dokoko

Clustering responder's hands should depend on what is known about opener's hand. Opposite a standardish 1♠ opener it makes a great difference whether responder has 2 or 3 spades; if he has 3 or more spades it's not that important whether he has 3 or 6 diamonds.

Could you give a list of responses to your one-level openings?

We play: 2N = "Blackout" aka Ingberman (weak hand) or nat FG 3♣ = nat FG 3♦ = artificial game force, no good descriptive bid (often 5 hearts) 3♥ = FG 6+ hearts 3♠ = FG spade fit 3N = nat, 11-13 pts, usually not 5 hearts 4♣ = Picture Bid, concentrated 2=5=2=4 4♦ = splinter with a spade fit 4♥ = semisolid suit, no diamond control, nonforcing 4♠ = Picture Bid, concentrated 4=5=2=2 4N = nat, 13+-15 pts, solid diamond stop When opener reverses above responder's suit, responder's "Blackout" bid may include weak hands with extra length.

Last time is two weeks ago. 2!Dx went for 800 at imps. In the old days people had good hands with good suits for a voluntary rebid. Nowadays with nobody doubling them, they just show distribution.

Usually there are some practical aspects to consider. If you reduce a hand at the table to some theoretical question you will often miss something. - Here if you have reason to assume hearts are 4-4, the finesse is safe as you will still win if it loses. - If clubs don't break you will need the finesse anyway (as long as you don't play for spades and hearts breaking evenly). - If you assume hearts are 5-3, a finesse into the danger hand is risky but usually odds on, while a finesse the other way is safe. - You may try to drop ♦Q. While this isn't very likely to materialize, it's still a possibility. - Instead of a finesse into the danger hand, you might try to duck a spade into the safe hand. For this you should be pretty sure that hearts are 5-3. So usually there are more than two options ("finesse" or "don't") and the right play depends on what you think is appropriate on the actual deal. In general, if the contract at the other table is likely to be the same - as well as the lead, from the two most promising lines you should choose the one that beats the other more often; if it's a tie choose the safer one. If you are in an unusual situation, try to figure out what might be happening at the other table. If you are in an inferior contract, play for some layout where you can beat the normal contract.

If you open Multi with 5 and 6 card suits you may like this: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U5PsXQzlUGEvHa7Iet44_CVpNAOFcwIT2W_MqMadpAU/edit

After your free 3♦ bid partner has a penalty double of 3♥. As to the defense, you should overtake ♦K and switch to ♠K. You don't have a vulnerable holding in either of the pointed suits, so instead of signaling and hope partner understands you should take over. If you get both of those right, you will be rewarded by 300.

(1♣) p (1♠) 2NT (p) 3♦ (3♠) 4♦ (4♠) 5♦ (p) p (dbl)

Does your improver (in principle) know that a 2NT bid would show a two-suited hand? If yes you should bid it - even if she might get it wrong. How is she going to improve if she gets no opportunities to handle such situations?

I would think that some stats, such as - percentage of invites accepted - percentage of games made - percentage of partscores making enough tricks for game - percentage of enemy partscores going down and the like might help to analyze your general approach.

What is your point? What are you trying to achieve?

Those who include strong balanced hands in a multi opening usually have at least 3 buckets: 1st: open 2NT 2nd: open 2♣, rebid 2NT 3rd: open 2♦, rebid 2NT Of these buckets the first should contain the weakest range and the 3rd should contain the strongest range. This is because the bidding preceding the 2NT bid may damage the follow-up after 2NT (and in some cases responder even has reason to bid above 2NT immediately). So with the most common range (the weakest) you should avoid these complications and with the rarest range you accept that these complications exist; usually the stronger the hand the better you can handle them.

As long as your response structure does not rely on the fact that opener promises a second suit, I think you can call your Wilkosz Multi and use it. But if you bid 2♠ on Kxx-xx-Qxxx-Axxx you obviously rely on the fact that opener promised a second suit if his long suit is hearts. In that case I would rule you are not playing Multi. Personally I think from a certain level, there should be no (or very few) restrictions. OTOH players participating in big tournaments should be obligated to publish their convention cards in advance. That way others could prepare defenses to unusual conventions.

In a game with incomplete information you probably need a delay if players are able to connect to the "life broadcast". The delay might even be necessary in a chess game with "slower" time control. If instant engine evaluation is available on the broadcast, watching the broadcast may help an active player (if evaluation suddenly goes up, you can conclude that there is some winning combination).

That's why I would double in the South seat. Being a passed hand, partner will not play me for more. I agree double is risky, but pass is risky, too. In my world the hand short in opp's suit should act.