[wren2]

Reported as a psyche
I played with one of my partners. He decided to make a Michael’s cuebid with only four in both majors and very limited points.
I of course like the opps believed him to have the usual 5-5 shape and, well, often above 6 points, so I was likewise misled.
The opponents ended in 3 NT, where they had 7 NT and they called the director and my partner was – I can’t remember the exact words- but something like "reported as psyche". But the result stood.

I wonder what it means and if some bids are prohibited? And does this report have any consequence for my partner?
I also heard that it is forbidden to bid 1 NT with 4-4-4-1 shape if the 1 is not an honor? Are there other bids that are prohibited?

[pescetom]

wren2, on 2023-November-01, 13:39, said:

Reported as a psyche
I played with one of my partners. He decided to make a Michael’s cuebid with only four in both majors and very limited points.
I of course like the opps believed him to have the usual 5-5 shape and, well, often above 6 points, so I was likewise misled.
The opponents ended in 3 NT, where they had 7 NT and they called the director and my partner was – I can’t remember the exact words- but something like "reported as psyche". But the result stood.

I wonder what it means and if some bids are prohibited? And does this report have any consequence for my partner?
I also heard that it is forbidden to bid 1 NT with 4-4-4-1 shape if the 1 is not an honor? Are there other bids that are prohibited?

Was your tournament played under ACBL rules, or something else?
If you had not believed him it would not be a psyche
As it is, this is a borderline/baby pysche and it makes sense to report/record it for future consideration.
In theory, a TD should be able to check this report if the same player makes a similar pysche in future.
More practically, if you intend to play with him again then it would be ethical to discuss whether he can repeat this and if so modify your description of the agreement ("majors, may be 4-4 and also weak").

No sufficient bid is prohibited by the Laws of bridge, but an RA like ACBL can forbid certain partnership agreements and may extend this to assert that certain bids are illegal.
As I understand it, ACBL will not allow you to open 1NT with a singleton that is not an honour.
Some other RAs will allow 1NT to contain any singleton, but none that I know of will allow a void or more than 9 cards in any two suits, for instance.
The Laws allow RAs to disallow a psyche of an artificial opening bid and most do so.

[jillybean]

The term "psyche" is often misunderstood and misused. A mis bid, a cue bid,a deviation from common agreements or even an unusual convention are labeled as "psyches'
When I was starting in this game and would often bid with any hand, or misbid, forgetting that Michaels should be made with 5-5 not 5-4 or 4-4.
On BBO these were reported as psyches, at the Bridge Club people would raise their eyes, shake their heads and take their top boards. I guess once in a while in worked in my favour.

From the 2017 laws of Duplicate Bridge
Psychic call (commonly ‘psych[e]’ or ‘psychic’) a deliberate and gross misstatement of honour strength and/or of suit length.

C. Deviation from System and Psychic Action 1. A player may deviate from his side’s announced understandings, provided that his partner has no more reason than the opponents to be aware of the deviation [but see B2(a)(v) above]. Repeated deviations lead to implicit understandings which then form part of the partnership’s methods and must be disclosed in accordance with the regulations governing disclosure of system. If the Director judges there is undisclosed knowledge that has damaged the opponents he shall adjust the score and may assess a procedural penalty.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2023-November-01, 15:42, said:

In theory, a TD should be able to check this report if the same player makes a similar pysche in future.

This would be a huge improvement.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-November-02, 07:11, said:

This would be a huge improvement.

I understood access to colour-coded psyche history was reality in EBU, maybe someone can comment.

[pilowsky]

jillybean, on 2023-November-02, 07:09, said:

The term "psyche" is often misunderstood and misused.

So is the spelling.
Psyche is the Goddess of the soul.
Psych is a contraction of 'psychic'.

[jillybean]

Down another rabbit hole.

I always understood psychic to be a lady with too much eye makeup, flowing robes and cards much larger than the ones we usually play with.

Psyche along with the Goddess of the Soul I understood to refer to mind, soul, spirit from the Greek word psykhe

And then you can psych out your opponents, make them nervous and uncomfortable. Perhaps this is where the bridge term came from but the ACBL and EBU use psychic.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-November-02, 20:21, said:

Down another rabbit hole.

I always understood psychic to be a lady with too much eye makeup, flowing robes and cards much larger than the ones we usually play with.

Psyche along with the Goddess of the Soul I understood to refer to mind, soul, spirit from the Greek word psykhe

And then you can psych out your opponents, make them nervous and uncomfortable. Perhaps this is where the bridge term came from but the ACBL and EBU use psychic.

Internet bridge history attributes "psychic bid" to Dorothy Rice Sims, who was fond of such antics and decided that "psychological bid" was too much of a mouthful.
It doesn't quite ring true to me, but then history is an agreed set of lies anyway