[polarmatt]

if i have two 5 card suits and 0-9 points which suit should i bid?

for example

♠ 5 7 10 K 2
♥ 6 J 3 2 4

I have two 5 card suits and 4 points here in this spot (assuming i don't have more than 5 points in other minor suits)

Should I bid the highest or lowest suit? meaning i should bid hearts 2H or should I bid 2s as the highest in this spot.

if i had

♥ 6 J 3 2 4

♦5 7 10 K 2

Should I bid diamonds or hearts? 2h or 2d?

[diana_eva]

After your partner's 1NT opener? Is this a follow up to your previous question from this thread?

[Stephen Tu]

Assuming you are referring to what to do over partner's 1nt:

With both majors, it mainly depends on how your partnership defines 1nt-2c-2d-2h. There are two somewhat common meanings for this:
1- weak with both majors
2- invitational with hearts (particularly when NOT playing jacoby transfer responses to 1nt, a fairly large majority of players beyond beginner stage use transfers)

If you use (1), with both majors you would typically stayman, pass partner's major response, but bid 2h over 2d. This is likely to get you to the best fit (you'd much prefer a 5-4 fit to a 5-2 fit you might get to if you just guessed which major to bid). If partner doesn't have a 4cd major, he typically passes 2h with equal length or bids 2s with 3-2-x-x, and you will find a 5-3 fit unless partner happened to be 2254/2245.

If you use (2), then bidding stayman doesn't work because partner will frequently bid 2d, you bid 2h then get too high. In this case you simply have to guess which major to bid, typically you choose the better one, because you typically survive being in a 5-2 fit more often holding good trumps rather than bad ones. With roughly equal 5-5 holdings, particularly at the upper end of the range where you might want to compete at the 3 level if the opponents balance in a minor, you would want to bid spades so that you can bid hearts later if the opponent competes. That allows partner to choose either major at the 3 level, without having to go to 4 with a preference.

Holding a major and clubs you choose the major, because 2c is stayman not a weak takeout.

Holding a major and diamonds, a lot depends on form of scoring. At MP I'd always choose the major, for the following reasons:
1. A large majority of the field can't takeout to diamonds (playing transfers), they will take out to the major. By being in the same contract as them, you assure it comes down to card play and that you won't have lost the board in the auction (you are hoping you play better than the field, if not you need to work on your play in any case).
2. Majors outscore minors when taking the same # of tricks. Reasonably often both contracts take same # of tricks, and the major simply scores more. Even if 2d makes 3, you can tie it with 2h making only 2, and 2h making 3 is practically impossible to beat in diamonds (you'd have to make 5 which is going to happen close to zero holding a weak takeout).

At IMPS I suppose bidding diamonds with good diamonds has more going for it, but if you are strong enough to compete to the 3 level in a red suit over the opponent's 2s, I'd still bid hearts first so you can compete in diamonds later if the opponents bid 2s.

BTW it's conventional to list suits going from high to low, and usually use "T" for the ten.

[nige1]

polarmatt, on 2018-March-20, 21:40, said:

if i have two 5 card suits and 0-9 points which suit should i bid? for example
♠ 5 7 10 K 2
♥ 6 J 3 2 4
I have two 5 card suits and 4 points here in this spot (assuming i don't have more than 5 points in other minor suits)
Should I bid the highest or lowest suit? meaning i should bid hearts 2H or should I bid 2s as the highest in this spot.
if i had
♥ 6 J 3 2 4
♦5 7 10 K 2
Should I bid diamonds or hearts? 2h or 2d?

I think polarmatt assumes a 12-14 HCP weak 1N opener
Responses : natural 2♦/♥/♠ weakness takeouts and Stayman 2♣.
Responder, with only 4 HCP,, knows that his side is outgunned and would like to win the auction in 2 of a suit.
Failing that, it might be useful to suggest a lead.

With polarmatt's 5-5 in the majors example, I rank

• 2♠ = NAT and pre-emptive. The suit you want led. If you feel brave, you can bid 3♥ later.
• 2♣ = ART. Stayman. Allows opponents more room to compete but Stephen Tu makes a good case for this.

With polarmatt's 5-5 in the pointy suits example, it's closer. I rank

• 2♠ = NAT and pre-emptive
• 2♦ = NAT and lead-directing. Perhaps opponents will bid 2♥ allowing you to bid a brave 2♠..

[apollo1201]

With a weak t/o and 55 hand, you should try to take out to the highest suit, regardless of quality, as a preemptive move to shut opponents out.

Especially with touching suits, if opponents compete, you might get a chance to show your 2nd suit at the 3 level if you feel brave enough.

With non-touching, bidding the lower suit first could let you show the other one cheaply at the 2 level. With no guarantee though. And partner might think your hand is 54 only. So I’d probably not do it...