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BRIDGEX.DOC
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1997-01-01
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CONTRACT BRIDGE
BRIDGEX.EXE requires a PC/AT
compatible computer with a COLOR
monitor (the command line switch "/b"
can be used to activate a black and
white mode for laptops). If a MOUSE
is present in the system, it is auto-
matically supported. The MOUSE is
used by placing the cursor on the
character to be input and clicking
the LEFT button. In general, all the
input prompts in the program can be
answered using the MOUSE.
The program bids, plays and
scores rubber matches of Contract
Bridge. You will always bid and play
the SOUTH hand, and if NORTH-SOUTH
are declarers you will play both
hands. Hands are evaluated according
to the Goren Point-Count method, and
standard bidding methods are used.
The following special practices and
conventions are recognized:
* Short Club Openers
* No Trump Weak Signal Bids
* Preemptive Openers
* Stayman 2 Club Convention
* Take-Out Doubles
* Blackwood Slam Convention
The computer will always bid in
a very straightforward manner. For
example, an opening bid of one in a
suit requires a minimum of 13 or 14
points and a biddable suit containing
at least 4 cards. On opening bid of
one NOTRUMP requires 16 to 18 high
card points and a balanced hand. Note
that only strong 2 openers are
recognized. A one-over-one response
to an opening bid shows nominal
responder points. A two-over-one
response shows better that average
points. Jump raises and jump shifts
from either the opener or responder
show a very strong hand.
The Short Club is used as a last
resort to show opening points but no
good suit. If the responder has no
good suit as well, the answering bid
will be one DIAMOND (also a false
bid). Note that the program can also
respond with NOTRUMP as a signal bid
to show a weak hand. An opening bid
of three in a suit is Preemptive
(showing 10 to 11 points and a long
suit). It should only be answered
with a hand containing opening
points.
The Take-Out Double is used in
the first round of bidding to show
strength or a void in the opponents'
suit. It requires a better than
opening hand, and demands that the
partner respond (even with zero
points). The Stayman Convention is
used to respond to an opening bid of
one NOTRUMP. It asks the opener to
name the best major suit. The
Blackwood Convention is the principal
means used by the program to get to
slam.
You can use the "Configure the
Bidding" option on the Main Menu to
TURN OFF any of the six special
conventions described above. Your
selection will stay in effect as long
as the current session of Contract
Bridge is running.
Your partner, NORTH, will bid
each hand so that game may be
produced by the most economical
feasible contract. Enter [B] to make
the computer ignore the partial score
during the bidding of a hand. Note
that the suggested contract may
change as the bidding develops, and
that partners may not reach the best
contract. Also, the program may
deviate from the bidding conventions
if unusual distribution or a poor fit
is indicated.
Abbreviations used for the
bidding are as follows:
C = CLUBS D = DIAMONDS
H = HEARTS S = SPADES
NT = NOTRUMP D = DOUBLE
R = REDOUBLE P = PASS
To bid a suit, enter the value of
the bid, followed by the appropriate
abbreviation. You can also use the
"Bid Box" to select bids using the
MOUSE. For example, to bid 1NT, click
on the [1] and then click on the [N].
Press [ENTER], or place the MOUSE
cursor in the center of the screen
and click the LEFT MOUSE button, to
make the computer bid for you. Enter
a question mark [?] to see an
estimate of the best contract. The
current rubber score may be viewed by
entering the word [SCORE], or by
clicking the LEFT MOUSE button on the
letter [S] in the Bid Box. Enter [Q],
press [ESCAPE], or click the RIGHT
MOUSE button to quit the bidding and
allow a new deal. An illegal bid will
cause an error message and a prompt
to bid again.
Play of the hand is according to
common practice. The program can
signal using discards (sometimes),
finesse when appropriate, duck, ruff,
and attempt squeeze plays. For the
declarers, emphasis is placed on
drawing trumps early. But this may be
abandoned if control of the contract
would be lost. In general, emphasis
is also placed on establishing
potential winners in good suits
(especially in NOTRUMP).
To play a card using the MOUSE,
place the cursor on the character
representing the value of the card
and click the LEFT button. To play a
card using the keyboard, enter the
two characters representing the value
and the suit. Note that the TEN of
each suit is represented by the
letter T. Some typical card
designations are:
1C 2D 3H 4S 5C 6D 7H 8S 9C TD JH KS AC
If you are using a MOUSE, the
options described below will be
displayed in a "Play Box" box on the
playing screen. Click the LEFT MOUSE
button on the desired item to select
it.
Press [ENTER], or place the MOUSE
cursor in the CENTER REGION of the
screen and click the LEFT button, to
make the computer generate the play
for you. Enter [L] to automatically
follow suit with the lowest card in
your hand. Enter [H] to automatically
follow suit with the highest card in
your hand. Entering a question mark
[?] will show you an estimate of the
best card to be played. Enter [V] if
you would like to view all the hands
during play.
