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Minor Suit Games?

This article was taken from Andrew's What Should Have Happened Book

When choosing between 3NT and a major suit game (4/4♠) it is generally better to prefer the major suit when you have at least eight cards between the partnership. The security and extra options created by a trump suit more than compensate for the extra trick that has to be made.

The same is emphatically not true of minor suits - after all a minor suit game is only one trick short of a Small Slam. Far better to gamble 3NT than try for two more tricks in 5♣/5.

South Deals
N-S Vul
♠ 7 5
8 3
A K Q J 10 9
♣ 8 6 3
♠ A 8 4
K 7 4
8 4 2
♣ Q 10 5 2
N
W   E
S
♠ K 9 6 3 2
A 9 6 2
6 3
♣ 9 7
  ♠ Q J 10
Q J 10 5
7 5
♣ A K J 4
West North East South
      1 N
Pass 3 N Pass Pass
Pass

♦s and the optimum contract of 3NT was reached. West led ♣2 and declarer gratefully won ♣J. He was able to cash dummy’s six s and the two top ♣s - an easy nine tricks.

Fascinatingly, only a lead defeats 3NT! Declarer wins in dummy and must try to establish a major suit trick. He leads 3 to 10 and West’s K. West plays a second and now, severed from dummy, declarer must cash the s immediately. He discards two ♣s and a but what does he discard on the last ? Try it out!
Note that 5 by North is completely hopeless. On a ♣ lead declarer loses ♠AK, AK and ♣Q - three down.

Andrew's Tip: Avoid minor-suit games.

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