Match & Tournament Committee Blog

I thought it might be interesting to explain how a TD goes about ruling when called to a table where a player has psyched.  I'm going to use a hand from last week's Match Pointed pairs where there was a psyche - although I have changed the bidding and result on the board to fit the points I need to make.

First, here is the hand

    NORTH    
    J 9 4 3    
    10 8 4 2    
    10 4 3    
    10 8    
WEST        EAST
Q 6 5        A K 8 2
5 3           K J 7
K Q J 8 5   7 6
K 5 2        A Q J 4
    SOUTH    
    10 7    
    A Q 9 6    
    A 9 2    
    9 7 6 3    

Dealer South, All Non Vul.

The bidding started with 2 passes and then North psyched with 1Club.

East overcalled 1NT and soon finds himself declarer in 3NT.  He wraps up 11 tricks but realises that North's opening bid was a psyche and so he calls the Director.

So, how does a TD deal with this situation?

Well, the first thing he does is to record the fact that North psyched, as this information may well be needed if North makes a habit of psyching frequently.  (We have decided that we will keep a record of psyches made in the club to help judge "difficult" cases).

Now, there is nothing illegal about the psychic bid itself, so the director does not need to take action on this.

However, he does need to look at the actions taken by the partner of the psychic bidder.

In this case South has A, Q and an A, 4 card support for partner's suit and knows that partner has opened the bidding.  So, when he hears the opposition bid to 3NT he should be expecting to beat this contract.  The director has to ask himself why South did not double 3NT.   If it is because he knows that North often psyches then that is "fielding" the psyche, which is definitely not allowed.  If South can make a convincing case from the authorised information available to him then the director may allow the result to stand.

In this case the Director decides that South has fielded the psyche and has no good bridge reason not to double 3NT.  So, the TD awards an adjusted score to both sides of 3NT doubled, making with 2 overtricks.

Now, you can see from this that the TD has had to make a judgement ruling.  In this type of situation he can't just read from the laws book - he has to decide what could or should have happened at the table.  Obviously North/South could appeal this ruling, and then an appeals committee would decide whether to back the TD or rule in favour of North/South.  But, don't let that worry you.  This is the job of a TD.  As a player in this sort of situation just call the Director, give her the facts and, if you think the ruling is wrong you can appeal.  This is far better for all concerned than saying nothing at the table and then complaining to your friends about the way North psyched, without ever giving the TD the chance to decide if you have been damaged.

The main reason we like to know if players regularly make psychic bids is to help the TD form an opinion on partner's actions.  In the above case if North is a frequent psycher the TD may well decide that the unauthorised information of North's predilection outweighs any authorised information from the bidding and she will adjust the score.   If North has been playing for 20 years and never been known to psyche then the TD will look more favourably on South's claim that "I know from the bidding that there are more than 40 points in this pack, so I decided not to risk the double".

The "bottom line" is:  if someone psyches against you please call the TD.  You may get an adjusted score, but even if you don't, you are giving the director information which will help him to make better judgement calls in the future

The majority of Buchanan players do not make psychic bids, but some players do use this tactic.  There is a range of opinion within the club covering the spectrum from those who think psyches are a fundamental tactic to be deployed at every opportunity to those who think psyches are unfair and should not be allowed.

 

It’s worth reminding ourselves of the definition of a psyche: - it is a gross deviation from system, for example an opening bid of 1 Spade with a singleton spade and no points.

 

The committee have considered the issue of club members making psychic bids and, taking account of the current Laws of bridge, have reached the following conclusions:

 

1. Psychic bids are legal in the Buchanan club.

2. The only purpose of a register of psyches is to identify players who make a regular practice of psyching.  This is not really needed in a closed community like the Buchanan where we are all aware of the players who regularly psyche.  Detailed recording of psyches places a burden on our volunteer TDs and will tend to slow down tournaments if it is a frequent occurrence.

3. Players who psyche regularly can create implicit partnership agreements.  When this happens, the meaning of the psyche becomes a system agreement.  This can cause two problems:- the partnership agreements are not fully disclosed to the opposition and, potentially, the partnership may be playing an illegal system.

4. When a TD is called to a table where a psyche has been used he/she MUST investigate the possibility that the psyche has been “fielded”.  If this is found to be the case then an adjusted score is the appropriate action.  TDs should give the benefit of any doubt in these cases to the non-offending side.

