometimes.

Hand 2:
See no reason to psyche here. Want to get to the right spot and just try to right side the contract.

Hand 3:
Again, mixed strategy. 2♠ sometimes, 2N sometimes, 3N sometimes, 3♥ sometimes, 4♥ sometimes, Pass sometimes.

Your comment about the flatness of the hand interests me. I think Kit Woolsey (or was it Terrance Reese?) had an example hand where the player psyched with a void and that was a losing action since it kept the opps out of a terrific grand that goes down because of the bad breaks.

As to everyone's mixed strategy rants, my usual comment about this is:
If you don't play a lot against the same players, but do play a lot with the same partner, mixed strategies actually hurt you. Its much better for partner to know what you have and the opps not. Now having said that, there is full disclosure issues here, but no one alerts mild tendancies. If you do psych the same bid with any frequency, it should become an alert.

E.G. If Partner A would overcall 2C over 1D white vs red on: xx Qxx Kx AKxxx and Partner B requires a better hand, you are much better placed if you know partner's style, especially as the opps rarely ever ask these questions. If partner would overcall xx Qxx Kx AKxxx 20% of the time and not the rest, it really doesn't make things more difficult for your opponent, just for you.

Now if you play against the same people frequently, or your hands are likely to get press, so that you have a reputation (ZIA?) then its best to not have a reputation for doing the exact same thing every time in the same situation.

Here is a bridge problem:
You hold: xxxx AJTxx Q xxx
White vs Red
2'nd seat

Auction:
(1C)-1H-(x)-3H
(3S)-P-(4H)-P
(4S)-(P)-(6S)-All Pass

A: What do you think LHO has?
B: Playing rusinow leads and 3 and low, what should you lead?
C: Does it matter if LHO was ZIA? How about someone who always has his bids?


As an aside, I find semi-bluffs to be more effective than bluffs. For instance opening a strong NT white vs red in 3'rd seat on xx Kx AKJxxxx xx. If partner bids game, you might make, but the opps are much less likely to be able to bid a major suit game over 1N than over a 1D opener.

Josh

[DrTodd13]

If a pair were intentionally using a mixed strategy then I think that pair would be more likely to disclose rather than less likely. You know Zia uses them so when you face Zia it is always in the back of your mind..."what is he up to now?" Wouldn't we all like our opps second guessing us like they do Zia? So, if possible, I would look for ways to disclose to opps that we use mixed strategies. Would doing so be sufficiently strange as to require a pre-alert? Even if it doesn't rise to that level, you could always tells opps you do it anyways. Can't possibly be a penalty for that right?

[kenrexford]

I used to be a frantic psycher. I have since grown up. However, I am convinced that extremely subtle psychic calls can be quite effective against the right (very talented) opposition.

One example of an incredibly subtle psychic occurred in Gatlinburg a few years ago, against top-notch world-class opponents.

The auction at both tables was identical except for two bids:

1H-1S-2H-2S-3H-3S-4H-4S-X-P-P-P. 4S was a good sacrifice.
1H-1S-1NT-2S-3H-3S-4H-P-P-P.

This theme can be played out in many auctions, where the side with first knowledge of the Total Tricks situation distorts it slightly. For example, 1x-1Y-1Z-1NT or 1X-1Y-X-1NT when advancer has a three-card or even four-card fit.

The parallel to this, of course, is to feign a better fit than is actually held. This includes raising preempts without sufficient backup (even void raises work occasionally) and the like.

One of my favorite auctions of this nature was rather humorous. Partner opened 1H, and I held three hearts and three small spades, with a minimum response. So, I ventured 1S. Partner also held three small spades and, for some cosmic alignment reason chose to raise to 2S. The opponent with AKxxx in spades liked this, but his partner, with Qx, not realizing that 2S was the par contract THE OTHER WAY, trotted out his five-card club suit, which turned out to be my partner's reason for raising spades (3505). 3C did not play well.

[Free]

On a tourney I did something similar with a 3 card ♠. However, partner didn't raise and we ended up in 2♥ for a top. Afterwards opps called the TD to register the psych, but the TD said this wasn't a psych, "it's a creative bid" Perhaps this was because he knew me...

[cherdano]

To add a different perspective: I wouldn't mind if my partner psyched on hand 1 or 3. But a psych on hand 2 would slightly upset me, it means I may make several delicate (and interesting) bidding decisions on a completely wrong basis.

Arend

[luis]

In #1 I don't mind 1NT might bid 1NT from time to time on a hand like this but I would be opening 3♦ or 4♦ a lot.

