[gnasher]

y66, on Aug 21 2010, 03:21 PM, said:

The first time I dropped an offside singleton king based on counting the hand. That was a thrill.

The first time I did that, I'd already gone down by misguessing trumps, so all I did was save an undertrick. That didn't stop my partner (who happened to be a bridge journalist) writing an article about it. By the time it made it into print, my line in trumps had mysteriously changed.

[peachy]

My most memorable hands are two were I got a compliment from a "real bridgegod", once for making a difficult 3H by careful counting and play, and once for stopping an overtrick in opponents' 6NT again by counting and correct discarding. Can't remember the hands, but I remember the place, the partners, the opponents, the lighting, the room, what I was wearing, and all irrelevant stuff... The "gods" were Hugh Ross/Grant Baze in the 3H and Meckwell in 6NT.

[Bbradley62]

Playing in Open Pairs at the 1985 Montreal NABC, my partner, the proud holder of 4 master points, had just been lectured about explaining what alertable bids mean rather than simply naming the convention. We arrived at the table of the top-seeded pair (which I do not explain to him). During the second auction, RHO asks pard what my alerted 2NT bid was and pard says "that's Bergen 2NT; it shows" but RHO interrupts with "that's okay, I know what it shows". We happily bid and made our 21HCP game, making use of our then-new tool. I dawdled so that pard could leave the table first, then turned to RHO and said "Your column is the first thing we read every month in The Bulletin , and we incorporate everything we can into our system. Thank you for writing it."

[Phil]

I have so many....but I'll focus on a few psyches I've made over the years. I know I've written about many over the years, and I'm sorry if these are repeats:

Reno, '85 (Holiday regional). Playing in the finals of the Flight C KO's (before bracketed), I pick up in 3rd seat xxx AQx xxx xxxx and open 1♥. Opponents get to 4♠ which we beat with a heart ruff through dummy's KJxx. 3N is also cold. I made my LM in this event. My partner in that event Dudley Hemphill died 14 months later of stomach cancer at age 40.

-------------------

Irvine '05 (or so). I'm playing on Gene Simpson's team in a KO and our first draw (a very famous pro from Las Vegas). I pick up a non-descript 3343 6 count and pass as dealer. Pass by The Pro, 2♥ by pard (Peter Benjamin I think), double on right. So I try 2♠. DOUBLE by the Pro, pass, pass, 3♥, FOUR SPADES slap. He hooks pard out of the ♠Qx for an overtrick and chortles to his partner, "He must think he's playing with children".

So at halftime we are up by about 25 and The Pro decides he's going to sit in MY chair against Gene at the other table. In the 2nd half, Gene makes the identical psyche but this time they get screwed out of their fit. LOL.

------------------

Palm Springs last December. Muddling our way through a Stratified pairs at around 50%, my partner - a very sweet gal formerly from Louisiana opens 2♦ w/w, double on my right. I've got a crappy xxxxx♦332 with ♥Kx (and 500 looms in 5♦) so I try 2♥.

My LHO (who I simply loathe) turns to my partner and grunts, "whats that". She smiles and says "Its NATCH-OO-ROLL". So he puts down the 4♠ card and they make 5. Just as dummy is tabling five hearts, he turns to me and asked "Was the explanation correct, and I just smile and say 'yes'"

The field is in 4♥ which is an easy 480.

[jdonn]

Favorite online hand (recently discussed on forums) I picked up xx JT9xxxxx x xx and out of boredom opened a precision 2♦, 10-15 3 suited short diamonds. We managed this auction:
2♦ - 2NT (asking)
3♣ (10-12) - 3♦ (asking)
3♠ (3415) - 4♥ (keycard for clubs)
yay!

