At matchpoints, minor-suit games score so poorly that we recommend you avoid them. An example: five of a minor making six (not vulnerable) is only plus 420; you can beat that with three notrump making only four (plus 430). Similarly, five of a minor making six scores the same as four of a major making only four. A couple of good practical guidelines, at matchpoints:
- If you think your minor suit has no losers, play the risky three notrump and hope to make an overtrick, even when you think five of a minor is safer. It’s OK to bid five of a minor, but only if you think three notrump is hopeless.
- If you can’t stop in a notrump game, but you think others will stop in a notrump game that will make, bid a risky slam in your minor suit and hope to make it, rather than play in five of a minor and settle for a bad score.
Minus 200 is the “kiss of death” on a part-score deal at matchpoints. The reason is that minus 200 loses to other tables at which the opponents make a part-score (typically, minus 110 to minus 150 for the pairs sitting in your direction). For this reason, strong players are relatively quick to double when the opponents are vulnerable. Similarly, strong players pass when vulnerable, rather than bid to a contract that is likely to be down two.
Plus 140 usually is a very good score on a part-score deal at matchpoints. Plus 140 is a major suit part-score, making nine tricks; this beats a minor suit part-score making ten tricks, and it also beats a notrump part-score making eight tricks. For this reason, strong players declare with extra intensity, in two of a major with a chance for the overtrick. Similarly, strong pairs often will choose two of a major in a seven-card fit, in the hope of scoring plus 140.
Minus 100 is not necessarily bad news. If the pairs holding your cards at the other tables are minus 110 and minus 120 and minus 130, your minus 100 will be a top board. The same thing is even more true for minus 50.
“Sacrificing” (bidding a contract you know you can’t make) is not immoral. If the pairs holding your cards at the other tables are minus 620, your minus 300 will be a top board. If, however, you are minus 800, oops, now you have a bottom board.
If you and partner have a minor-suit fit and a major-suit fit, and you think both contracts will make, the major-suit contract will score a lot better. Two of a major (making) is plus 110, the same as three of a minor (making). If your major-suit part-score makes nine tricks, plus 140 beats ten tricks in a minor (plus 130). For this reason, strong players sometimes will choose to play two of a major in a seven-card fit rather than two of a minor in a better fit.