[Liversidge]

If responding in a suit, should I always bid my longest suit? I presume that if the choice is between a good 3 card major and a poor 4 card minor at the next level then I should bid the minor.But if I have a choice between a 4 card major and a 5 card minor at the next level, do I bid the minor regardless of suit quality?

[Cyberyeti]

 Liversidge, on 2018-September-06, 16:28, said:

If responding in a suit, should I always bid my longest suit? I presume that if the choice is between a good 3 card major and a poor 4 card minor at the next level then I should bid the minor.But if I have a choice between a 4 card major and a 5 card minor at the next level, do I bid the minor regardless of suit quality?

You will get different answers depending on where you are, if you have a bad 3334 and partner doubles 1♥, some will bid 1♠, some 2♣

[ahydra]

It may also depend on TOX style. For example, some would be happy to double 1H with a 43(42) or 42(52), others not because they would want at least 3 cards in each unbid suit (when not holding a 18+ hand). With a very weak 4oM5m you may be better off bidding the major opposite partners who play the former style and the minor opposite the latter style, as the most likely route to an 8-card fit.

Not to mention form of scoring as well - at IMPs you just want the best partscore while at matchpoints you might prefer a major.

ahydra

[kuhchung]

Responding to TOX is pretty interesting.

With a 4cM and a 5cm, pretty much ALWAYS respond the major. Imagine it gets competitive, then you can rebid the minor. Partner can give preference back with 4 card support, or pass without. Also, this allows partner to double slightly offshape in the minors, which is a winning style in my opinion. Partner should not give preference back to the major with 3 card support; if you had a 5 card major, you would bid, then rebid it if you really wanted to play it.

With two 4 card suits, respond HIGHER. Say it goes (1C) x (p) and you have some middling hand with 44 majors. Bid 1S now. If opener rebids 2C (or partner cuebids 2C), you can now bid 2H and get both suits in.

Look how poorly this would go with both of those hand types if you bid your longer suit or up the line. (1C) x (p) and you are 4M5D. If you bid 1D first and still wanted to compete, you'd have to bid 2M. This is clearly worse. Same if you're 44 majors and bid 1H first, and then later decided "whoops I wanted to compete in spades too."

Notice that this is very different from normal responses to openings, where you go up the line with 4-4.

[helene_t]

 kuhchung, on 2018-September-10, 18:08, said:

With a 4cM and a 5cm, pretty much ALWAYS respond the major. Imagine it gets competitive, then you can rebid the minor. Partner can give preference back with 4 card support, or pass without.

This argument suggests that you should bid 2♣ with both black suits, but hearts with both red suits.

[kuhchung]

Oh good point! Never saw this one come up before.