2♣ auctions dont come up often so its good practice.  N is showing 22-24 balanced with 2NT. S 3♦ is transfer to ♥ .  The rest is the same as other NT auctions.  

The play again involves declarer needing to ruff 2 ♦ inn hand to make 7, and fails when W trumps the K♠ . 

The 3♥ bid asks partner to bid 3NT with a ♥  stopper.  When W bids past 3♦ EW is interested in game.  With a ♥ stopper Wcan simply bid 3NT.  E having none retreats to 4♦ .

5♦ makes as long as declarer arranges to ruff 2♣ in dummy before drawing trump.

The bidding is uncomplicated although N  might have mild slam interest and no convenient way to explore.  If the defense gets off to a spade lead declarer should test the side suits before drawing trump. Lose a ♦ , take the club finesse, which wins.  Point is drawing trump risks losing control if the defense continues spades at every opportunity.

When investigating slam in NT the focus is on HCP, Aces, and possibly a long solid suit. 33 HCP is the magic number as it’s not possible to be missing 2 aces. S has 18 HCP and should have slam ambition after N 1♣ opener. However N 1NT rebid should dampen enthusiasm. It limits N to 14 hcp and denies 4♠ . S choices are 3NT which ends the auction and 4NT which is a Quantitative ask. N with 12 HCP will pass. Had N wished to proceed she should show Aces , regular Blackwood, so S can confirm not missing 2.

It’s possible that N or S enter the auction at some point pushing the auction to the 3 level. N has a decent hand and long ♣ but they have been bid by opponents. S has few HCP, but 2 5 card suits, albeit terrible. It is risky to balance in this auction vulnerable. And for S there is another risk. S hand is soo bad, that reopening the auction may give EW the impetus to reconsider and bid a makeable game. 

This is a good hand to talk about how to distinguish hand strength in a bridge auction. First let’s define terms. 
Unlimited bids: no defined upper limit (below 20 points), usually forcing

Invitational Bids: are range bound, having both an upper limit and lower limit, defined in the context of the auction. If they are a new suit (or cue bid) they are forcing. They imply upper end of the defined range

Raises: range bound bids that show no interest in advancing opposite partners minimum range

Game Forcing Bids: often artificial, and designed to alert partner not to stop auction below game.  These bids free the partnership to make descriptive bids that with otherwise be non forcing, exploring for either the best contracts or possibly slam.

We all should know what category each of our bids falls into in every auction.

On this hand N can get excited about slam prospects after partner raises to 2♠ . But remembering S now has limited their hand to 14 pts, N realizes prospects for slam are remotely and simply bids game.

The concept of limiting your hand at the earliest opportunity is essential to good bidding.  That’s one reason why NT bids are so coveted 

As declarer we all “hate” these 1NT hands, having half the deck, but needing to “manufacture “ 3-4 tricks to make the Contract. Seems there are always lots of choices with no clear direction. One useful strategy is to be patient and give the defense every opportunity to help.

Here N will likely lead Q♠ and declarer should allow N to hold the trick. North is as uncertain what to do next as W, but likely will continue a high spade.  Patience is rewarded when S is forced to follow with the 7♠ 9♠ , setting up a fourth spade for declarer, who by the way has carefully watched the spade spot cards as they were played!

Here we have a common NT-Transfer auction. For those wanting to play in 3NT the likelihood of an extra trick from a ♠ ruff should dissuade you.  The ♥ suit should be played by leading the Q♥ as it offers a 25% chance of 5 tricks with no losers.

Everyone makes sound decisions in this auction. Had EW been NV W might try 3♠ . S doesn’t have quite enough to double then bid ♥ , and N can’t raise.

When you have a two suited hand that includes a suit suitable for a preempt in its own right, it’s often best to bid first rather than wait to make a 2 suited overcall.  You may never get the chance.

E makes a standard transfer bid of 3♥ . W with 4 excellent ♠ and prime values “super accepts” . This strategy occurs more often after 1NT, but has application over 2NT as well.

Yes responder could have zero points, and 4♠ Could go down.  But probability suggests otherwise.  On this hand if you take all the face cards away from E, West is still likely to make 4♠ 

Pay attention to E “judgement” on this hand. It will shift from conservative to aggressive based on the action at the table.  With a balanced 11 count it’s not quite enough to open. Then after W third seat 1♣ (could be light), chooses 1NT, rather than the textbook 2NT. But the next time around, after opponents show ♥ and partner shows 6♣ E can visualize 8 tricks needing only a ♦ or ♠ for a ninth.

Some might want to respond 1♦ as E because they lack a ♠ stopper. My general view is that you do not need stoppers in all unbid suits to bid NT.  You do need a stoper in opponents bid suit, however.

This is a tame auction for a wild hand. Most inexperienced partnerships have not discussed the meaning of a cue bid overcall of a preempt.  So E settles for 3♦ . W has a difficult decision over 4♠ , but chooses to pass at this vulnerability. At equal vulnerability the odds don’t favor competing to the 5 level. 4♠ makes, but 5♥ or 5♦ does as well from the EW side. (The law of total tricks in action)

Experienced pairs have faced this dilemma before and agreed that 3♠ cue bid shows a strong Michael’s hand ♥ and minor; or use a convention called “leaping Michael’s “.  E would jump to 4♦ which by agreement shows a strong hand with ♥ and ♦ .  That would inspire west to bid ♥ at the five level.