After each trick has been played
you will see the prompt PRESS ANY
KEY. Press or click on [U] to replay
the trick without affecting the
scoring, or press any other key to
continue. The rubber score may be
reviewed by entering the word [SCORE]
on the keyboard, or by clicking the
LEFT MOUSE button on the letter [S]
in the Play Box. Entering [Q],
pressing [ESCAPE], or clicking the
RIGHT MOUSE button will terminate the
play without scoring the contract.
In order to speed the play of the
hand, the following special options
are available: Enter [CC] to claim
the contract, or enter [SC] to
surrender the contract. To claim the
remaining tricks, enter [CT]. To
surrender the remaining tricks, enter
[ST]. An illegal play will cause an
error message and a prompt to play
again.
After the contract is finished,
the hands may be REVIEWED and/or
REPLAYED. The hands in a REPLAY may
be ROTATED by assigning them to
different players. If you replay a
hand note that only the original
contract will be scored.
You can also generate a REPORT
describing the most recent hand (if
it has been played to completion).
The report will be written to disk as
an ASCII text file, and will record
who was the dealer, the cards in each
hand, the bidding sequence, the play
for each trick, and the results of
the contract. This allows you to
compare contracts with friends, and
to send suggestions about the program
to the author. Note that this feature
is only available in the REGISTERED
VERSION of the program.
Hands can also be ENTERED from
the keyboard and replayed. You will
be prompted for the SOUTH, WEST and
NORTH hands. Press [ENTER] alone to
change suits, and press the
appropriate character key to select a
card. To use the MOUSE, click the
LEFT MOUSE button to change suits.
Then place the cursor on the desired
card character at the bottom of the
screen and click the LEFT button. The
EAST hand will be filled in auto-
matically with the remaining cards.
The hands and current rubber
score can be SAVED to disk at any
time in a specified directory. You
can use any legal DOS file name. This
allows you to quit the rubber, and
take up where you left off later. It
is also handy for saving an
individual hand that you want to
replay and analyze later. When a hand
is LOADED from disk, the rubber score
is loaded as well. Note that rubber
scoring is continued only after a new
hand is dealt. The SAVE and LOAD
options are only available in the
REGISTERED VERSION of the program.
At any point in a rubber you can
return to the Main Menu to review the
HELP file or SAVE a hand to disk.
When you select "Play Contract
Bridge" again, you will be returned
to the next deal in the rubber with
the score intact.
Depending on your machine, the
speed of the game may be too fast for
your liking. Entering [F] when it is
your turn to bid or play will cause
the computer to wait for a key press
after each player bids or plays,
effectively allowing you to control
the pace of the game. Enter [F] again
to make the program return to its
normal fast mode of play.
A general note on input
conventions: Default responses to
input prompts are marked by an
asterisk [*]. You can press the
[ESCAPE] key at any time to back
progressively out of the program. In
general, the RIGHT MOUSE button is
treated as an [ESCAPE] key press, and
the LEFT MOUSE button is treated as
an [ENTER] key press.
SUMMARY OF SPECIAL COMMANDS
During Bidding:
[ENTER] Make computer bid for you
[?] Show estimate of best contract
[B] Make partner ignore partial
score
[S]/[SCORE] View current score
[F] Toggle Fast/Slow mode
[Q]/[ESCAPE] Quit the bidding
During Play:
[ENTER] Make computer play for you
[?] Suggest card to play
[L] Follow suit with the lowest card
[H] Follow suit with the highest
card
[V] View hands during play
[U] Undo trick
[CC] Claim contract (declarer)
[SC] Surrender contract (defender)
[CT] Claim remaining tricks
[ST] Surrender remaining tricks
[S]/[SCORE] View current score
[F] Toggle Fast/Slow mode
[Q]/[ESCAPE] Quit the contract
General:
[ENTER] Select default response
(marked by *)
[ESCAPE] Progressively back out of
the program
Mouse:
[LEFT BUTTON] Select input (same
as ENTER).
[RIGHT BUTTON] Same as ESCAPE.
As to the level of play to
expect, the program is best suited
for recreational players who enjoy
informal games of Rubber Bridge.
The bidding and play are NOT at the
tournament level, but most players
should find themselves both
challenged and entertained by the
program.
Although BRIDGEX.EXE is not a
tutorial on how to play Contract
Bridge, you can learn to play the
game using the program and a good
book on Bridge. Many such books may
be found at your local book store.
SHAREWARE
CONTRACT BRIDGE is distributed
as Shareware. Feel free to share the
program and its files with others.
However, if you continue to use
CONTRACT BRIDGE, you must register
the program by sending $20 US to:
Robert Lindsay Wells
1405 Lynn Avenue
Clearwater, FL 34615
When you register you'll receive
the latest version of CONTRACT BRIDGE
on disk with all shareware reminders
removed, an instruction booklet, and
a handy Text Editor (READ) as a bonus
utility. Please register today!