Bidding in depth
In fourth seat, open a light hand only if its high-card points plus its number of spades reach 15.
You are in fourth seat and the first three players have passed. You have a choice the earlier seats did not: you may pass too, and the hand is thrown in for a fresh deal — no score either way. You open only when opening is likely to gain.
The risk of opening a weak hand here is that the values are split roughly evenly, and by opening you hand the opponents their own chance to find a part-score. What tips the balance your way is spades — the highest suit. If a part-score battle develops, holding spades means you can always bid one more cheaply than they can, so the deal is likely to end your way.
Add your high-card points to your number of spades. If the total is 15 or more, open.
So a bare 11-count with four spades (11 + 4 = 15) is worth opening. The same points with only two spades (11 + 2 = 13) are not, so pass and take the fresh deal. The count is sometimes called Pearson points, after the player who popularised it.
When the rule says open, BidMaestro opens a five-card major as 1♥ or 1♠; otherwise it opens its better minor. A hand that falls short is passed out for a new deal.
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