1. West pass first time - nothing wrong with 2C (see below)
2. 2NT - 17/18 points

Opening Lead:  A low Club, don’t lead the Ace as you could lose communication with your partner

Alternative bidding on this hand

1. Not strong enough to compete.
2. Club stop not good enough to bid NT, so no alternative to 2♥.

1. 1♣  With 6 Clubs & 5 hearts open your longest suit.
2. 5-5 in Diamonds & Spades, show the Diamonds first as you are strong enough to bid the Spades later
3. 2♥ - Er-bidding Hearts must show a 5-card suit, so to bid Clubs first the Club suit must be longer than the Hearts suit
4. 4♥  - With an 8-card Heart fit North can now jump to 4♥.

Opening lead: 10♠  is safest – Don’t lead away from  ♦ AQ or ♣K.

1. 1♣ - 20 HCP’s but you don’t have enough tricks to open 2♣, also the singleton King reduces your working points to 17.
2. 2♥  - By opening 1♣  & then bidding 2♥  you can show your partner the value of your hand (A Reverse). Open 1♥  & then rebid 2♣  & you are showing 11-15 points.
3. 2♠  -  To rebid your suit after partner has opened & then changed suit you are showing a weak hand, but with a minimum of six cards in your bid suit.

Opening Lead:  A Club.

1. Double -  With 6-4 in the majors you would bid the 6-card suit. Here you are 5-5 & if partner responds in Diamonds you would then bid a Heart & partner should realise that you also hold the other major.
2. 2♠ - With A-K & a 4-card Spade suit you can bid even with just 7 points as you are quite happy for partner to lead a Spade if the opposition win the contract.

1. 1NT -  Weak 5-card suit, didn’t want to rebid 2S.
2. Double -  A player is said to be in the protective seat when a pass from him would finish the auction. You ‘borrow a king’ by adding 3 points to your hand, & here with 11+3 South is just about strong enough for his double.
3. 2♣  -  Only 7 points, so aware that they may only have a combined 18 should bid to take the double out. With two 4-card suits should bid the lower ranking.
4. South's pass - If the doubler is short in this suit they would bid another suit.

1. North's opening pass - 12 points & balanced, but nothing in your hand apart from three Aces. If you had held two 4-card majors you would bid one of them.
2. Double - West must bid with 5-4-4 shape & just 5 LTC, he’s happy in which-ever suit his partner bids.
3. 5♦  -  Not vulnerable, plenty of support & three Aces
4. ? - From partner’s double East knows they have at least an 8-card fit in Spades. If he bids 5♠  he knows it will be either a top or a bottom!

1. Double -  Don’t bid 2C, if you do partner will never know that you have 20 points. Partner may bid Spades, but with a hand this strong wouldn’t be a problem.
2. 2♠  - 8 HCP, but a decent 5-card major so too strong just to reply 1♠ . This bid isn’t forcing to game. To show a very strong hand you would bid the opponent’s suit

1. 1♦  -  Open the higher minor so partner can give preference at the 2-level.
2. 1NT -  shows 15-16 points.
3. 2♥ -  Shows 5-4 in the majors & at least 10 points & is forcing for one round.