Contents
Hoyle® Demo Help

Welcome to Hoyle Demo Help. Click on a topic below to learn more about it.

	Getting Started	Overview of Hoyle Demo  Making a Face in Face Maker  Starting a Game
	Playing Games	Anagrams  Backgammon  Hearts  Placer Racer  Video Poker
	Game Options	Customizing the Game Environment  Playing Games in Full Screen Mode Setting Game Rules and Options


Overview of Hoyle Demo

Hoyle Demo includes a little bit of everything from the award-winning line of Hoyle software: Video Poker from Hoyle Casino, Hearts from Hoyle Card Games, Backgammon from Hoyle Board Games, Anagrams from Hoyle Word Games, and Placer Racer from Hoyle Kids Games.

Game Descriptions:

Anagrams Race the clock to try to find specific words using the six letters on your screen. Before time runs out, find a certain number of words to win the game—or find lots of words to maximize your score. Backgammon The classic game of chance and strategy: roll the dice and move your stones off the board before your opponent does. Don’t leave a stone by itself, or your opponent might send it to the bar! Hearts A competitive trick-taking card game where the object is not to take hearts or the dangerous Queen of Spades. Stick your opponents with the points and you will come out on top.	Placer Racer In this arcade-style puzzler, clear the playing field of balls to move on to the next level. Carefully launch balls onto the playing field—when three or more balls of the same color are touching, they will disappear. This may be a Kids Games title, but it is fun and addictive for all ages. Video Poker Can you beat the house? Video Poker will give you some practice at one of the hottest casino games. Drop in some cash and play a hand of Five Card Draw—the better hand you build, the higher your payout will be!


Starting a Game

You can start a game from the Main Screen or from the Go To menu.

To start a game:

From the Main Screen, click the game you want to play, or click the name of the game on the Go To menu.

From within a game, click the name of the game on the Go To menu. To get to the Main Screen from within a game, click Main Screen on the Go To menu.

To switch from one game to another:

Click the Go To menu, and then click the name of the game you want to switch to. If you’re in the middle of a game, you are asked if you are sure you want to exit the current game.

See also

Customizing the Game Environment

Setting Game Rules and Options


Customizing Hoyle Demo
Customizing the Game Environment

To change the game environment (sounds, animations, character settings, and more):

Click Environment on the Options menu and change settings as described below.

Setting	Description

Character Speech	Sets whether computer players talk while you play.

Animations	Sets whether computer players and game elements animate.

Sound Effects	Sets whether you hear sound effects such as shuffling and dealing cards while you play the games.

Game Speed	Sets the overall speed of all the games. You might want to slow down the games if they don’t perform well on your computer. Move the Game Speed slider to the left (Slow) or right (Fast) to adjust the speed.

Character Attitude	Sets how talkative and animated computer players are during the game. Move the Character Attitude slider to the left towards Serious for less attitude or to the right towards Talkative for more attitude.

Note: The attitude is set for all computer players in the game. You cannot set each player’s attitude individually.

See also

Changing Player Settings

Setting Game Rules and Options


Playing Games in Full Screen Mode

You can make Hoyle Card Games fill your entire computer screen so that the games are easier to see.

To play in full screen mode:

Click Full Screen on the Options menu. The program resizes to fill the screen.

To return to a windowed mode:

Click Window on the Options menu. The program fits in a window again.

Notes:

Maximizing the game window will not make the screen bigger; you must go to full screen mode. This may not work on all computers.

Windows users: If you open the online help while in full screen mode, the full screen mode is turned off.

You can press Alt+Enter (Apple Key + Enter on the Macintosh) to quickly switch between viewing the program in full screen or in a window.


Setting Game Rules and Options

You can set game settings for each game, such as rules for the game, how the game is set up, and how the game is played.

You can change all the settings for a game before the game begins. Once the game has begun, changing settings may require you to restart the game.

To set game rules and options:

1	While in the game, click the <Game> Settings menu item on the Options menu. (In Hearts, for example, you would click Hearts Settings on the Options menu.)

2	Make the changes you want.

3	Click OK to change the settings.

See also

Customizing the Game Environment

Changing Player Settings


Changing Player Settings

While in the game, click Options, and then choose the <Game> Players selection for the game you are playing. For example, if you are playing Hearts, it will be called Hearts Players.

