Doing it wrong for the best results

When I'm not playing well something I lament is how well what I see as poor decisions turn out, especially those made by my opponents. Each hand should be treated on it's own merits of course but how do you feel after this:

	♠ 8 7 ♥ A Q J T 6 3 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ 6 3
♠ J 6 5 4 ♥ K ♦ A Q 9 5 2 ♣ A J T		♠ Q T 3 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ T 4 ♣ K 9 8 4 2
	♠ A K 9 2 ♥ 9 8 2 ♦ K 8 7 ♣ Q 7 5

South	West	North	East
1♣	1♦	1♥	Pass
1NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

You're playing matchpointed pairs but even so the 'normal' action on the North cards would have been to bid 2♥.

North didn't bid 2♥, West led a diamond and South grinned at 9 tricks and a 100% board.

If North does pull 1NT then East leads partners suit, ruffs the third round and returns the presumably signalled for club limiting declarer to 8 tricks.

Look at it again though. This is similar the hand at the end of this post where I played in 3NT rather than the doomed 8 card heart fit. Is there something we can learn from these hands?

It is better to play from the right side than play the right contract?

The softer your stop in the opponents suit the better it is to be in NT?

The weaker your trumps the better they are as trumps?

Both these hands feature the declaring side holding a soft stop and a great source of tricks in the major fit.