Favorite live bridge hand (years ago discussed on forums, I think) I picked up - AKxxxxx AKT98x - in some national pairs in Philly, playing precision. I opened 1♥, it went X 1♠ P back to me. 3♦ shows a maximum hand but is non-forcing so I tried to keep the auction open with 2♦. It went 3♣ P 3♠ back to me. Having got my suits in I cuebid 4♣ and it went P 5♦ P back to me. I bid 7♦, doubled for good measure. Partner Kevin Bathurst had Jxxxx x Jxxx QTx and I give him all the credit in the world for jumping to 5♦ on his awful hand, something few bridge players in the world would have had the awareness to do. Not to toot my own horn but I loved how I bid the hand too, to give partner a chance to actually evaluate his hand.

Favorite psych (well other than the first hand), I guess it wasn't much of one but I loved the teamwork. I was playing with Justin online, I can't remember all the details but I made a totally random double of an artificial 3♦ bid with a singleton. LHO ended in 4♥ and Justin led the queen of diamonds from KQJxxx having never bid the suit. Declarer made a normal looking duck with Axxx in dummy and xx in his hand to cut communications, and got his ace ruffed out on the next round to go down.

[Ant590]

I don't remember the hand, but after I had been playing about three months I remember realising that playing on my weakest (honorless) suit in 3NT might tempt the opps into playing something more appealing back at me.

The player kibitzing me (echognome), perked up and helped me through the rest of the hand; I believe I had accidentally also rectified the count for some kind of squeeze at the same time

[Free]

My most memorable psych was against a strong 1♣ opening. I bid 3♦ on a singleton, partner bid 3♠ FNJ w00t!

One I remember against me was I think ewj passing in 1st seat, and then after pass-pass-pass-1NT he bid 5♦. I had 10HCP so what was I supposed to do but Dbl? He made 5♦ easily with an 9 card suit and 14HCP, bastard...

One of the most memorable hands happened not long ago. I ended up in 5♥ in a 5-1 split (AKJT9 vs x) after some bidding misunderstanding, and I needed ♥ 5-2 to make (check my blog) since the Q was offside.

[gwnn]

Free, on Aug 21 2010, 08:42 PM, said:

My most memorable psych was against a strong 1♣ opening. I bid 3♦ on a singleton, partner bid 3♠ FNJ w00t!

[ggwhiz]

Chicago 2006 Spingold, my buddies boss Miguel wanted a taste of the action playing with his old University pard and both 20 years removed from competition.

My pard and I joined while the 3 of them formed a pair and survived the first cut to play against the George Jacobs squad.

Later in the match, Zia opened 2♠, intermediate with 10-14 hcp's and Miguel overcalled 3♥ red.

That came around to his University pard looking at

♠Axx, ♥xx, ♦AQJxx ♣AKx

He had been warned that these guys were pretty good and to be careful and desperately had to go to the can so he bid 6♥ and turned the dummy duties over to a kibitzer.

Miguel had 7♥ to the King and out, just in when he won a ♦finesse at trick one and the ♥ were 2-2 wih the Ace in the pocket.

When Scott got back from the can, he said " How would 7nt do." and Zia said "Poorly or worse depending on the lead".

Early in the match, I had made 6♠ on a 4-4 fit despite a 5-0 trump split by guessing the distribution and George Jacobs had gone down one in 4♠. Recorded by agreement at their table as down one in 6♠.

Just at this moment, George who was sitting out arrived with Zia's book, got him to autograph it and presented it to Miguel.

[Fluffy]

Free, on Aug 21 2010, 08:42 PM, said:

(check my blog) since the Q was offside.

WTF your blog is up again? why didn't you tell us before?.


Talking about psyches, this one I also posted before I guess, playing with my grandfather on the local about 15 years ago, I had something like 9xx 10xxx xx 9xxx in third position.


ps-(ps)-1NT-(X)
XX-(ps)-2♣-(X)
XX-(ps)-2♥-(2NT)
X-(ps)-3♣-(X)
XX-(ps)-3♥-(3NT)
X-(ps)-

at this point I just though it was better to leave it.

It happens that not only partner didn't know what was going on, but also declarer, who made inverse fineses against me untill he was down one.

