The Complete Encyclopedia of Games 3/GAMES1000V3_d2.iso/card/prog56/ecarte.doc

Text File | 1994-07-03 | 8KB | 168 lines

TOMMY'S ECARTE (C) COPYRIGHT 1994 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #TM-150-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

ECARTE (AY-KAR-TAY) IS A FUN FAST-MOVING CASINO CARD GAME. THE NAME ECARTE
MEANS "DISCARDED" IN FRENCH, BECAUSE THE GAME IS CHARACTERISED BY A LOT OF
CHANGING OF CARDS PREPARATORY TO ACTUALLY PLAYING THE TRICKS.  THE REAL THRILL
OF THE GAME IS IN MAKING SIDE-BETS ON THE 2 PLAYERS WHILE SOCIALIZING FROM THE
GALLERY, BUT IN TOMMY'S ECARTE WE'LL JUST PLAY FOR FUN.

PLAYERS:
2 PLAYERS, YOU VS. THE COMPUTER.

THE DECK:
THE 32-CARD DECK CONSISTING OF THE 7S THRU ACES IS USED.  NOTE THAT THE RANKS
ARE KQJAT987, WITH THE ACE RANKING BETWEEN THE TEN AND JACK.

DEALER:
THE FIRST DEALER IS CHOSEN RANDOMLY BY THE COMPUTER.  AFTER THAT, DEAL
ALTERNATES.

DEALING:
FIVE CARDS ARE DEALT TO EACH PLAYER.  THE REMAINDER ARE PLACED ON THE TABLE
FACE-DOWN TO FORM THE STOCK.  THE TOP CARD OF THE STOCK IS TURNED FACE UP
AND PLACED TO ONE SIDE; THE SUIT OF THIS CARD IS THE TRUMP SUIT FOR THE DEAL.
IF THE TURN-UP IS A KING, DEALER SCORES 1 POINT.

THE OBJECT OF PLAY:
IS TO BE THE FIRST TO WIN 5 POINTS.  5 TRICKS ARE PLAYED, AND A PLAYER SCORES
1 POINT FOR TAKING 3-4 TRICKS, AND 2 POINTS FOR RUNNING THE VOLE (ALL 5 TRICKS).

CALLING FOR CARDS:
NON-DEALER MAY START THE PLAY BY LEADING TO THE FIRST TRICK, BUT HE WILL BE
PENALIZED IF HE DOES NOT WIN; ELSE HE MAY CALL FOR CARDS (PROPOSE).  IF HE
PROPOSES, DEALER MAY EITHER REFUSE, INSISTING THAT THE HANDS BE PLAYED OUT
AS THEY STAND (IN WHICH CASE HE TOO WILL BE PENALIZED IF HE DOES NOT WIN), OR
ACCEPT, CALLING FOR MORE CARDS, BUT FIRST BOTH PLAYERS MUST CHANGE AT LEAST
1 CARD.

CHANGING:
NON-DEALER DISCARDS 1-5 CARDS FACE DOWN AND IS DEALT A LIKE NUMBER FROM THE
TOP OF THE STOCK; THEN DEALER THEN DISCARDS 0-5 CARDS.  THE TRUMP TURN-UP
REMAINS UNTOUCHED.

AFTER THE CHANGE:
NON-DEALER MAY LEAD OR PROPOSE AND DEALER MAY ACCEPT OR REFUSE.  THIS CONTINUES
UNTIL NON-DEALER DECIDES TO LEAD, OR DEALER REFUSES A PROPOSAL, OR THE STOCK IS
EXHAUSTED.  WHEN NO MORE CARDS REMAIN IN THE STOCK NON-DEALER HAS TO START PLAY.

MARKING THE KING: AFTER THE CHANGE BUT BEFORE PLAY EITHER PLAYER HOLDING
THE KING OF TRUMPS MAY DECLARE IT AND SCORE 1 POINT.  THIS PRIVILEGE CEASES
AS SOON AS ITS HOLDER PLAYS SOME OTHER CARD TO THE FIRST TRICK.

PLAY:
THIS CARD GAME HAS UNUSUAL 'STRICT' RULES OF TRICK-TAKING, REQUIRING A PLAYER
TO WIN THE TRICK IF POSSIBLE.  NON-DEALER LEADS TO THE FIRST TRICK.  THE 2ND
PLAYER TO EACH TRICK MUST NOT ONLY FOLLOW SUIT BUT ALSO WIN THE TRICK IF HE
CAN.  IF UNABLE TO FOLLOW HE MUST TRUMP IF HE CAN, AND ONLY IF UNABLE TO DO SO
MAY HE RENOUNCE.  THE TRICK IS CAPTURED BY THE HIGHEST CARD OF THE SUIT LED,
OR THE HIGHEST TRUMP IF ANY ARE PLAYED, AND THE WINNER OF ONE TRICK LEADS TO
THE NEXT.

SCORING:
IF THE FIRST PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTED, THE WINNING OF 3-4 TRICKS SCORES 1 FOR THE
'POINT', AND THE WINNING OF 5 SCORES 2 FOR THE 'VOLE'.  BUT IF NON-DEALER
LOSES AFTER FAILING TO PROPOSE, OR DEALER LOSES AFTER REFUSING THE FIRST
PROPOSAL, THEN THE WINNER SCORES 2 POINTS REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF TRICKS
TAKEN.

GAME POINT:
GAME POINT IS 5.  THE GAME IS WON DOUBLY IF THE LOSER ONLY HAS 1-2 POINTS,
AND TREBLY IF THE LOSER IS SKUNKED (0 POINTS).

***GAME OPTIONS****
OPEN HANDS OPTION:
FOR DEMONSTRATION AND LEARNING PURPOSES, THE COMPUTER WILL SHOW YOU ITS HAND.
IT STILL CANNOT SEE YOURS.

