PSYCHIC BIDDING
GUIDELINES
Psychic bids are specifically permitted by the Laws of Contract Bridge,
provided that any partnership understandings or agreements are disclosed. It
would be inconsistent therefore if the WBF forbad psychics in its own
tournaments.
Some partnerships of reasonably long standing develop understandings that
psychic bids in certain situations will be of a certain type. These are
developed partnership understandings and not conventions, and should be
explained on the Convention Card and on the Supplementary Sheets. In other
words the psychics should be made randomly but any understandings about them
should be revealed.
Where partnerships have agreements that psychic bids are expected or are
likely in specific situations or where the psychics are protected by system
then a convention has developed. These understandings should be classified as
Brown Sticker Conventions and are therefore
forbidden in certain events. The type of agreement referred to, for example, is
where, third in hand at favourable vulnerability, a player is expected to open
the bidding on anything at all.
John R. Wignall
Chairman, WBF Systems Committee
13 October 1995 |