When the hand finished grandpa asked me specifically why didn't I pass 2♣ XX?, kind of resulting lol.


-----


Non vul vs vul in third I psyched 1♠ with doubleton, LHO doubled, partner raised to 4, and RHO bid 5♥. At this point I doubled with 4 weak hearts to avoid playing a hopeless 5♠. Partner took about 1 minute before finally passing, and I of couse led a spade.

Partner, a matematician, looked at dummy, opened his eyes, then shaked his head, then looked at dummy, then opened his eyes, then shaked his head again.

He later told me that when he did the math, it turned out that declarer must have -1 spades and that he though he was doin the math wrong

5♥ doubled went 1 miracoulous down, but RHO told me that he would avenge this. And in fact he did with another psych some 10 years later!

[jdeegan]

I still remember my all time favorite hand. It was may years ago. I had just finished school and was teaching at a small southern college. A well-known regional player, a bookie named Roger, approached me at a sectional tournament and recruited me to play as his partner in a set game for money. I never knew the real stakes, but my part was 5 cents a point with Roger paying my share in case we lost.

The game took place on a Sunday afternoon in the back room of a roadhouse somewhere between Memphis and Jackson. Our opponents were two well-dressed middle-aged men introduced to me only as Mr. K and Calvin. The game was Chicago with dealer vul. After about an hour we were up by +25. I was sitting South when this hand came along:

Scoring: Chicago

1♥-P-2♣-P!!!
3♦-P-3♥-3♠
4♣-4♠-6♥-6♠
7♥-P-P-7♠
DBL -P-P-P

---

Tension was pretty high by the time the auction was over. I don't think the two opponents expected me to do any operating. My LHO was now on lead with this hand:

Scoring: Chicago

1♥-P-2♣-P!!!
3♦-P-3♥-3♠
4♣-4♠-6♥-6♠
7♥-P-P-7♠
DBL -P-P-P

---

After an emotional review of the auction West led the ♦ ace. The full hand:

Scoring: Chicago

1♥-P-2♣-P
3♦-P-3♥-3♠
4♣-4♠-6♥-6♠
7♥-P-P-7♠
DBL-P-P-P

---

I managed to play the ♦ suit correctly. Making seven.

We finished that wheel and the game broke up prematurely. Roger paid me my winnings and tipped me $100 to boot.

[the hog]

My most amusing hand was in a BAM event, playing Symmetric Relay
NV v Vul pd opened S in first seat. Next hand tanked and passed. I held something like
xxx x Qxxxx xxxx. What to do? I bid NT game forcing relay, and hoped to be able to drop pd in a forcing auction at some stage. Next hand tanked and passed; partner passed!! All pass.
Before lho led, I asked "Did you psyche pd?" When he replied yes, I put my cards back in the holder and said, "Ok 7 off" All agreed and pd thought I had spat the dummy.
This was a bit of overkill as partners at the other table bid and made 7H. 7S would also make. The look on pd's face when we scored up was priceless.

[ggwhiz]

Years ago, Sal and his pard went to their first tournament in Toronto straight out of University and arrived just in time to play the friday Midnight Speedball pairs.

First round, they sat down against some cute girls and when the round was called, he told the new east west, "Oh, there's a skip".

Did that every round until the movement blew up and the Director threw all four of them out of the entire tournament. His first Regional lasted about 8 hands but he still thinks it's the best one he's ever been to.

[Mr. Dodgy]

Good stories here

Most memorable for me (so far) is I guess about 3 years ago, getting flogged as expected in the Grand National Pairs qualifying.

Playing against a pair who have represented nationally, I made a frisky and doubtless foolish lead-directing double on ♥KQx and out. LHO tanked for 5 minutes before redoubling, and I had to run to my ♦xxxxx, doubled, down 5 or 6. -1400 in a Butler!

I was astonished that I had managed to put such a thorn in LHO's side as to have caused such a long deliberation. I was even more shocked to end up gaining an IMP on the board - the rest of the room was making 1430 the other way.

