Bridge Winners Profile for Doug Couchman
Basic Information
- Member Since
- Feb. 25, 2014
- Last Seen
- 22 hours ago
- Member Type
- Bridge Player
- about me
I'm a bridge player (mostly for fun, sometimes pro) and teacher in Tucson, Arizona. I'm a former TD (but that was a long time ago); now I'm active at the unit and district level, and am second alternate to the national board of directors. Playing the game, and helping others learn to play and appreciate it, are a substantial part of my life.
When not playing bridge I tutor, preparing people for standardized tests. (Primarily those for graduate school admission, specifically the LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE.) If you or someone you care about needs help on a test, I'm your guy. See details on my website, www.dougcouchman.com
I'm a system maven — ask me about my "Troll Club" canapé relay system.
Though I have recently relocated to Tucson, Arizona, I have played all over the county and retain ties to the San Francisco bay area.
- Country
- United States of America
Bridge Information
- BBO Username
- atakdog
- ACBL Ranking
- Ruby Life Master
| Basic Two over One 2 over 1 Game Force |
Copy to my cards | View/Print |
| Intermediate Two over One 2 over 1 Game Force (except 1!D - 2!C) |
Copy to my cards | View/Print |
| Advanced Two over One Card 2 over 1 Game Force (except 1!D - 2!C) |
Copy to my cards | View/Print |
- Poll: Did you find this site’s April Fool’s joke funny?
- I am closer than some to this issue: - I got nastily sick from it, not quite hospitalization level; - My lungs haven’t fully recovered, and may never do so; - One of my friends (not a close friend, but still) has died of it; - A couple close family members are in ...
- I Got Coronavirus Playing Bridge
- Now that the article has been removed from the featured list (which I think was appropriate at this point), I have mentioned to Eugene that it should probably be moved to the Coronavirus forum. I continue to recover; it may be a very long time before my lungs are 100 ...
- Kyle Rockoff's bidding problem: 65 AQJT82 A AK98
- If 2NT is takeout I have to bid 4♥, but that's not an agreement I would like to have. Given the availability of a responsive double and a cuebid, I think 2NT should be natural (and therefore 3♥ would be natural, forcing, and my choice); I could ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Good point about KS, Art. I think a lot of people vaguely (or sometimes clearly) remember those controlled psychs, but don't remember exactly how they worked. You're right that the system included one bid responder could make that was absolutely forcing even opposite a psych while all others ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Mike, I think I understand your question. There's an answer (which I will give in a minute, though Ray, Kieran, Richard, and others already have), but I'll also explain the rationale, which may help. Any psych of an artificial bid (which otherwise qualifies for the prohibition, e.g ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Right, Jeff. The document Marty is quoting was always at least a bit problematic (in part because it seems to go beyond what the Laws allow, and in part because it was never 100% clear, at least not to me, that it actually had the force of law) but regardless ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Mike, did the opponent with the strong 4=4=1=4, who I gather you're saying was the next to act after your 1NT opening, pass quickly? If so, I'm impressed (and I might try this psych with a 3=3=6=1 zero count). But my point ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- George, regarding the "psychic control" issue: No, or at least probably not. It is a common misconception that "controlled psyches" are illegal, where these are defined as agreements that allow some psyches to be made relatively free of risk. This misconception is common because it used to be (approximately) the ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Steve, why did you apologize to the table? As you said, the call was legal and you knew that at the time. Psyches get stigmatized enough by those who don't do them; those who do shouldn't compound the problem by acting as if there's something wrong with ...
- Is this psyche legal?
- Mike, you do have to be careful about agreements that deal with psyches in some way. My suggestion is that instead of agreeing what calls can never be psyched, you instead try to define which auctions create forces and which don't. For example, in this case we see that ...
See all comments
