wilkosz responses

[Free]

Me and my partner are considering to adopt Wilkosz 2♦ whenever it's allowed. On Chris Ryall's site there's a brief writeup of the responses and what to do in case of intervention. There are also 2 continuation schemes after 2♦-2NT.

 

Does anyone have experience with, and detailed/extended notes on this convention, willing to share? If you prefer email, send me a PM so I can give you my email address.

[mgoetze]

I've never played Wilkosz in a very serious partnership, but I've played it quite a bit in casual partnerships and never run into any real problems. I would say the most important thing to agree, besides your constructive continuations, is what to do when they double 2♦, e.g. pass = suggestion to play if opener has diamonds, rdbl = tell me your major, or whatever.

[Free]

Something I haven't seen in Wilkosz response structures is the possibility to invite. Is this just thrown overboard?

[nigel_k]

One suggestion: Use 2♥ by responder as the asking bid, not 2NT. There are cases where you want to play 2♥ but they aren't as common in practice as you might think, and the two extra steps in constructive auctions are obviously extremely valuable.

[glen]

Something I haven't seen in Wilkosz response structures is the possibility to invite. Is this just thrown overboard?

When I played it we used 3♣ as P/C for the opener's lowest ranking suit, and 3♦ as GI for opener's unknown major (if opener is 5-5+ in the majors will always accept the invite and bids 3NT to show both majors)

[Free]

And what do you do when you only want to invite in 1 of the majors? With tolerance for OM you can bid 2OM hoping that partner doesn't have it and corrects, but without tolerance for OM you're pretty much stuck?

[hrothgar]

Something I haven't seen in Wilkosz response structures is the possibility to invite. Is this just thrown overboard?

 

Back when I played Wilkosz we used a 3♦ response as a game invitational hand

 

Responder needed to have EITHER tolerance for both majors OR s three suited hand

 

Showing a max forces you to the 4 level, but normally not to 5m

 

After 2♦ - 3♦ (art. game invite)

 

3H = no interest in game (Hearts or both majors)

3S = no interest in game (Spades and a minor)

3N = Max with Hearts

4C = Spades and Clubs (Max values, but non forcing)

4D = Spades and Diamonds (Max values, but non forcing

4H = Both majors (max hand)

4S = Super max (Spades and a minor)

[nigel_k]

After 2♦-2♥:

 

2♠: Spades and a minor

2NT: Hearts and a minor, minimum

3♣/♦: Hearts and the bid minor, maximum

3♥: Majors, minimum

3NT: Majors, maximum

 

If you give up the ability to play 2♠, you can switch it around to right-side more often. There is enough space to do everything, and some left over.

[hrothgar]

After 2♦-2♥:

 

2♠: Spades and a minor

2NT: Hearts and a minor, minimum

3♣/♦: Hearts and the bid minor, maximum

3♥: Majors, minimum

3NT: Majors, maximum

 

If you give up the ability to play 2♠, you can switch it around to right-side more often. There is enough space to do everything, and some left over.

 

Never heard of anyone playing 2H as anything other than pass or correct

[akhare]

Played it for a few years as part of a FP system.

 

Nothing much to add to what's been already said.

 

Basically, 2♥ = p/c; 2N = strong ask. Over their X, P showed willingness to play 2♦-X; XX asked for opener's major and 2M was TP. Of course, other variations of P / XX are possible, but that's what we played and it worked quite well.

 

The situation you may want to discuss is X over 2♦ - (2M). In our case, we played it as co-operative and opener would P holding holding M and takeout to OM or 3m otherwise.

 

We also played a 3D invite which was similar to Richard's scheme and I can dredge the details if desired.

 

Edit:

 

Over the P over 2D - (X), we played that opener's XX showed H+C, 2H showed the majors and 2S showed S+C.

 

Also, over 2D:

 

3D: Invite with both majors

3H: P/C with both majors

3S: S+minor; pass or correct

4D: Asking for major

4C/4M: TP

[the hog]

After 2♦-2♥:

 

2♠: Spades and a minor

2NT: Hearts and a minor, minimum

3♣/♦: Hearts and the bid minor, maximum

3♥: Majors, minimum

3NT: Majors, maximum

 

If you give up the ability to play 2♠, you can switch it around to right-side more often. There is enough space to do everything, and some left over.

 

No this is poor. 2H is pass or correct.

[nigel_k]

Never heard of anyone playing 2H as anything other than pass or correct

Generally there is a playable spot other than 2♥ - possibly in 2♠ if opener has both majors or at the three level. Sometimes opponents are bidding spades anyway on the hands where we want to play exactly 2♥. And if spades is their suit, it can be useful for responder to start with 2♠ pass or correct rather than 2♥.

