Frequent overbidding (psyching?) with robot partner
There is an online player at our club who only partners BBO robots and frequently overbids. I don't think they are calculated psychic bids, instead it is probably poor knowledge and decision making. The robots (to their credit) always behave ethically and respond according to the agreed system - they never field the deviation/psych although their patience may be wearing thin.
Some recent examples:
- Holding S Kxx H KQJxx D xxx C xx All-Vul they opened 1H
- Holding S KJ10xx H J9xxx D x C J Vul they opened P-1S
- Holding S K H Jxxx D KJ108x C 10xx Non-Vul they bid 2D as follows: 1S-P-P-2D
- Holding S Kx H A976x D 9xxx C Jx Vul they bid 2H as follows: P-1S-2H
- Holding S Jxx H Qxxx D xx C xxxx Non-Vul they bid 2H as follows: P-1D-1S-2H
- Holding S Kxx H QJ9x D Q9xx C K9 Non-Vul they bid 2D (in theory Michaels) as follows 1D-P-1NT-2D
The first four are major deviations which could be regarded as exuberant overbidding and the last two may be considered bad misbids or psychs. The player does not chat or offer any supplementary explanation of their bids - of course BBO draws attention to the bid with a full explanation of its official meaning.
If they were two humans, we might say that their system card should reflect their bidding style more accurately, even if only one side of the partnership deviates from the system.
The player seems to wilfully ignore the system. What to do? Should they be asked to tell the oppos at the start of each round that they may overbid or fail to follow the system?
Comments
Regrettably no - you are only entitled to the explanation of what the calls mean. One would expect that by overbidding the Robot will also overbid BUT they may have noticed something about the robot bidding and are prepared to drop the bidding quicker. For instance: the robot may instigate a forcing bid and he drops it..
I think he has worked out that bidding with 5 card suits is very safe opposite a Robot and the potential benefits of obstructing the auction outweigh the chances of getting too high. Obviously if the robot has a very strong hand you may miss a game or slam as you drop - but the chances are remote.
You can't even get him for opening one bids with less than the rule of 18 or with 7 points or less, since the agreements are different.
I don't say I like what he does - but under the current laws he is doing nothing wrong.
What I would watch out for is if his unusual bids tend to find the Robot with support on a regular basis - but I assume you have kibitzers disabled.
If he is making unusual calls that turn out well then that is worrying. If his bids merely serve to put opponents off (and let's be frank lots of calls are) then that is a legitimate use.
I suppose you might be able to stop the calls on the basis that it is a controlled psych - controlled by the fact that the Robot is never going to get excited by him making them.
The relevant Laws here are 40A4 and 40C1, I think. 40A4 requires the two players of a partnership to play the same system as each other (i.e. the bids have the same meanings regardless of who makes them), but it discusses agreed meanings. 40C1 talks about implicit agreements arising from repeated deviations, and states that they lead to implicit understandings which then become part of the system.
My first thought was that 40A4 doesn't apply here because there is no agreement/understanding – the robot won't realise that its partner is a repeated deviant no matter how many weak bids are made. However, Law 40C1 outright states that this behaviour leads to an implicit understanding (despite the fact that the robot doesn't comprehend that). As such, I think, following the Law, we have to rule as though a partnership has an agreement to do things that it does repeatedly, even if one of the partners is completely oblivious to what was going on.
I therefore think that this behaviour is a violation of Law 40A4 (the agreement, created by the repeated deviations, is asymmetrical with respect to the two partners), and of one of the two requirements in Law 40C1 (the requirement that the partner has no more reason to be aware of the deviation than the opponents is satisfied, but the requirement that repeated deviations are disclosed in accordance with the regulations governing disclosure of system is being violated).
The players have to play the same system, but not necessarily the same style. 40C1 imposes an obligation to disclose repeated deviations, rather than to stop making them.
We had our first reported psyche at the club for several years. Unfortunately the psyche book has gone missing. I am probably remembering incorrectly but does the EBU now offer to record all psyches? Or do we have to buy a new book?
No need for a book - fill out a form from the website. We don't usually record hands from clubs but we could do if thought necessary - sent it to the L&E secretary.
Thanks Gordon. There does seem to be a prima facie case that the EBU recording club psyches would be a good idea. People play in several clubs and in EBU tournaments as well as on-line. Having one central place for recording them might find those who might be abusing the system. Shall I just email the L&E secretary with this link? Alan.
Fill out the form and send it in if you think there is something noteworthy about the case, but I think it's unlikely such a system would ever be used enough to have the completeness that would make it useful.