The holidays get closer and closer

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE® GARFIELD® BIG NATE® ARLO & JANIS® ZITS®

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, let’s look at some recently published bridge books.

First comes “A Taste of Bridge” by Jeff Bayone (Master Point Press). This is the only beginner book I know that concentrates almost 100 percent on card play. Toward the end, where there are 12 more practice deals, there is some bidding: Either opener bids one no-trump, and responder passes, invites game with two notrump, or raises to game; or opener bids one of a major, and responder raises.

I like this approach because understanding how to win tricks, especially establishing a long suit and ruffing losers, improves bidding judgment.

One of the example deals is in the diagram. How should South play in four hearts after West leads the spade king?

When your hand has more trumps than the board, count your hand’s losers, taking dummy’s high cards into account. Here, there are four losers: two spades, one heart and one club — one too many. The other problem is that once you win the first (or second) trick with dummy’s spade ace, the opponents are in a position to take their four winners. You cannot afford to let them in until you have eliminated a loser.

To gain an extra winner in a suit contract, you usually either establish a long suit or ruff a loser in the shorter trump hand. In this case, you do the latter ... eventually. After winning with the spade ace, take your three diamond winners and discard a spade from the board. Then get trumps drawn as quickly as possible. Soon, you will ruff your third spade on the board.