5. Good players use psyches carefully.  Frequency is usually limited to once or twice per year, reserved for use against good opponents.  Good players never psyche against beginners.

6. The committee would prefer, in the first instance, to rely on the good sense and reasonableness of the club members to avoid excessive use of psyches.  This will avoid the onerous definition and policing of complex rules and regulations.

7. The committee is aware that there are some jurisdictions where the responsibility for reporting psyches is placed on the player making the psyche.  We would prefer to avoid the need for this type of action.

 

The committee have, therefore, decided to issue the following guideline to its members:

 

Psychic Bids:  It is perfectly legal to use psychic bids in the Buchannan club.  However, frequent use of this tactic can create problems for partners and can alienate other players.  The committee encourages those members who use psyches to do so sparingly (once every 2 months or so, would seem to be a reasonable maximum) and to avoid the use of psyches against non-expert opposition.

 

I am sure that we can rely on our members to recognise the merits of this approach and adhere to this new guideline.

What is a Psyche

The laws define a psyche as a deliberate and gross misstatement of honour strength and/or of suit length.  So, typical examples might be:

• Opening the bidding at the one level with a 3 count
• Making a natural bid in a suit holding a singleton in the suit

Note that this is not the same as a "light opening bid" where an opening bid of one of a suit might be made with a 5 card suit and about 9 points.  (This can be good tactics when 3rd in hand - but should be disclosed on your convention card).  This is not a psyche because, whilst it is a deviation from system, it is not a gross deviation.

 As you can imagine sometimes it is difficult to decide if a bid is a light opener or a psyche.

Is it Legal

Yes.  It is perfectly legal to psyche.  It is a normal part of the game of bridge.  However, the key thing is that it should be as much of a surprise to the psycher's partner as it is to the opposition.

So - What's the Problem?

The problem arises when a player psyches so often that his partner expects him to psyche and makes bids which allow for the possibility of a psyche.  In effect, the psyche in this partnership is no longer as much of a surprise to partner as it is to opponents.  In this situation the pair are, effectively, playing a system which is different to the one they announced (or have on their convention card).  It may even be an illegal system. 

You could argue that once a player has psyched once in a partnership his partner will no longer be as surprised as the opponents if he psyches again.  So, he is barred from psyching ever again.  This is clearly unworkable. We need a more practical way to allow players to psych but prevent them from taking unfair advantage of their known psychic tendencies.

The Solution

The way we can determine if a partner has taken unfair advantage of his partner's tendency to psyche is to examine his actions following a psyche.  Key points are:

1. Partner cannot "wake up" to your psyche unless and until there is clear evidence from the bidding that someone has psyched and that the someone is partner.  For example, if your partner opens the bidding and then passes your forcing bid it is reasonable to assume for the rest of the hand that partner psyched. In this case the psyche is said to have been exposed.
2. Until such time as partner's psyche is legally exposed a player must bid his hand on the basis of the bid which partner made.  For example, if your partner opens the bidding and you have a 14 count then you are not going to let the auction die below game (or a profitable penalty double of opponents).  If you do not bid your hand to its full potential in this way you are said to have "fielded" the psyche.

If you get a bad board because the opponents psyche against you that is just hard luck.  Next time maybe they will get a bad board.

However, if you get a bad board because the opponents field a psyche then that is wrong and you should call the director.

Director's Actions

If the director is called to look at a case of a potential fielded psyche he will:

1. Note the actual result on the hand
2. Look at the hand of the psycher's partner to see if any of his bids have fielded the psyche
3. If the director judges that the psyche has been fielded he will award an adjusted score, based on his assessment of what would have happened if the offender had not fielded the psyche but had bid the full value of his hand.  If this result is better for the non-offenders than the table result then the director will adjust the score.
4. If the director judges that the fielding action was blatant or if he has records to show that this player frequently fields his partner's psyches then the director can award a procedural penalty.

 

By most measures the Buchanan is one of the best bridge clubs in the country.  We have excellent premises, a thriving membership, nice people and good bridge.  However, there is one aspect where we are merely "mid-table" - that's the way too many of us either don't know or disregard the rules of correct procedure at the table.  I'm talking about things like the use of the Stop card and leaving the bidding cards on the table until the opening lead is faced.  We're not the worst club in the country for this, but we're certainly not at the top of the table, which is where a club like the Buchanan belongs.

