Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - August 29, 2022 - Play a minor or NT?

Question:

Here’s a hand with lots of bidding that ended up at game but went down. 

While we know that the preference is to play in a major or NT, would this hand have been better in Diamonds? 5C went down 1

Vic:

I ran this hand thru my computer analysis program just to be sure. The computer tells me the hand “deserves” to make 7 Clubs or 7 Diamonds or 3 Hearts or 2 Spades or 4NT.  

“Deserves” means that the computer found a guaranteed way to make those respective contracts, regardless of the opening lead or subsequent defense. 

So to answer your question: No, it would not have been better in diamonds. It did not deserve to go down in either minor.

I would hope for inexperienced players to arrive at 3NT rather than 5C or 5D. Why inexperienced players holding long/strong minor suits are so consistently reluctant to focus on game in NT, rather than game in the minor, is one of the great mysteries of bridge. How many times do they have to be hit over the head?

 I would expect many/most experienced players would arrive at least at small slam in either clubs or diamonds. 

 I would expect the experts to find the grand slam, probably via a series of control bids.

 Ain’t bridge a great game?