The Art of Psychic Bidding (and its Pitfalls)
by Julian Pottage and Peter Burrows

BT Batsford, £10.99, ISBN 0 7134 8881 6

Psychic bidding has never been studied in depth before, so the authors have filled a gaping hole in bridge literature. First things first – what does the book look like? It has a splendid modernistic front cover, with a glossy finish. Inside, the text is well-spaced with back-shaded hand diagrams. So, a fine effort by the Batsford production team. Since psychic bidding is well past its heyday, I will be looking for entertainment and a sound historical record, rather than advice to improve my game. Let’s look at the text!

The first chapter defines the terminology: semi-psych, shift psych (where you have a rescue suit), baby psych, maxi-psych, midi-psych, mini-psych, blunderbuss (opening 1 on a three-card suit and 4 points, for example) and rapier (very light but naming a good suit). I found this introduction somewhat dry, reminiscent of the minutes of a Laws and Ethics committee. The next few chapters were more like it. Well chosen and colourful examples of psyching both from the ‘good old days’ and from recent times. Here is a fine deal, brilliantly played by Phil King, from the chapter ‘Psychic Notrump Moves’:

	K Q 10 9 4   K   K 10 6 3   9 6 3
J 7 5 3 2   10 8   9 4   J 8 7 4		A   5 4 3   A Q J 8 2   A K 5 2
	8 6   A Q J 9 7 6 2   7 5   Q 10

West McIntosh	North Manoppo	East King	South Lasut
			3
Pass	Pass	3NT	End

King ventured 3NT, expecting the Indonesian South to read him for a heart stopper. Lasut duly led the 8, won with the bare ace. King cashed two top clubs, dropping the queen, and now had two entries to dummy to take diamond finesses. These were successful but when North held four cards in the suit declarer had only eight tricks. What could he do? To break the defenders’ communications, King led a low heart from his hand! Lasut played the jack (rather than a winning ace) and North now had to win and give dummy a spade trick.

Further absorbing chapters cover Controlling Psychs, Psychic Control Bids, Psychs at Rubber Bridge and Psychs in the 21st Century. The book then ends somewhat as it began with some rather wordy general advice on tactics in IMPs/Pairs/Swiss matches, when you should psyche, and the ethical side of psyching. Taken as a whole, the book is an entertaining and informative read. It is a scholarly work, very well written and with plenty of great deals. The authors can be well pleased with their end product.

David Bird

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