Some of you will be thinking "why does it matter, I'm just here for a friendly game of bridge".  Well, let me share some of my thinking:

• If you're playing a game, it's good manners to follow the rules.  And these procedures are part of the rules
• I don't know of any other sport where players ignore the rules as much as they do at bridge.  I've never met a golfer who would ignore the rules and etiquette of the game in a competition.
• The rules are there to make the game fair and enjoyable.
• For every player who gets irritated by what they think are trivial rules there is another player who gets irritated by people who fail to follow the correct procedure.

Let me give you some background into the thinking of the lawmakers when they adopt these rules.  The key aim is to make the game fair for all players and to make it hard for the very small number of players who will cheat in order to do well.  The way they do this is to frame rules which make some of the things that a cheat might do illegal.  In this way, they don't have to prove intent or accuse someone of cheating.  If we inadvertently and without intent do something which a cheat would do, then the laws say this is wrong.  Let's take the example of the Stop card procedure.  If I wanted to cheat I could vary the time I take to pass my opponent's jump bid to tell partner about the strength of my hand.  Now, 99% of players who pass quickly when the Stop card is used have absolutely no intention of cheating.  But they are doing something which a cheat would do.  So, by following the correct stop procedure we make it harder for a cheat to operate.  By ignoring the Stop procedure we make it easier for a cheat to hide behind the smokescreen of the ethical players who don't bother to Stop.

The committee have decided to launch an initiative to improve conformance with correct table procedures.  We'll do this at the table by politely pointing out when someone at the table does not follow correct procedure.  We mean this to be a friendly way to make the playing conditions in the club enjoyable for everyone.  So, if someone at the table points out that you have not followed correct procedure, please don't take offence.  We hope you will take it in the sprit in which it is meant.  After all, chances are you didn't set out to deliberately flout the rules of the game.  Maybe you forgot, in which case a friendly reminder will help you to remember.  Maybe you're not sure of the rules and how they should work, in which case please ask one of us, we'll be only too happy to explain and help you to be a considerate player in the future.
So, there are two things we'd like you to do, to help improve the playing environment in the club:

1. If someone points out that you have disregarded one of the rules, please take it seriously and try to remember in future.
2. If you see someone at your table disregarding the rules (especially if it's one of the committee!!) please point it out and help them to remember for next time.

As always, if you've got any views or comments please leave a comment on the blog, start a discussion on the Web Site Forum or just have a chat with one of the committee.

The new laws tell us we must shuffle our 13 cards before we return them to the board after playing the hand.  Well, I’ve been doing that for more than 30 years.  Let me tell you why.

It all started with a conversation I had with a bridge player.  Let’s call her Margaret.  We might as well, since that was her name.  She told me that when she picked up a hand she always looked at the order of the cards to reconstruct the play at the last table.  Here is one of her classic coups.

She picked up:

S: AQJxxx

H: Kx

D: J109x

C: X

Now, if I picked up this hand I’d be thinking we might make 4 spades if partner has the right cards.  But look how Margaret picked them up:

The first card was the small Heart, so she knew the contract got a heart lead.  The next four cards were the small spade and then the top 3 spades.  Next came a small Diamond, the small Club, 3 more Diamonds, the King of Hearts and 2 more Spades.

So now she can work out that the contract was some number of Spades.  Dummy won the Heart lead and they pulled 4 rounds of Spades.  So, Partner almost certainly has the Ace of Hearts and at least 2 Spades including the King.  One of the opponents probably has 4 Spades.  Now it looks like declarer lost a Diamond trick, won the Club return and then cashed 3 Diamond tricks.  That gives partner the K and Q of Diamonds and the Club Ace.  So six spades is cold and partner has at least 16 points, including:

S: Kx

H: A

D: KQx

C: A

Margaret now knows that 12 tricks are available in No Trumps if she can avoid a Club lead.  And no-one has made a single bid, yet.  She also knows that partner has a good hand, so she does not need to make forcing bids below game, partner will keep the auction going.  All that remains is to show a club stop in the bidding to deter the club lead and 6NT rolls in for a top!  So, Margaret opened 1Club!

