[Echognome]

Since it's national psyche month (or so I've read), I thought I'd share one with you that worked a charm against me. Of course, playing against juniors you always keep an eye out, but this one hit me and my partner blind-sided.

Scoring: IMP

P - 1♥ - 2♠! - All Pass

---

I was West and didn't see how I could reopen. Well done North. (I won't name him in case he wants to keep his clever ways to himself.)

Any other good gems out there?

[han]

very nice.. and very risky.

[Elianna]

That's not a psyche, that's a normal Joon preempt. (I don't know if you were playing with Joon or not, but someone may have seen him do that.)

On second thought, Joon would have likely bid at the three level.

[foo]

♠QJT32♥♦AJ972♣AK7

P-1♥-2♠-??

15 HCP w/ the overcall suit stopped and a void in Opener's bid suit.
15 HCP -5 playing points for void and presumed misfit auction = 10 playing points.
This is at least an invitational hand even if RHO has their bid.

I'm bidding 2N.

Passing the given E hand on this auction is just not a Logical Alternative.

[kfgauss]

foo, on May 9 2006, 05:52 AM, said:

♠QJT32♥♦AJ972♣AK7

P-1♥-2♠-??

15 HCP w/ the overcall suit stopped and a void in Opener's bid suit.
15 HCP -5 playing points for void and presumed misfit auction = 10 playing points.
This is at least an invitational hand even if RHO has their bid.

I'm bidding 2N.

Passing the given E hand on this auction is just not a Logical Alternative.

One presumes partner will reopen with short spades -- pass is trying for a juicy penalty.

Andy

[Codo]

Pass is normal, waiting for 1100 to come.

I had thought about 3 Heart with the West hand and maybe had bid it against agressive youngsters.

[P_Marlowe]

foo, on May 9 2006, 12:52 AM, said:

♠QJT32♥♦AJ972♣AK7

P-1♥-2♠-??

15 HCP w/ the overcall suit stopped and a void in Opener's bid suit.
15 HCP -5 playing points for void and presumed misfit auction = 10 playing points.
This is at least an invitational hand even if RHO has their bid.

I'm bidding 2N.

Passing the given E hand on this auction is just not a Logical Alternative.

It is, as long as you play, that opener
is forced to reopen with shortness in
their suit, i.e. at most 2, which will
always be the case, if 2S was not a
psych.
Besides 2NT with a void is not really
attractive bid.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mr1303]

Speaking of psyches, this was one I came up with the other day:

Scoring: IMP

---

I was South, playing weak NT 4 card majors, and opened 1S. Auction proceeded:

1S P 2NT* P
P P

2NT was 10-12 balanced, with 2-3 card spade support.

I believe it went about 4 or 5 off, but the opponents were cold for 5S, so I didn't mind.

[Free]

Seems like many of these psychs work because your opponents don't have any methods to handle them. The only one where I'd have a huge problem with is the 1♥-2♠ one, really nice!

[foo]

kfgauss, on May 9 2006, 12:57 AM, said:

foo, on May 9 2006, 05:52 AM, said:

♠QJT32♥♦AJ972♣AK7

P-1♥-2♠-??

15 HCP w/ the overcall suit stopped and a void in Opener's bid suit.
15 HCP -5 playing points for void and presumed misfit auction = 10 playing points.
This is at least an invitational hand even if RHO has their bid.

I'm bidding 2N.

Passing the given E hand on this auction is just not a Logical Alternative.

One presumes partner will reopen with short spades -- pass is trying for a juicy penalty.

Andy

Trap Passing often backfires. Badly. Better to help GOP out in knowing what is going on.

Getting 1100 is nice. Frequency wise, making sure We do everything we can to get to the right spot pays off better, even if we occasionally miss out on collecting 1100.

Put it this way, E not passing on this hand gives EW at least a chance of exposing the psyche and still getting to a makable game instead of going back to team mates with a ridiculous result.

...and no, I do not like rebidding 2N with a void in Opener's suit. OTOH, I have extra values to compensate for the presumed misfit.

[Blofeld]

What would you be doing on the one Mark gives, Free?

[foo]

mr1303, on May 9 2006, 06:19 AM, said:

Speaking of psyches, this was one I came up with the other day:

Dealer: South Vul: E/W Scoring: IMP

♠ xxx ♥ AKTx ♦ Kxx ♣ xxx ♠ KQJT9x ♥ x ♦ AQJx ♣ Qx ♠ Axxx ♥ Qxxx ♦ x ♣ AKxx ♠   ♥ J98x ♦ Txxxx ♣ Jxxx

I was South, playing weak NT 4 card majors, and opened 1S. Auction proceeded:

1S P 2NT* P
P P

2NT was 10-12 balanced, with 2-3 card spade support.

I believe it went about 4 or 5 off, but the opponents were cold for 5S, so I didn't mind.

2N should not get passed out. A balancing X here by W says "Pard, please lead Their suit."

...at which point 2NX goes for a large number, or NS run and expose the psyche; giving EW a chance to recover and get to a decent spot.

Psyches can be fun for some peple, but remember it is usually possible to at least expose them, and many times "tag", the side using them.

[Blofeld]

The worry as West is that partner appears to be more likely than not to be void in spades.

[foo]

Blofeld, on May 9 2006, 08:35 AM, said:

The worry as West is that partner appears to be more likely than not to be void in spades.

Yep. But if the Opening Leader has even a stiff "x", you want a S lead, and they are never going to make that lead unless you tell them about it. So you ask for it.

This also means that if that lead or a self-sufficient lead does not hit the table, W has a big head start in counting the hand for the defense. Either way, E has a big head start in counting the hand for the defense.

[Free]

Blofeld, on May 9 2006, 02:23 PM, said:

What would you be doing on the one Mark gives, Free?

I play powerdoubles, so an easy Dbl for me. One of the few good things about PD's...

[luis]

Scoring: IMP

---

South opened 3♠ in first position (!!)
EW reached 6♥ East thinking West was short in spades, West thinking East was short in spades.
South doubled 6♥ (!!)
South lead the spade ace and cashed 4 rounds of the suit, pd discarding diamonds,
then diamond ruff for down 4: 1100

[foo]

[jchiu]

Luis's post reminds me of a similar hand ...

2♠, what's the problem?

---

I did this in a midnight game in Denver. I had about a half bottle of wine prior to the "event", to which Rich Mueller may be able to still attest. The auction continued

(Dbl) 3♠! (4♥) All Pass

Three spades was McCabe (see other thread for fun uses of this convention), which promised either the ace or king of spades. Of course, the opponents' spades were 3-3 and the expression on RHO's face was priceless when the first trick went Queen-Low-Low-Low ...

[Free]

One of the funniest psychs I've ever seen (don't know who did it or when):

2♦* - (4♥!) - ...

2♦ multi
4♥ made with a hand which would bid 4♠

Now responder thought opener had long ♠ so bid 4♠, got doubled and somehow they didn't find their ♥ anymore