Without support for opener, responder should plan to bid their longest suit at the lowest level.

With two+ four-card suits, responder should bid the cheaper, ensuring that no fit gets missed. You won’t bid the other four-card suit, but if partner doesn’t either then there won’t be a fit.

With two five-card suits (far less frequent), things are different, because you do intend to bid your other five-card suit. Much like as opener, it is better to bid the higher-ranking five-card suit first, expecting to finish the two stage operation (ie after bidding your second suit) more economically.

Exercise: What should these hands respond to (a) 1 ♣ (b) 1 ♥ ?

Hand (i): (a). Respond 1 ♦ , cheaper of fours. (b). Respond 1 ♠, the cheaper suit to introduce over partner’s 1 ♥ . Note that ‘cheaper’ does not mean ‘lower ranked’; it means the suit you get to first as you work up from partner’s bid.

Hand (ii): (a) and (b): Respond 1 ♠, ‘high fives’. Bid the higher-ranking of two five-card suits whether opening, responding or overcalling.

Hand (iii): (a). Respond 1 ♦ : longest suit at lowest level. (b): Respond 1 ♠ because you have insufficient to respond a new suit at the two-level.

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