Law of Total Tricks

When both sides are bidding and respective partners are raising.

How do you know how far to compete?

Roughly it says "The no. of tricks you make = the no. of trumps held"

With 8 trumps bid "2", with 9 trumps bid "3" and bid "4" with 10 trumps.

Ideally this is with the majors.

Notice nothing is said about points or vulnerability.

This of course relies on you playing the cards well.

Bd 15 illustrates this concept well. North opens 1D and East bids 1S.

South bids 2H and now West must bid 4S with 3 points and 5 spades.

Not being vulnerable was an added bonus.

4S is 2 down (-100) whereas 4H makes 5H (-650).

Well done to 3 E-W pairs who outbid their opponents.

Also well done to those N-S pairs who competed to 5H.

Not one E-W pair were doubled.

North holds great D's and C's and their partner bids 2H.

Where are N-S getting tricks in side suits?