Ever since that conversation I’ve always shuffled my hand before I return it to the board.  Now, 30 years on the laws have caught up and made this mandatory.  About time, too!

Welcome
The Match and tournament Committee is responsible for the running of Bridge in the Buchanan Bridge Club.

We have set up this Blog so that:

1. We can keep our members informed of plans and decisions
2. We can publish articles of general interest concerning the Laws and Ethics of bridge in the club
3. We can collect feedback from our members to guide our decisions

Let us know what you think - just add comments to any of the articles in this Blog - click on "Add comment" at the end of an article.

Now, here's the first article for the blog.  I hope you find it useful.

Why do we Need a Stop Card?

Let me tell you a story of life before the Stop card was introduced.  It happened in the Monday duplicate session at a club which will remain nameless!!   On board 1 North opened 3 Hearts.  East passed quickly and South also passed.  West - let's call him Albert - was a player with a reputation for doing anything to get a good result.   He looked at his 14 points and thought about his partner's fast pass.  If partner has next to nothing in his hand, he thought, I'll probably do best to pass and let them play in 3 Hearts.  He did and got a good board.

The board was then passed to a table where West - Edward - was a very ethical player who would never take advantage of an overheard remark or other information he should not have.  In fact, he would bend over backwards to avoid taking advantage in this sort of situation.   So 3 Hearts was again passed round to him.  He thought "I'm pretty sure from the fast pass that partner has a worthless hand.  But I'm not supposed to know that, so I'll double because that avoids taking advantage of the fact that I know partner is weak".  He doubled and went off in 3 Spades for a bottom.

Next week, the gods of the dealing machine gave North another 3 Heart opener and West had 14 points.  But, this time East had 11 points.  At Albert's table North opened 3 Hearts and East thought for a while before passing.  Albert, never slow to pick up on influences like this, quickly doubled and was soon playing 3 NT for a good board.

Poor old Edward was in the same cleft stick as last week.  He thought - "my partner obviously has some values, so we can do better than defend 3 Hearts.  However, if I didn't know he had values I might pass - so I'll pass now just to make sure I don't take any advantage of partner's slow pass".  Another bad board for poor Edward.

Then the lawmakers brought in the Stop Card. 

Now when North pre-empted East was forced to wait for 10 seconds before passing, whether he had 2 points or 11 points.  So, Albert had nothing to help him and Edward started to get much better results.

To summarise:  The stop card is used to avoid a situation where a player could inadvertently pass unauthorised information to his partner because he or she needs time to think after the opponents jump the bidding by one or more rounds.  The idea is to make it impossible for partner to tell if you have a really weak hand or one not quite good enough to bid.  When the Stop card is used the next player must take some time (recommended time is 10 seconds) before making a call.  Now, if he passes, his partner has no ethical problems when choosing his own bid.

How do we Use the Stop Card?

Before you make a bid which skips one or more levels of bidding take out the stop card and place it on the table making sure your Left Hand Opponent (LHO) can see it.   Then, immediately make your bid.  Leave the stop card out in front of LHO for about 10 seconds, then pick it up and return it to the bidding box.

When your Right Hand Opponent (RHO) puts a Stop card on the table you should not make any bid until the card is removed.  This gives you some thinking time to decide what action to take.  Sometimes you will have a weak hand and you know immediately that you are going to pass.   If you pass quickly, or make it obvious that you don't need the thinking time you are making it difficult for your Edward, and helping Albert get his undeserved tops.

Questions and Answers

Q. What do I do if my opponent makes a jump bid but does not use the Stop Card?
A. Just pretend that he did use the Stop Card.  Wait your 10 seconds, then make your call

Q. What do I do if my opponent takes away the stop card quickly?
A. Again, pretend that it is still on the table for the 10 seconds, then make your call.

Q. Does it have to be exactly 10 seconds?
A. No, if it's there or thereabouts no problem.  But please try to leave it longer than 5 or 6 seconds.

Q. What happens if someone uses the Stop card but does not jump the bidding
A. You should point out that the Stop card should not have been used.  The partner of the person who used the Stop card must behave as if the Stop card had not been used.  If there is any doubt at all, then please call the director - that's why we have directors, so please use them.

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