What constitutes gross misrepresentation?
The Laws define a psych as a "gross" misrepresentation. What is the situation for lesser, but significant, misrepresentation?
In a recent match, I opened 1D, partner responded 1H then my RHO overcalled 1NT. On their card, 1NT overcall is described as 16-18. The actual hand held was:
S: A 9 3
H: K 9 6 5 3
D: A Q 10
C: J 9
I would describe this as a poor 14 (that JC looks particularly worthless) so a good two points light of their described system. As a one-off I suppose there's not much that can be done but if they do it regularly, it becomes a serious deviation but how can anyone tell if it's regular? Should I report it as a psych? What action, if any, would you recommend?
Comments
PS, my D and colon seems to have been turned into an emoticon. Please don't read any significance into this.
PPS: vulnerability love all
Are you sure the 16-18 doesn’t just refer to an immediate overcall of an opening bid. In that position without the 1H response my 1NT would be 11-14.
Their card only showed one range for a 1NT overcall, despite the standard EBU layout offering the opportunity to distinguish immediate from otherwise. Without the 1H response, you are in the protective position (also true after a single raise and two passes) so many pairs would reduce requirements in this case. In our auction, both opener and responder were unlimited so I would expect any opposing NT call to be up to strength.
A player can bid what they like provided any agreement (implicit or explicit) with partner is alerted or announced. - Law 40A3.
If a 1NT bid in the sandwich position is 16-18 then this hand is just a deviation as it is balanced and is less than a King outside of the range indicated. (It also has a lot of strength in the opponent's suits and some decent spot cards as well). Whether it is bridge logic to bid as such (bearing in mind partner might have nothing and the opponents are unlimited is of course a different matter- and irrelevant to the discussion.
In the EBU Blue book high card points are defined and a Jack counts as one - where it is part of an AKQJ combination or is singleton.
Bridge laws do not usually consider judgement as a factor (the only, but major, time when I think it does is when there is unauthorised information around). There is also no definition of the word 'misrepresentation' in the laws - and the 'misrepresentation' in this case is far less than a hand that announces that it has two key cards when it only has one.
Quite a few play that 1NT in the "sandwich" position is typically stronger than an immediate overcall. I usually play 15-18 in the direct position but 17-19 in the auction given.
As to the question quite a while ago the difference between a psyche and a deviation, if you wished to measure it, was that the call represented at least a 20% change from what was advertised so on that measure the 1NT overcall was not a psyche. I don't really see the issue. Were they to do that regularly then they are misleading you if they know their real range is different but equally they will find themselves being heavily penalised as the action taken is quite unsound.