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Board 6: East opens 1S and West, after deducting a point for no Ace and thinking pessimistically about his singleton in partner's suit, nevertheless has enough for a standard 2H response. East has excellent support, shape and controls; by point count, he can add 3 for the singleton club when raising partner with 4 trumps. 18+ partners 11+ totals at least 29, not enough to drive to slam but definitely interested. Visualizing, slam can make opposite as little as x Kxxxx KQx xxxx if the diamonds can provide 3 tricks and the trumps at least 8 on a crossruff. However, it's difficult for partner to show a singleton in your suit or to know it's an asset, not a liability, when you have Axxxx rather than KQxxx or such.
Agreements are important here: East must not make a bid short of game that partner might pass, but a simple jump to 4H hardly does justice to this powerhouse. One possibility is a splinter jump (4C), but this hand is perhaps too strong for that. A key understanding is that after a standard 2/1 response, a new suit by opener is forcing and a new suit at the three level is game-forcing. Opener can therefore rebid 3D, showing extra strength, and support hearts later. However, nothing will get West excited with his aceless minimum, but his excellent trump spots allow for an early claim: lead a club early, cash three diamond winners (else South can discard diamonds on spades and later ruff a winner) and then claim a crossruff with the eight highest trumps.
Board 9: North opens a maximum 1NT and South replies with Stayman 2C (not a transfer.) South can raise either major to game; if North replies 2D, South forces to game by rebidding 3H (or 3S, for Smolen bidders, not a gadget I recommend.) North obliges with 2S and South can think slam with his excellent controls and the heart suit as a source of discards. Adding 3 for the singleton along with 4 trumps, South's hand is worth at least 16. Visualizing, KQxx AJx xxx Kxx would give a near lock for 12 tricks and that's only 13 hcp. South can blast into 4NT (Blackwood or Key Card) or employ a gadget bid such as 4D (splinter) or 3H ("Three other major slam try.") The splinter looks like a good description; North's AK is somewhat wasted, but he has excellent controls and maximum values and can proceed with 4NT. Playing Key Card, South replies 5H (2 Key Cards without the Queen) and North settles for 6S.
East leads the Queen of clubs and North wins, plays the two top trumps, and leaving the high trump out, cashes the high diamonds and hearts, pitching a club from each hand; he would ruff a heart if needed to set up the long card in the suit. East will eventually score his trump Queen but North has plenty of tricks even without the favorable heart split. 6NT makes on this layout but would fail on a normal 4-2 heat split.
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