LEARNING CENTER

1. This hand is close to an opening in 1st and 2nd seat in the modern style. In third seat, though, we should definitely be aggressive in opening this hand. If parter responds 1, I'll raise to 2. If partner responds anything else, I'm passing. 

3. Trust that your partner has a good preempt here. Raising will help keep the opponents out. Don't overthink yourself. 

Pass. You might have 25 combined, but you don't need to stretch for every game. Partner is unlikely to have 14 really good points or else he might have opened 1NT (or, at least, I would). Sometimes it's good to stay low and be sure of making your contract. 

1. We'd like to make a limit raise in this case (our hand is better for having a fit with partner). We can jump in hearts later to show a three-card limit raise. An immediate jump to 3 typically promises 4-card support. Bidding 1NT would deny holding four spades. 

4. While our plan had been to invite game, partner's holding a sixth heart changes things. We now have a 9-card fit and aces outside. This hand is worth jumping to game. Partner could have any number of hands which would make game excellent: 

 6  
 AQ10765  
 QJ10  
 K53
 

for instance (assuming no diamond ruff). 

4. Your hand is great opposite a partner who has both majors. You should know that partner won't mess around at this vulnerability. If partner has 

 K9643  
 Q7643  
 65  
 5
 , he would have passed 1. Instead, we expect something like: 

 KJ943  
 AQ1062  
 53  
 8
 

and we are likely to take 10 or 11 tricks or even 12 tricks with a club lead and everything favorable!

6. Our opponents have taken full advantage of favorable vulnerability to make this a guess. We expect them to have at least 9 cards between them for this (and, probably 10). That means partner has a singleton or void in diamonds and a good enough hand to jump to the three level. Picture: 

 KQJ1064  
 AQ3  
 --  
 KJ76
 

Not exactly a spectacular hand, but we need  a finesse for 7. Might partner have: 

 KQJ1065  
 AQ3  
 6  
 K87? 

It's unlikely (our opponents were both very aggressive), but sometimes preempts work.