REBECCA ROOD'S MAILBAG.........................................................

• Dear Rebecca, The other day I was completely undone by a psyche ! Not surprisingly, my partner and I missed our best contract and recorded a bottom. Surely, this sort of bid is not right, and should be banned? Yours, looking for sympathy Henry Hubble.
• Dear H, Psyches as you well know are a legitimate part of the game, alongside many other useful but deceptive ploys. Good players need to develop that art of deception if they seek to gain an edge on their rivals. As for me I think that most psyche bids are easy to spot. Believe in the cards you see in front of you and, of course, your partner's bids. If you want to play bridge in the big pool, then expect to meet to a few sharks. So either wise up on your game, or go looking for ponds where only the little minnows swim. Yours unsympathetically Rood.