bridgetalk.com forums :: Laws & Rulings :: When is it a psyche of 2C opening

Andrew Worth

When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 00:49:36 WedAug 13 2003 )

Country: England EBU

There is controversy about the legality of making a strong opening of a hand with a large number of playing tricks but few hcp.

S 4
H 6
D T4
C AKQJ76543

Consider the above, it has 10 hcp, and 9 almost certain playing tricks in clubs.
Under EBU regs is it illegal (i.e. a psyche) to open 2C (ACOL).

If one's CC is amended to say "2c - 23+hcp OR 9 pt" woudl it be illegal to open 2C.

RMB

19 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 09:15:40 WedAug 13 2003 )

Traditionally all Acol two bids showed some defence. The EBU approach
to permitted two bids reflects this: at level 2/3, bids must shows a
strong hand (playing strength and values) or they must be non-strong
and natural-ish (4 cards in the suit).

The Orange Book defines permitted conventional two bids to be:
game forcing, balanced 18+, acol two - rule of 25, or 4441 16+.
The hand you quote is rule of 21 (10HCP+2D+9C) so it is not permitted
to agree to open this hand with 2C that could also be 23+HCP.

Why do you want to open this hand 2C? - what's wrong with 3C, 3NT,
4C, 4NT, 5C? [1 edits; Last edit by RMB at 09:16:19 Wed Aug 13 2003]

Guest

Re: When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 09:30:00 WedAug 13 2003 )

This happened once to me many years ago...one pair who claimed they were playing ACOL opened 2C with a similar hand and the explanation was just 'Strong'. My pardner believed that and passed with a good opening hand but a moderate 5-card holding in a major and we missed a game in the end. There was an uproar after the game of course, and in the midst of all the recrimation and argument I heard the bidder of 2C told his pardner off that 'it would had be alright if you had explained it as 9 playing tricks'.
So I believe that players who open 2C on that type of hands are seeking to exploit a loophole in the laws, with the primary aim of misleading and disuading their opponent from bidding and finding their contract.

Andrew Worth

Re: When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 11:02:39 WedAug 13 2003 )

Country: England

Thanks for replys.

Yes the controversy also rages about the "best" bid to open with, and 1C, 3NT (gambling), 4C, 5C, etc. are all on offer. The deeper issue is that opening 2C (under normal ACOL) would be completley illegal according to the orange book, whereas the other openings are merely the subject of debate.

In fact the issue started with a slightly different hand:

S 4
H 65
D T4
C AKQ76543

Where the same argument arose regarding the use of the Benji 2C (ACOL 2 in unspecified suit) comes up. The hand has 8 playing tricks and so some felt it qualified for an ACOL 2 opening (but being in clubs this couldn't be done). It would appear that this is not the case.

Earl_Purple

79 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 14:50:49 WedAug 13 2003 )

If you want to include this type of hand in the opening 2

bid it is perfectly permissible (but check the level) as long as it is disclosed.

What is your plan if partner responds 2

? Would you rebid 3

and would partner be permitted to pass?

If the next player does intervene, are you expected to double them if you can't bid game yourself? In a game-forcing situation that is required.

bluejak

426 posts
Forum Host

Reply

Re: When is it a psyche of 2C opening ( 13:06:51 TueAug 19 2003 )

This is a complex subject as shown by the perfectly sensible but partly incorrect replies already given! :sheep:

Is it permissible to open 2

with

x
xx
xx
AKQxxxxx

either {a} by agreement or {b} just as a one-off because it seemed a good idea at the time?

The answer is no.

OK, let's look at why. To open it by agreement means your 2

opening must include the possibility of this hand - and there is nothing in the Orange book that permits it. I expect you have looked at what is allowed for a strong opening, but a strong opening is defined as Rule of 23 or more, and this hand is Rule of 19.

Note: Rule of 23, also called 23 Opening Points, is calculated by adding your High Card Points to the number of cards in your longest suit to the number of cards in your second longest suit. So the given hand is 9 HCP plus 8 {clubs} plus 2 {diamonds}.

So it is an illegal convention if your 2

opening, whether Acol or Benjamin, includes this hand. You may not psyche an Acol or Benjamin 2

opening, so you may not open this hand 2

Two other small points.

First, players who do this are not trying to exploit a loophole in the Laws at all. What happens is they come to some agreement or other without considering this hand. Then it arrives, they look at it, count the tricks, and decide they need to show the number of tricks in some way. As Robin suggest, good players do not consider 2

!

Second, the system is called Acol not ACOL. It is a proper noun, not an acronym.

---
David Stevenson <laws2@blakjak.com>
Liverpool, England, UK
http://blakjak.com/lws_menu.htm

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If you need help with the Laws or rulings from any country in the world, this is the place!Hosted by David StevensonSenior Consultant DirectorEnglish Bridge Union

If you need help with the Laws or rulings from
any country in the world, this is the place!

Hosted by David Stevenson
Senior Consultant Director
English Bridge Union