The trick, and the hard part, is to try to be certain that you can take at least 3 tricks if you don't look at the Widow, and 4 if you do look at the Widow.

That'll make you break even for the hand. every trick above it that you take adds to your goal of 15.

It only costs you one more point to look at the Widow, so if you have a marginal or poor hand it's quite possible that the look is worthwhile.

As noted in another Nugget, when the hand is over you have your tricks- for the sake of this let's say you won 5 tricks which would equal 5 points.

Then, if you even looked at the Widow back at the beginning of the hand [ it doesn't matter if you took it ] 4 points are subtracted and you end up with 1 point.

If you didn't look at the Widow, then 3 points are subtracted leaving you with 2 points. Your goal is to reach 15 or more points.