Opening in Fourth Seat by David Bird

A: Pass. In any other seat, you would have a straightforward opening of 1♦. Here, you can expect that it would be a partscore deal if you open. Since you have only one spade, there is a good chance that the opponents will be able to outbid you in that suit. That may be so, even if your side has a small majority of the points.

You should use the 'Rule of 15' - add your high-card points to the number of spades. If this comes to 15 or more, you can open. Here, your total is only 13, so you should pass. This could be a typical deal:

____________________♠ J 10 5
____________________♥ J 8 7
____________________♦ Q J 4 3
____________________♣ K 9 4

♠ K Q 9 6 2_____________________♠ A 8 4 3
♥ K 6 2________________________♥ Q 10 5 3
♦ 7 2_________________________♦ 10 8
♣ Q 10 7_______________________♣ A 6 3

____________________♠ 7
____________________♥ A 9 4
____________________♦ A K 9 6 5
____________________♣ J 8 5 2

Well, it's only one out of countless possible lies of the cards, but you can see what I mean. West will overcall 1♠ and East/West will then probably make 140 for a partscore in spades.

Your result so far:

A: 1♠. You have 10 high-card points and five spades. That passes the Rule of 15 test. So, your hand is just worth a 1♠ opening in fourth seat.

The odds are good that you will be able to win any partscore bidding battle.

Your result so far:

A: 2♥. 12 plus 2 = 14, but the six-card suit (and the ability to make the first bid) gives you a good chance of winning the auction.

There is no point in playing weak two-bids in fourth seat. Why open with 6-9 points when you know that your side is likely to be out-gunned? Your 2♥ should show around 10-14 points in the fourth seat. Even if the opponents do have a spade fit, it will be that bit more difficult for them to find it.

Your result so far:

A: 3♣. It's quite likely that you can make nine tricks in a club contract. There are 27 points out, so your partner figures to have around 9 of them. You are worried, once again, that the opponents can make something in spades, so you must attempt to shut them out.

You would be too strong for a pre-emptive 3♣ bid in first or second seat. In fourth seat (or indeed in third seat), the best idea is to open 3♣. Don't worry that you might miss 3NT. That might happen very occasionally. It is far more likely that you will be able to grab a partscore contract your way.

Your result so far:

A: Pass. It is a normal weak 2♥ in any other seat, but remember that a weak-two is 10-14 in the fourth seat. It is likely that the opponents can make a contract in one of the other suits, and you should not give them a chance to enter the auction.

Your result so far:

A: 1♣. You pass the Rule of 15 test and should open 1♣. If partner responds 1♥ or 1♠, you will give a single raise. After a response of 1♦, you will rebid 1♥.

Your result so far: