Fourth Chair Openings

Chuck Baker asked me to enter into a discussion about fourth seat openings. I think this was an excellent request and a really important discussion point for your developing partnerships. I certainly have a section in all of my advanced partnerships' bridge notes regarding this area!

The important thing is of course to find your plus position. Either go plus in your own contract or force the opps so high that they go minus in theirs. There are virtually no opening bids that aren't shaded somewhat differently given the fact that no one has of yet owned up to an opening or preemptive hand when the bidding goes P P P to you. 1N and 2N are the exceptions, I surmise. Barring special agreements, no difference in the shape and strength of those opening calls in fourth seat.

For one level openings, I use the rule of 15 pretty religiously having stubbornly bypassed it once and regretted it immensely. If you use it, you'll usually have a lot of field protection. The rule of fifteen has to do with the number of HCP and spades in your hand. Add these two qualities up, if you get to 15, open the hand. If you don't, pass the hand out. So AT98,KJ3,QJ43,54 is an opener. A4,KJ3,QJ43,8763 is not. Two/three level bids should be annoying as they are in the other seats, and they also need to jam the auction so that the opps can't find their missed opportunities cheaply.

You shouldn't get in there with pure preempts because in that case you know the opps have probably missed something important. 2M is 10-13 six card suit. 3M are 7.5 tricks with outside strength. 3m should probably be a tad more. 3N (the gambling type hand) should be an ACOL type hand with seven of the minor, sometimes broken and outside strength. Here's an example. KT,3,AKQ8653,KJ5 Aside from that, there is always judgment as to vulnerability and type of scoring.

Once I was faced with the decision to open or not to open in fourth chair at favorable imps with a minor suited quackish hand. I figured the opps probably had spades and on a bad day I'd be giving up +400 (3N making)--on a good day I'd be -0 instead of -140. On a really good day I'd be -0 instead of -620, the opps now finding their vulnerable imp spade game after my opening. I passed. Sure enough, Connie and Sherwin brought back the expected 620 for win a bunch.

Some of this judgment will come with time as you can picture the hands and get to know your opponents and teammates. Hope this is somewhat helpful. Ask if you have further questions!