Psychic bids generally don't pay, but occasionally they produce a sensational triumph. This famous hand features a phenomenally successful psychic by Harold Ogust in the U.S.-Great Britain match in 1960.
Ogust was North, partnered by Howard Schenken against Britain's Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro. Schenken opened one heart, and Schapiro overcalled with two clubs.
At this point, Ogust made the highly irregular bid of two no-trump, deliberately suppressing his excellent heart support in order to create the impression that he had a no-trump type of hand.
Reese, gazing at his misfit for clubs, elected to pass, and Schenken — unaware of the abnormal nature of the two- no-trump bid — raised to three no-trump. Schapiro, his eye on the favorable vulnerability, now bid four clubs, knowing he could not be badly hurt.
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Ogust belatedly raised hearts, and Reese, having kept silent to this point, doubled — partly because of his two aces, and partly because his partner had singlehandedly bid for 10 tricks. Everybody passed, and Schenken made the contract with an overtrick.
Ogust certainly put one over on his opponents, but his strategy proved to be even more successful when subsequent analysis revealed that East-West could have made a grand slam in spades against any defense!
The British pair obviously miscued, but it is not easy to apportion the blame. Perhaps East should have bid three spades over two no-trump, or four spades over four hearts. Or possibly West should have bid four spades over four hearts doubled.
But regardless of who, if anyone, was at fault, there is no doubt that Ogust's two-no-trump bid was perfectly timed.
