Board 1: North opens 2NT in most styles (20-21.) South has 10 hcp and some shape; slam in notrump probably has poor odds, but 6H or 6C could be right if partner has 4 card support for either suit and good controls. Playing transfers, South shows his heart suit by bidding 3D. This might be a very weak hand but consider these hands:
North Possible South (Actual South)
Kx xxx AQ
AKxx Qxxxx Q1098x
Kxx xxx xx
AKJx xx QxxxI'd want to be in game opposite even a hand that weak, especially with the lead coming up the strong hand, and wouldn't expect partner to bid it. I'm cautious about super-accepting but with 20 points in Aces and Kings, a big fit and a side doubleton I think North should leap to 4H. A super-accept should indicate a hand that has revalued to stronger than the announced range of the notrump bid; North is easily worth 22 points in support of hearts.
South could bid 4NT (Blackwood, RKCB or 1430) but with no control of either minor I think a 4S cue-bid is best. North can then bid 4NT and settle for 6H when he learns one Ace is missing. Playing RKCB, South would reply to 4NT with 5D (1 or 4 key cards.) North would like to ask about the Queen of trumps -- it's usually poor to bid slam missing a key card and the Queen -- but there's no asking bid below 5H. Combining the odds partner has the Queen or the suit breaks 2-2, North goes ahead with 6H.
Playing RKCB-1430, South replies 5C and North can bid 5D to ask about the Queen. South confirms her majesty with a 5S or 5NT bid depending on style, and North bids 6H. The slam is a bit iffy thanks to the duplicated values in spades; declarer can cash most of the winners but sooner or later must try the diamond finesse. 6C and 6NT come down to the same play; this time the 4-4 fit doesn't help.
Board 5: East opens 1C. South should not act surprised or start asking questions about what 1C means; might as well scream "I have clubs." South cannot possibly wish to bid vulnerable and should pass in tempo. West responds 1H and North should pass -- that isn't a vulnerable overcall.
East has a fine hand in support of hearts. Adding 3 for the singleton and 1 for the doubleton to the 12 high card points, East has a maximum raise to 2H. Add the 10 & 9 of clubs and it would be clear to jump to 3H.
West bids 4H over the single raise, but should try for slam over a jump, unless partner is known to jump light. The clubs can't be set up and the spade finesse loses, so 4H is the winning spot. North leads a club and declarer should consider whether to try and establish the clubs or ruff several times in dummy. Declarer lacks the entries to his hand for multiple ruffs; I think it's easier to set up the clubs but either way declarer should manage 10 tricks. The double-dummy analysis says West can make 5H but the lineis not obvious.
Board 10: East passes and South opens 1H. Some Wests might trot out the Michaels cue-bid, but I think that's gadgetitis -- this is a spade overcall. North passes and East replies 1NT, about 8-11 over an overcall. West's strength and shape are enough for a 3D jump, though I'm reluctant to make that bid with relatively "empty" suits. Settling for 2D, East has just enough for a raise. (East's hand is NOT worth 2NT, which would suggest 11 hcp; 2NT is almost always a game invitation or a gadget of some sort, it requires more strength to make 8 tricks at notrump than nine in a suit when you have a good fit and shape.) Back to West -- with four card support expected, and two or three tricks in high cards, West's hand grows enormously; he can cue-bid 4C or just blast 6D. (3S would be another option if you could be sure partner would never pass.)
I can't give a point-count formula for a hand like West's; without a fit, he could go down in a part-score. But when East raises diamonds, showing four-card support, West expects 3 losers: one each in spades, hearts, and diamonds; East needs any two of the Ace of spades, King of hearts, and King of diamonds for slam to be excellent.
At 6D declarer ruffs the club lead, crosses to dummy with a trump, and leads the spade toward his KQ. South must take his Ace or it will be ruffed out. Now one spade ruff sets up the suit and makes the slam. If North had the spade Ace, the suit could still be established with two ruffs (one low and the second high if needed.)
Board 12: Some Norths would open a weak 2S but I think that's wrong with such a poor suit and the side major. South must choose among a "pushy" 2C, an off-beat 2NT, or a really heavy 1C. I expect 1C would be the overwhelming choice of experts; improve the suit to AQ109xx and I would open 2C, as 3NT might make opposite zero points. The hand is definetely too strong for 2NT; 2C followed by 2NT would be better, but 1C-1H-3NT looks like a sensible auction.
North responds 1S rather than 1H; now what? Experts and well-oiled partnerships would bid 2D, a forcing "reverse" bid (partner must go to the three level if he prefer's opener's original suit.) There are various agreements over reverses, including 4th suit strong, other bids weak; lebensohl (2NT for weak hands); and Ingberman (cheaper of 2NT or the 4th suit for weak hands, 2H in this case.) In all cases, however, 2S should be unlimited, forcing, and the preferred bid with a 5 card suit -- this is an exception to all the advice you read about needing 6 cards to rebid your suit.
Here, most Norths would rebid 2H (whether natural or artificial) but I think 2S is better. South isn't likely to have 4 hearts after his reverse and a 6-2 fit is usaully better than 5-3. South is delighted and jumps to 4S. North counts 5 losers (AK of spades, AQ of hearts, A of clubs) and can deduct one since there South must be short in hearts. The Kx in clubs is a big asset on this bidding. Blackwood is always a problem with a void, you'd really like to know which Aces partner has, but it doesn't pay to start cue-bidding at the five level when you need multiple cards. I'd bid 4NT, whatever variety, and bid 6 when partner shows 3 aces or 4 key cards. As is usually the case, you don't need to bid 7 to get a good score on a difficult to bid hand. Both black suits behave and declarer claims 14 or 15 tricks.
What if you don't have clear agreements about reverses? Then I think 3NT over 1S is the practical bid, or perhaps you should stretch to open 2C to avoid underbidding the hand.
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