6 PSYCHIC BIDDING
6 A General
6 A 1 A Psyche or Psychic bid is a deliberate and gross mis-statement of honour strength and/or suit length. A Misbid is an inadvertent mis-statement of honour strength and/or suit length. A Deviation is a deliberate but minor mis-statement of honour strength and/or suit length.
6 A 2 A psychic bid is a legitimate ploy as long as it contains the same element of surprise for the psycher’s partner as it does for the opponents.
6 A 3 Systemic psyching of any kind is not permitted. A partnership may not use any agreement to control a psyche. For example, if you play that a double of 3NT asks partner not to lead the suit you’ve bid (Watson), you may not make such a double if the earlier suit bid was a psyche.
6 A 4 A player may not psyche a Multi 2¨ opening in a Level 3 event (see 11 G 6). A psyche is a deliberate action; if a player misbids this is not illegal.
6 A 5 Frivolous psyching, for example suggesting a player has lost interest in the competition, is a breach of the Laws. (Law 74A2, 74B1, 74C6)
6 A 6 The regulation that a player may not psyche a game-forcing or near game-forcing artificial opening bid no longer applies.
6 B Fielding
6 B 1 The actions of the psycher’s partner following a psyche – and, possibly, further actions by the psycher himself – may provide evidence of an unauthorised, and therefore illegal, understanding. If so, then the partnership is said to have ‘fielded’ the psyche. The TD will judge actions objectively by the standards of a player’s peers; that is to say intent will not be taken into account.
6 B 2 As the judgement by the TD will be objective, some players may be understandably upset that their actions are ruled to be fielding. If a player psyches and his partner takes action that appears to allow for it then the TD will treat it as fielding.
6 B 3 A partnership’s actions on one board may be sufficient for the TD to find that it has an unauthorised understanding and the score will be adjusted in principle (see 6 D). This is classified as a Red psyche.
6 B 4 A TD may find that whilst there is some evidence of an unauthorised understanding it is not sufficient, of itself, to justify an adjusted score. This is classified as an Amber psyche. In particular, if both partners psyche on the same hand, then a classification of at least Amber is likely to be justified.
6 B 5 In the majority of cases the TD will find nothing untoward and classify it as a Green psyche.
6 B 6 A TD may use evidence from a partnership’s actions on two or more boards to assess a partnership’s actions. Whilst a single instance may not provide sufficient evidence of an unauthorised understanding to warrant a score adjustment, a repetition reinforces the conclusion that an unauthorised understanding exists. In other words, if two psyches are classified as Amber, the classification of both automatically becomes Red, and the score on all such boards is adjusted accordingly.
6 B 7 A partnership’s actions following a deviation may provide evidence of an unauthorised understanding, but they are less likely to do so than after a psyche. As with psyches, deviations may be classified as Red, Amber or Green.
6 B 8 A partnership’s actions following a misbid may provide evidence of an unauthorised understanding, but they are less likely to do so because of the lack of intent to mislead. As with psyches, misbids may be classified as Red, Amber or Green.
6 B 9 Because of the difference between the player’s understanding of his call and any alerts and answers to questions by his partner it is quite common for unauthorised information problems to be present.
6 C Reporting and Recording
6 C 1 Psychic bids do not have to be reported but a player may request the TD to record them if he wishes. To do so is not to accuse the opponents of malpractice. The TD may record any hand if he thinks fit.
6 C 2 Players whose partners have taken an unusual action such as a psyche, misbid or deviation which has been reported are given the chance to explain their actions in writing. This is because it is that player whose subsequent bidding and play is being looked at. Such players who do not explain their actions must realise that failure to do so might lead to unfortunate conclusions. Notably, players who fail to raise partner in such circumstances and do not explain their actions must expect their actions to be adjudged as fielding.
6 D Scoring a Fielded Psyche, Misbid or Deviation
6 D 1 If the TD judges a psyche, misbid or deviation Is Amber or Green, then there is no adjustment, unless there are two Amber cases, see 6 B 6.
6 D 2 If the TD judges a psyche, misbid or deviation Is Red, then the board is completed. If their opponents have a 60% score or better, or have gained 3 imps or more, the result stands unchanged. Otherwise, the result is cancelled, and the board re-scored as Average Plus to the opponents, Average Minus to the pair. Normally this translates as 3 imps, or 60%/40%.
6 D 3 If it is a Red psyche then an additional Procedural Penalty will be applied. Normally it will be the minimum standard though a TD may increase this. In a Victory Point event, the normal penalty is 0.5 VP. Otherwise it is 10% or 2 imps, so the board is generally scored as 60%/30% or 5 imps.