 

But the main reason is the two extra steps in constructive auctions which is a big gain. Responder tends to want to investigate game more often opposite Wilkosz than opposite a weak two, and they can do this a lot more confidently if there is a way to stop in three of a minor when opener is minimum or unsuitable.

[the hog]

This is Matula's scheme.

 

Responses: Pass = a) found me diamonds, pd! b) hope you got diamonds, pd! c) tactical (if 4th seat doubles, opener: Pass = D, XX = S-H, 2M = M-C) 2H = p/c, 2+H

2S = p/c, usu. 3+S unless 1H-2S

2N = strong relay

3C = nat NF

3D = invite+, support for both majors

3H = preempt, p/c

3S = preempt, support for spades and both minors, short hearts

3N = to play

4D = asks pd to bid major

4C/4H/4S = natural

 

2D-2H- Pass = 5+H, normal hand 2S = S + m 2N = nat to play 3C = p/c for m

2N = 6S-5H, maximum 3m = 6m-5H, maximum 3H = 6H-5other, maximum 2D-2S- Pass = 5+S, normal hand 2N = 5S-6m max (3m p/c) 3H = 5S-6H max 3S = 6S-5H max 2D-2N- 3C = C + M 3D = GF relay, asks for major (then 4oM = to play) 3M = p/c (may go to game if oM bid) 4C = invite 3D = D + H 3H = sets H, demands cues 3S/4C = cue for D 4D = invite 4H/4S = to play 3H = H + S 3S = sets S, demands cues 4m = cue for H 4H/4S = to play 3S = S + D 4C = cue for S 4D = sets D, demands cues 4H/S = to play 2D-3D- 3M = minimum 4M = maximum

 

INTERFERENCE: 2D-(X)- Pass = diamond tolerance or better, could be waiting to penalize (later X penalty) Pass = diamond XX = H-S 2M = M-C XX = asks for cheapest major 2H = H+other (now 2S is further p/c) 2S = S+minor (now 3C is p/c) 2M = natural, to play, no matter what 2N = good 3-suiter that wants to compete at 3 level (bid cheapest suit) higher = as if no double 2D-(2M)- X = competitive, p/c Pass = decent 5+ cards in their suit 2S = denies 5H (or could be Jxxxx hearts), shows 5S 2N = nat invite 3C = p/c 2N = 5 bad in their suit, side minor 2N = minor-suited take-out, usu. with 4-crds in enemy suit 3m = natural 3H = both majors (now Pass/3S to play) 3m/3oM = natural, NF 3 cue = asks for stopper, usu. with long running minor 2D-(2N natural)- X = penalty 3C = p/c 3D/4D = asks pd to bid major 3M/4C = natural 3N = asks pd to bid cheapest suit at 4-level 2D-(3m)- X = pen 3H = p/c for major 4C = slammish cue, asks bid major 4D = request bid major

 

Frederick, have you tried Tutti Frutti? That is even more fun.

[Free]

I wonder, what do you do with the following hand?

[hv=pc=n&n=s97642h6dak5cq643]133|100[/hv]

 

I guess partner has ♥+♦, so at first sight I'd just bid 2♠ and pass his 3m rebid. However, what if he has ♠ + some other suit? We can easily miss a laydown ♠ game.

Even if you don't think this hand is worth inviting, just pretend it's a little bit stronger (but keep the distribution intact).

 

Yesterday I had a similar hand and Wilkosz gave us a cold top because it rightsided the contract :D

[Free]

Frederick, have you tried Tutti Frutti? That is even more fun.

Thanks a lot for this scheme!

 

I won't play Tutti Frutti because I just want my 2M openings natural. We've been playing minimulti with 2♥ = 5-5 ♥+other and 2♠ = 5-5 ♠+m for several years now, and I thought: "lets swap things around and see how it goes".

[mgoetze]

We can easily miss a laydown ♠ game.

That's OK, your opponents will be missing their laydown ♥ game too.

[Jboling]

When I played Wilkosz according Matulas scheme given above, I changed 3♣ to threesuited invite with short spades, because I thought it was missing from the scheme. With a weak hand with long clubs, we passed and corrected to 3♣ if it was doubled. The responses to 3♣ were

pass/3♦/3♥ = to play (typically with spades as the other suit)

4m = m+♠, good hand, reinvite

4♥ = to play

4NT = both minors

5m = to play (typically m+♠ with weak spades).

[benlessard]

Using 3C as pass or correct make sense imo. With both M opener return to 3H and you can bid game if you have a good 41?? or 14??. Note that I have no real experience with W2d.