If you are playing a one-player-only game, there will be no available options in the Players menu. If you are playing a game against the computer, you can change your opponents. Playing against a second human opponent is not supported in this demo, but many games in the full versions of the Hoyle line support multiple human players.

Changing Players

Click Replace next to the character you wish to change. You may then select a different computer opponent.

Click OK to return to the game.

See also

Customizing the Game Environment

Setting Game Rules and Options


Saving and Restoring Games

You can save a game you are currently playing so you can play it later. The next time you start the game, you can open your saved game using the Restore command. You will then be back in the game at the same point you left it, with the same players and game settings.

To save a game:

1	Click Save on the File menu.

2	Type a name for the saved game. This can be a descriptive name such as “Second game with Roswell.” (You will see a picture of the game when you restore it, to help you identify it.)

To restore a game:

1	Click Restore on the File menu, and then select the game you want to restore.

You can see a picture of each game and the date and time it was saved by selecting the name of the saved game.

2	Click OK to restore the selected game. It will replace any game you are currently playing (you are asked if you want to replace it.)

Important! When you try to restore games, you only see games if you saved them with the player name you are currently signed in with. For example, if you are signed in as Madeline, you won’t see any games that were saved by Emmy.

Notes:

Some games can only be stored when it is a human player’s turn.

See also

Setting Game Rules and Options

Customizing the Game Environment

Changing Player Settings


Viewing Statistics

You can display statistics, including information on wins, losses, and points as they apply to each game.

To view statistics:

1	Click Statistics on the File menu.

2	Click the name of the player you want statistics for.

3	Select the name of the game you want statistics for.

Notes:

To clear statistics for the current player and game, click the Clear button. Statistics are permanently cleared for that game for that player.

See also

Setting Game Rules and Options

Customizing the Game Environment

Changing Player Settings


Quitting a Game

You can quit a particular game or exit Hoyle Demo altogether. If you want to resume a game later, save the game before quitting.

To save the current game before quitting:

Click Save on the File menu.

To exit a game:

Click Main Screen on the Go To menu. You will return to the Main Screen where you can choose a different game to play. Or click a game name on the Go To menu to go directly to that game.

To quit the program:

Choose Exit on the File menu.

See also

Saving and Restoring Games


How to Play Anagrams

Six letters are shown at the top of the screen. Make words using those letters until your time runs out. Blanks on the screen show you the length of the words to find; only these words give you points.

If you find enough words to reach the goal, the monkey gets the bananas!

To play Anagrams:

1	Type a word that uses some or all of the letters at the top of the screen, and press Enter.

If the word is found in the puzzle, the word is shown in the appropriate area.

2	Keep entering words until your time runs out.

3	The goal, shown at the top of the screen, shows how many points you need. The number of points in the goal varies depending on the number of words in the puzzle and your Anagrams difficulty level (set in the Anagrams game settings). The difficulty level controls how many words you need to get to finish the puzzle.

You get points for words as follows: three-letter words give you 2 points, four-letter words give you 3 points, five-letter words give you 4 points, and six-letter words give you 5 points.

4	As your score gets closer to the goal, the monkey drops coconuts on the natives. If you find enough words to reach the goal, the monkey knocks out all the natives and gets the bananas! If you have time left on the timer, you can continue to play and try to find all the words to get an even higher score.

If you don’t get enough words in time, the monkey falls out of the tree.

Notes and Tips:

Press Backspace while typing to remove the previous letter you typed.

Longer words are worth more points towards the goal. There is always at least one six-letter word in the puzzle.

If there’s an S available, don’t forget to make plurals of all the words you find. For other tips on solving Anagrams, click here:

You can change how many words are needed to reach the goal by changing the difficulty level in the Anagrams Game Settings. In addition, you can set the game to let you continue to solve the puzzle even after the time runs out.

See Also

Anagrams Action Commands and Shortcut Keys

Anagrams Strategy

Anagrams Game Settings


Anagrams Action Commands and Shortcut Keys

Action commands, shortcut keys, and on-screen buttons for Anagrams are described below.

File Menu

New	Starts a new game.

Save	Saves the current game so that you can continue playing it later. The game is saved in its current state.

