[luis]

I define the "clown seat" as the seat after two passes NV vrs Vul.
This story is dedicated to my friends Lenze, who faced a similar situation reported in another thread and Misho, the master of psyches.

My hand:
Kxx
xx
T98xxx
Qx

Green vrs White, pass pass my turn....
Following the Misho school and knowing I'd get Free's approval I opened a 14-17 NT.

It went:

Pd RHO Luis LHO
p p 1N x
p 2h p 4h
x p 4s x
p p 4n x
p p 5c x
p p 5d x
p p p

Pd a Junior (!) didn't even move an eyebrow, kudos for him maybe you will hear about him soon.

Dummy went down:

Axxx
Kx
Qxx
T8xx

So far the psyche story, you are invited to comment, you can beat me for opening 1N and you can also beat me or my pd for any subsequent bid :-)

Looks like you lose 2d, 1s, and 2c and maybe 1 or 2 hearts.
The fact is that I went down only 3 for a top, there was a lot of confusion and 3 penalty cards. I discarded a spade on the cT and cashed the hK with the hA offside :-)

[lenze]

Yes psyching can be dangerous. Using bidding boxes, we have a STOP card to warn opponents of our skip bids. I've always thought we should have a PSOOMA card to play(Partner, Stay Out Of My Auction)

[mishovnbg]

Hi Luis!
First, thank you for the "master", I am happy to have it from such good player like you! May be matter of lot of bad experiments ...
Second, about psyches. To menage them sucsessful you need to play as simple and natural as possible. In example, if your partner RDBL showing max pass, he no need to dbl 4HE later, because already showed his hand. The more complex and artifical is system, it leave less possibilities for psyches. In some countries, like bulgaria is even forbidden to psyche with conventional bids. But both making and describing system like psyche is possible (NTC) .
Third, most my income from psyches was not when I did it, but when most of players know you CAN do it 8). If opps was not sure about my bids, I had great advantages, but lose many good partners too, as next step after they dont believe me more . I was very happy to find Ben, because he is very clever and very patient and didnt give up to play with me...
Misho

[Free]

This is a tipical hand for 1NT, but the optimal should be Kxxx-x-T98xxx-Qx. Then you'll always be in a good contract ;D So yes you get my aproval

As I don't know what that pass of partner means in the sequece 1NT-D-Pass I dont have enough information to read his hand. In my system that's forcing for one lousy round and it can be strong or weak.

I think I'd play 4S*, only get 7 tricks and there you are. You have a 3-card suit, and 2 doubletons. But the 4NT and 5C biddings I dont get... Why do you bid 4S (you know you'll be doubled) and bid on every step until 5D is finally reached??
4S is a very nice bid imo, and lets partner RDbl for SOS, pass to play...

Free

[luis]

Quote

This is a tipical hand for 1NT, but the optimal should be Kxxx-x-T98xxx-Qx. Then you'll always be in a good contract ;D So yes you get my aproval
As I don't know what that pass of partner means in the sequece 1NT-D-Pass I dont have enough information to read his hand. In my system that's forcing for one lousy round and it can be strong or weak.
I think I'd play 4S*, only get 7 tricks and there you are. You have a 3-card suit, and 2 doubletons. But the 4NT and 5C biddings I dont get... Why do you bid 4S (you know you'll be doubled) and bid on every step until 5D is finally reached??
4S is a very nice bid imo, and lets partner RDbl for SOS, pass to play...
Free

Pass over 1N-x is natural, to play 1N doubled. Nothing to say, we play rdbl for rescue. Of course sometimes we decide to take a small loss in 1Nx, typically with 3-5HCP balanced hands.
I bid 4s to test the reaction on my opponents, LHO doubled with a lot of confidence so I decided we might be in a 3-3 fit so I pulled. I'm afraid there's no good solution to that.... is it?
4N and 5c were what I define as "last boat to alcatraz" bids, I'm going to play 5dx so let's give them the chance of making a mistake 3 or 4 times. Sometimes an opponent gets obfuscated and just blasts to some contract, sometimes they become double-wacky and double a good save... who knows.... :-)

[Gerben47]

You will need to do more to upset Agustin (was he your partner?).
Did LHO have to borrow a double card?

I like 1NT, and even more of the 4S - 4NT - 5C - 5D try. You won't lose anything as you plan to play 5D anyway, and occasionally something good happens.

I had this auction against me. 15 HCP, 2434, no one vulnerable at MP.
1NT would've been 11 - 14.

1C (1S) p (p)
dbl (p) p (1NT)
dbl (p) p (2C)
dbl (p) p (2H)
dbl (p) p (p)

Misdefended for just made, but even down one (+100) would've been a terrible score, as we can make 10 tricks in spades or diamonds, even though spades break 5-0 (the spades were AJ - K7xxx - QT98xx - void round the table). RHO was 0535. Although we were done in by the spade overcall, we might have recovered if we hadn't been caught in the double rhythm...

[luis]

Quote

You will need to do more to upset Agustin (was he your partner?).
Did LHO have to borrow a double card?

I like 1NT, and even more of the 4S - 4NT - 5C - 5D try. You won't lose anything as you plan to play 5D anyway, and occasionally something good happens.

I had this auction against me. 15 HCP, 2434, no one vulnerable at MP.
1NT would've been 11 - 14.

1C (1S) p (p)
dbl (p) p (1NT)
dbl (p) p (2C)
dbl (p) p (2H)
dbl (p) p (p)

Misdefended for just made, but even down one (+100) would've been a terrible score, as we can make 10 tricks in spades or diamonds, even though spades break 5-0 (the spades were AJ - K7xxx - QT98xx - void round the table). RHO was 0535. Although we were done in by the spade overcall, we might have recovered if we hadn't been caught in the double rhythm...

Thanks for your comments Gerben :-)
Agustin wasn't my pd :-) It was his brother Adolfo, he's 20.
The doubling rythm is a terrible disease I think that only solution is to put pride away and don't double without 4 or a trump stack specially in low level partscores, sometimes they do run away to a good fit and you just have to bid what you think you can make. Accepting that you are not going to nail them is one of the most difficult parts of the game.

And yes, LHO did have to ask for more double cards.

When they discovered what was going on they lost their minds, RHO revoked got a penalty card and then refused to play it getting a second penalty card and then a third one while LHO was shaking his head and my pd was trying harder and harder not to laugh. :-).


"If you play with a Junior charge $5 for each rdbl, either you win or you make some money"