[Cyberyeti]

To add a couple more, 25 years ago, I opened 1N with Q10 to 8 diamonds and a few cards, and we finished in 3N.

Dummy decked with a stiff diamond, RHO won the opening lead, looked at his ♦AJ9, cashed the ace on which his partner played the king, then led the J, oops.

The other was playing in the Mind sports olympiad final, and contriving to play in a 5-5 fit undoubled at the 2 level against Zia/Chemla with a combined 15 count.

[Rodney26]

Flight A Pairs I had:

♠Qxx
♥Kx
♦JT97
♣A7xx

RHO opened: (1♠)-p-(2♦)-p
(2NT) -p - (3NT) - all pass

Something told me to try the heart king and dummy was beautiful.

♠xxx
♥Jxx
♦AKQ8
♣KJx

Declarer had ♠AKxxx ♥Ax ♦xx ♣Qxxx and won the first trick, played a club toward the board and we were +200 where 4♠ was easy.

The coup de grace and reason I enjoyed this one most of all was that declarer was Mr. 6♦ from the Spingold.

[PassedOut]

I remember lots of wonderful deals, some of them triumphs, some of them disasters, and some so funny I still laugh to think of them. Here is a funny one:

Dummy
♠ 8-5-3
♥ Q-J-4
♦ Q-J-10
♣ 8-6-5-2

Me
♠ A-K-Q-9-6-2
♥ A-7-5
♦ A-8-7
♣ 4

In a matchpoint duplicate I played 4♠ after an uncontested auction. I ruffed the second club, then drew trumps in three rounds, my LHO having started with three.

In my hand, I cashed the heart ace and my LHO played his singleton king. When the diamond finesse worked, I had two overtricks. No big deal, but my LHO angrily asked me, "Why did you play the ace of hearts?"

I explained that I expected to lose a heart trick but planned to use the later heart entry to try the diamond finesse. He was not buying it for a minute though, even after a couple more detailed explanations. Finally I gave up and said, "Next time hold your cards back."

"I thought so!" he shouted.

I couldn't help but remember this deal when reading about stiff kings that you other posters mentioned.

[Flameous]

One nice deal was at the local club here where opps where bidding in all peace until I had the opportunity to double 5♠ RKC answer with something like KQxx x xxx Qxxxx, quick 7♥ followed by 7♠s by partner who starts laughing... not often is your first bid seven spades. It was an excellent result for us as 7♥s was laydown.

Couple of weeks later with same partner there is a similar auction, but this time I double 5♦ with a void. Now comes 6♥s followed by 7♦s from partner. Doubled -11 vulnerable...3200... 6♥s was making all around but is down with the ♦ lead.

There was also one funny accident playing precision with other partner. After 1C opening and plenty of relays and some relay break too we have no longer any idea what is happening and we land in 5♠ in 4-2 fit. Funniest thing was that it made even though trumps were 5-2 and no one had bid any slam. (which makes in any of the other three suits or NT)

[Dirk Kuijt]

Not the most memorable hand, but the most screwed up tournament.

Playing in college, 40+ years ago, two things happened.

First, rather more people showed up than expected. Good, right? Well, the director only had one set of boards, so, for the only time in my life, I played one board per round.

Second, at least one person sitting N/S was a novice at scoring. This was back in the days of travelers. Instead of putting his pair's score on the line for his pair number, he put it on the highest available line, which meant that his pair's score moved all around the traveler.

It took a long time to get the results that night.

[ggwhiz]

In a Regional KO I played 7♠ after an uncontested auction. Lynn Deas led a 7th best club and with 17 possibe lines of play, I immediately got myself over ruffed in clubs for down one and the other 16 lines would have worked.

It was a push as Rodwell fell into the same kind of trap at the other table.

Later in the bar, Curis Cheek was on the cell with Hyordis, looked up at Rodwell and said "There is a name for your line of play in Icelandic. Fishkrrrr!"