REPLAY HAND OPTION:
AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH HAND, YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF REPLAYING THE LAST HAND;
THE DECK IS RESTORED TO WHAT IT WAS AFTER THE SHUFFLE & CUT DURING THE LAST
HAND.  OF COURSE YOU CAN USE THIS TO GAIN AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE ON THE COMPUTER,
BUT THIS IS A TOY AFTER ALL, AND YOU ARE BOSS.

FUNCTION KEYS: THESE ARE HOT KEYS, MEANING THEY CAN BE PRESSED AT ANY TIME.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    F1   *   SOUND EFFECTS TOGGLE
    F2   *   DEMO MODE TOGGLE.  IN DEMO MODE THE COMPUTER PLAYS BOTH HANDS
             WHILE YOU WATCH.
    F3       POP-UP THE OPTIONS MENU
    F4       REPLAY MODE TOGGLE.  IN REPLAY MODE YOU ASKED IF YOU WANT TO
             REPLAY THE LAST DEAL.
    F5       DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS
    F7       QUIT THE PROGRAM
    F9       (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BACKGROUND COLOR
    F10      (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BORDER COLOR

*NOTE: THE LEGEND FOR A TOGGLE SWITCH INDICATES THE MODE THAT WILL BE ENTERED
BY PRESSING THE KEY, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE MODE IN EFFECT AT THE TIME.

COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
   S    START UP WITH SOUND OFF
   M    FORCE MONO DISPLAY MODE
   C    FORCE COLOR DISPLAY MODE
   *    SKIP STARTUP SHOW

EXAMPLE: >ECARTE MS

TERMS TO KNOW:
-------------
VOID SUIT: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS NO CARDS.
SINGLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 1 CARD.
DOUBLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 2 CARDS.

NOTES ON STRATEGY:
NON-DEALER HAS 2 ADVANTAGES: THE LEAD, AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF HOLDING
MORE TRUMPS.  CERTAIN HANDS ARE KNOWN TO BE AT LEAST TWICE AS LIKELY TO
WIN AS TO BE BEATEN, AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE PLAYED WITHOUT PROPOSING: THESE
ARE CALLED JEUX DE REGLE (OBLIGATORY HANDS).  HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THEM:

TRUMPS HELD        NON-TRUMPS INCLUDE:
3+                 ANY
2                  KING AND VOID SUIT
                   QUEEN AND ONE CARD OF SAME SUIT
                   ANY 3 OF A SUIT
1                  KQJ OF ONE SUIT
                   QUEEN AND TWO CARDS OF SAME SUIT
                   QUEEN AND ANOTHER IN 2 SUITS
0                  ANY FOUR COURT CARDS BETTER THAN 4 JACKS

POWER CARDS: TRUMPS AND KINGS.  HOLDING 3 OR MORE POWER CARDS YOU SHOULD
PLAY WITHOUT PROPOSING.
+
FOR JEUX DE REGLE HANDS, LEAD THE TOP CARD OF THE LONGEST SUIT AND PRESS IT
UNTIL TRUMPED.  BUT IF YOU HOLD THE KING OF TRUMPS (QUEEN IF KING WAS TURNED),
IT IS SAFE TO PROPOSE AS OFTEN AS YOU FEEL UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF
YOUR HAND AND ARE PERMITTED TO DO SO, SINCE THE DEALER CANNOT THEN WIN THE
VOLE, AND YOU CAN KEEP BUILDING UP POWER CARDS UNTIL YOU ARE IN A POSITION
TO VOLE YOURSELF.  SINCE YOU MUST CHANGE AT LEAST 1 CARD IF YOUR PROPOSAL
IS ACCEPTED, DON'T FALL INTO THE BEGINNER'S TRAP OF BLUFFING ON A GOOD HAND
MORE LIKELY TO BE WEAKENED THAN STRENGTHENED BY ANY EXCHANGE.
  IF DEALER IS IN THE LEAD WITH 3 POINTS IT IS DANGEROUS TO PLAY WITHOUT
PROPOSING, FOR IF YOU LOSE THE DEAL HE WILL SCORE 2 FOR THE GAME.  YOU
THEREFORE NEED A STRONGER THAN AVERAGE JEU DE REGLE.  BUT IF HE STANDS AT
FOUR YOU SHOULD PREFER TO HOLD TO A WEAK HAND UNLESS YOU HOLD THE KING OF
TRUMPS OR IT IS TURNED, FOR IF YOU INVITE A CHANGE OF CARDS HE NEED ONLY
DRAW THE KING AND MARK IT TO WIN IMMEDIATELY.
  AS DEALER YOU MAY USUALLY ASSUME THAT A PROPOSAL IS MADE ON THE BASIS
OF A WEAK HAND, AND ACCORDINGLY REFUSE ON ANY HOLDING THAT WOULD BE A JEU
DE REGLE IN THE OTHER POSITION, OR MARGINALLY WEAKER.  IN EFFECT YOU SHOULD
CERTAINLY REFUSE ON A HOLDING OF 3 OR MORE TRUMPS, AND NEARLY ALWAYS ON A
2-TRUMP HOLDING BACKED BY TWO OR MORE CARDS IN ANOTHER SUIT.  IF YOU ARE
HOLDING THE KING (QUEEN IF KING IS TURNED) OF TRUMPS, IT MAY BE WORTH
ACCEPTING PROPOSALS WITH A VIEW TO THE VOLE.

----------------------
DID YOU LIKE THIS TOY?
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3.5 INCH (720KB) DEMO DISK, CONTAINING AN ELECTRONIC CATALOG PLUS OTHER
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(U.S. DOLLARS ONLY).

HAVE FUN!
TOMMY'S TOYS, P.O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.