This is an unfortunate hand for NS in a couple of ways. East has an obvious lead, with partner playing high-low to show a doubleton.  On the third diamond declarer has no winning option. The defense will collect two ♦ tricks And two ♥ tricks for -1.

Those pairs that do not use transfers may get lucky as West may not find a ♦ lead at trick 1

Bridge bidding is a lot like chess, in the each bid has an offensive and a defensive component. Opening 2NT is intended as purely offensive, but it also deters the opponents from intervening because of the level and strength of the bid. 3♦ on the other hand is primarily defensive, anticipating the opponents have values, and interfering in their expected auction; often forcing the opponents to guess. but you are guessing as well.

Here W can bid 1♠ (wait and see), 3♠ (make em guess), 4♠ (I’m guessing they have game). 
The reasons to bid 

The west hand is strong enough to open 2♣ , but W chooses 1♦ , providing room to show all three suits if necessary.  The danger in not opening 2♣  is that the hand gets passed out after. E has plenty and guides the  pair  to 3NT.  After N 1♥ bid, some E will pass (this is called a trap pass), hoping partner will “double”, any they can then pass and get a top score.  
As bad as it looks for NS, it will be very difficult for EW to take 9 tricks on defense, against 1♥ doubled.  That’s what it would take to get a better score than making 3NT.

There are some hands where both sides have offensive powerhouses, and points don’t matter as much as trick taking potential, and listening to the bidding. N has no problem jumping to 4♠  over 3♥ , but then E competes to 5♥ vulnerable (lots of ♥ and not many spades) and expecting to make or go down no more than 1. Turns out E bids 5♥ because she knows partner has no more than 1 spade and can visualize losing no more than 3 tricks.

N now has to choose between bidding 5♠ And doubling 5♥ . When an opponent is confident enough to compete to the 5 level VUL, I take note. I expect to set 5♥ taking 2 aces and partner winning a club.  But if so, I’m likely to make 5♠ ….so there!
Plan the play after E leads A♥ .

With a weak hand a 5 card support it is usually best to jump to game. Frankly you don’t know if your bid is ‘to make’ or preemptive…but it doesn’t matter.  Call it bridge dynamics or “the law of total tricks”. When Our side has a 10 card fit , the other side is likely to have one as well . That’s 20 total tricks, or if our side can take 10 tricks so can the other side. If our side can only take 9 tricks(go down 1) the other side can take 11(make 5). By jumping to 4 we score our game when we can take 10 tricks, and make it difficult for the opponents to find their game fit when we can’t make game.

Let’s see how “the law “works on this hand. EW has a 10 card fit in spades. NS has an 8 card fit in either minor . That’s 18 total tricks. EW makes 4♠ losing 2♥ and 1♠ .  NS can make 2♦ (8 tricks), losing 2♣ , club ruff, 1♦ ,1♠ . 

I like to upgrade with 17 and a 5 card suit. Is N going to respond to 1NT? The 5 card ♦ Suit would inspire me. At any rate, in 3NT after a spade lead, count your tricks and decide where your extra tricks are likely to come from.

Examine this hand very carefully! The auction as described is sensible. West either bids 3♦ naturally or has a convention that ends in 3♦ .Making 3 or 4. But what if E opens the 11 point hand 1♥ …2♣ by S….3♣ limit+ or 4♣ splinter by W ( or 4♥ Directly, having full game values with singleton club). 4♥ is making at most tables.

There is a good argument to be made for opening 11 point hands with a 5 card major.  Another way of looking at it is it’s less risky to open this had than to overcall with it at the 2 level.

E hand is close to a 1♥ opener had the k♣ been the K♠ . And W with 4 tricks and 3 hearts has an easy raise to game. Take a minute and figure out a line of play to make 6♥ on a ♠ lead. Trump are 2-2.

I usually get these hands wrong at the table as NS . My inclination, supported by evidence, is to get in the auction as N, even as a passed hand, with 44 in unbid suits.  It accomplishes the goal of moving the opponents from a NT contract to a “poorer scoring” minor suit contract. On this hand however, the combination of no diamond stopper and most things working in the other suits, clubs scores better.

If N passes rather than double E 1NT will likely end the auction.

The 3♥ bid by east is a cue bid with a specific meaning “Bid 3NT if you have a ♥ stopper”. East can picture 8 tricks and clearly count on West for a ninth after the double. But a ♥ stopper is necessary.  
note that it is reasonable for North to interject a preemptive 3♥ at this vulnerability, and that gums up the works for EW. E might choose to bid 5♦ after that.

Question: As west, I didn't think I had enough to bid.  N played in 1N making 2. Some W bid ending in 2c or 2s -1. Should I bid ?

South with game forcing values, a 4 card major and longer minor, bids the minor first (2♣ ) planning to show ♥  later.  West jumps to 4♠.  N has described her hand, and passes.  S, the decision maker in this auction doubles with no clear offensive option and doing her best to protect the known  game values.  This works out great for NS as 4♠ * goes down 3 tricks, as E has no help for declarer.  

Note that EW get their best result  by staying completely out of the auction, allowing NS to bid to an unmakeable game. It is a frustrating game!