A psychic bid is one that grossly distorts the strength or distribution of your hand. Its intent is purely deceptive and runs the risk of deceiving partner as well as the opponents. We never make a psychic bid because it always makes someone at the table angry — your opponents when it works or your partner when it doesn’t. Why make a bid that is sure to make someone angry?
Today’s deal is from a tournament in England, where opening the bidding with a four-card major is far more common than in the USA. West threw in a psychic one-spade overcall, which didn’t disturb NorthSouth very much as they bid to their best contract. In fact, the bid might have kept North-South out of a spade contract, where only 11 tricks are available.
South won the opening diamond lead with the ace and drew three rounds of trumps, ending in the dummy. He then led a low spade from the dummy. This was the technically correct play, as it would allow him to take four spade tricks even if West held QJ10x, or all five of them. He did overcall in spades, didn’t he? Had East followed with his low spade, there might have been a great story to tell about how he scored his doubleton queen on the second round of the suit. Luckily for South, East rose with his queen and the slam sailed home. At least no one was angry.