In #2 I would hate 2♣, in fact I think I never did a fake or psychic 2/1 response. I know a few players that playing strong club system take advantage of the limited opening and would bid 2♣ and then 4 of the major, if you are prepared that is not very helpful because you just treat the auction as 1M-4M with the advantage of being able to double for the lead the suit or bid a suit at the 2 level for the lead.

In #3 I don't think 3NT is a psych I would say it is a sillly way to raise to 4 :-) nobody falls into that any more so it is useless.

[Echognome]

As does Justin, I rarely ever psyche in f2f bridge (not counting kitchen bridge). In fact, one of the things I like about online bridge is that I can psyche more often as to experiment when it might work well and when it will be a disaster. Furthermore, since I do not play online with my most regular partners, they will not become accustomed to it and I feel that is better ethically as well.

As per Hannie's hands,

Hand I: I might psyche a strong NT, but I wouldn't psyche a weak NT as it is more likely to receive a penalty double. I'd also be happy if I could bid a weak 2♦, else pass seems just fine.

Hand II: I don't see the point in bidding 2♣. To me, the reason to make a lead averting bid is if you know or you feel it's likely that you know what the contract is going to be and thus you want to throw up some smoke to get a better lead. An example might be to open 1♣ on:

KJx
AQ
KJTx
xxxx

With 3-2-4-4 you will most likely play in 3NT if you play in game. You are not distorting your hand pattern much with a 1♣ opener (cue mikeh's criticism). And you will be the most likely declarer in a NT contract. It will make it more difficult for opening leader to find the club lead if that is going to be the killing lead.

Or suppose you have:

♠AKxxx
♥Ax
♦xxx
♣AQx

Partner opens 1♥, you bid 1♠ and partner bids 2♠. If you want to go for a swing you might want to try a diamond splinter. It might make it difficult for the opponents to cash 2 winners off the top, especially as RHO's true count will show the correct parity.

Hand III: I hate these hands. Especially when some of the less ethical players at the club get them because they always end up bidding a slow 2NT. This puts tremendous pressure on LHO because he now has AI that South has a "bidding problem". I am happy with any of 2NT, 3NT, 3♠, or 4♥, but would like to bid this hand in tempo.

[joshs]

One personal story, playing in the Australian national open teams (5 day swiss event) with a friend, and a random pair I held: xxx xx Kjxx Kxxx or something like that 3'rd chair Fav. We were playing a weak NT and I opened 1N. Strange psych you say, since this will get xed? Yes it is, but the strange opps were playing DONT even against weak NTs.

One important lesson, when you sit down against a pair, glance at their NT defense. This will tell you what you can get away with in 3'rd seat.

Now this story had a funny conclusion.

At my table the auction continued:
P-P-1N-x (that player was 4513 with 21 HCP) showing a 1 suited hand
2S(1 or both minors)-P-3C(I prefer diamonds)-3H-
All Pass Making 7 on a heart hook through partner.

The other player had Jxxxx Axxx xxx x and didn't raise.

At the other table, it went P-P-P-2C-P-2S!
and soon a double fit was found and they climbed to 7N since opener feared a ruff if she picked the wrong major. This was a make or go down 5 hand, but it made...

Its quite interesting, but I rarely ever make total psychs like this, but DONT vs a weak NT was a red flag...

Josh

[erki_]

I cannot recall if it was second or third hand, when I once held a freak hand of QJxxx in hearts and QJxxxxxx in clubs and decided to open strong 1♣ (17+HCP) and see what happens.
LHO doubled, partner passed (showing weak hand) and after some thinking RHO also passed, thinking that double showed clubs. I made 11 tricks for +540 and absolute top (I think opps missed a slam on that hand).

[luke warm]

erki_, on Feb 3 2006, 06:41 PM, said:

I cannot recall if it was second or third hand, when I once held a freak hand of QJxxx in hearts and QJxxxxxx in clubs and decided to open strong 1♣ (17+HCP) and see what happens.
LHO doubled, partner passed (showing weak hand) and after some thinking RHO also passed, thinking that double showed clubs. I made 11 tricks for +540 and absolute top (I think opps missed a slam on that hand).

i'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong, but psyching a strong 1C bid is illegal in acbl land

[pclayton]

1. 1N is a decent psyche. Its effective playing any range of NT in 3rd seat me thinks.

2. I wouldn't mess around with this.

3. I'd only psyche against really weak players with this.