Restore	Restores a saved game so you can play it. The restored game will replace any game you are currently playing.

Games are restored in a paused state; click the Resume button to start playing.

Actions Menu

Solve	Solves the current game, revealing all the hidden words.

Pause/Resume Timer	Pause Timer pauses the timer and hides the game. This is useful if you need to stop playing the game to do something else.

Resume Timer starts the timer again and reveals the game.

You can also pause and resume the timer by clicking the Pause/Resume button on the screen.

Shortcut Keys

Letters A-Z	Used to type letters in the game.

Enter	Submits the word you’ve typed.

Backspace	Removes the previous letter.

Esc	Clears the entire word.

On-Screen Buttons

Start	See New in the File menu section, above.

Solve	See Solve in the Actions menu section, above.

Pause/Resume	See Pause/Resume Timer in the Actions menu section, above.

See Also

How to Play Anagrams

Anagrams Strategy

Anagrams Game Settings


Anagrams Strategy

Try these hints and tips to improve your Anagrams game:

If you have an S, be sure to use plurals! Many words are listed in both singular and plural forms.

Look for the six-letter word first; it’s worth the most points. If you find it, try to make shorter words from it. From HEDGED, you could make HEDGE, EDGE, and EDGED.

If you can’t find the six-letter word, focus on finding three-letter words; you often can make longer words from them.

Look out for words that start with vowels, such as OLD, AID, and EVE. These words can easily be missed.

You can often extend short words if you have E or ED. ROB could make ROBE and ROBED, FIR could make FIRE and FIRED, and CAR could make CARE and CARED.

Try extending short words with other available letters. BAR could make BARN, BARK, BARD, and BARS.

See if you can insert letters into words you have found: TIE could make TIDE, TILE or TIME; BRIDE could make BRIDGE or BRIDLE.

If you have two of any letter, check for words that use double letters, such as ALL, TOO, and KISS. These words are easy to overlook.

Watch for pronouns and other non-obvious words such as SHE, HIS, and THE.

See Also

How to Play Anagrams

Anagrams Action Commands and Shortcut Keys

Anagrams Game Settings


Anagrams Game Settings

You can change game settings for Anagrams, such as the game difficulty and whether to show the game solution after the timer runs out.

To change settings:

Click Anagrams Settings on the Options menu.

Setting	Description

Solve Automatically When	Solves the puzzle when the timer ends, revealing all the words.

Timer Runs Out	Turn this off to continue playing the game after the time runs out. (After the time runs out, you will not be able to get the bananas.)

Difficulty Level	Sets how hard it is to win (get the bananas).

You can choose Easy, Medium, or Hard. In the Easy level, you only need to get about one third of the words to win. In the Medium level, you need to get about half the words to win. In the Hard level, you need to get almost all of the words to win.

The exact number of words required to win depends on the length of the puzzle.

Allow Obscure Words	Sets whether obscure words are allowed in the puzzle. Turn this on to permit uncommon words to be included in a puzzle. However, there will always be more common than uncommon words.

Even with this setting turned on, it should be possible to win any game at the Easy or Medium difficulty level without finding the obscure words. The Hard level may require you to find some of the obscure words to win.

Talking Skulls	Sets whether the skulls on the screen talk during the game. This setting cannot be changed in the demo.

See Also

How to Play Anagrams

Anagrams Strategy

Anagrams Action Commands and Shortcut Keys


How to Play Video Poker

One of the most recent additions to the casino environment is Video Poker, a man-against-machine electronic version of the traditional favorite, Poker. A new generation of gamblers is comfortable with the technology of electronic or computerized games, and enjoys this form of entertainment. Additionally, some Video Poker machines offer an opportunity to win money from the casino. A few machines pay out a 102 percent return on your money if you adhere to an optimal strategy. Now those are worthwhile odds!

To play a Video Poker machine:

Click the bill slot on the machine, and choose how many credits you want to play with. The payoff scale for the machine is shown in the lighted panel above the buttons, and tells you how many coins (credits) you receive for all possible winning hands. Typically, the winning hands in Video Poker are the same type of hands you will find in a traditional Poker game, such as a straight flush or four of a kind.

You can bet anywhere from one to five credits at a time. You have two options in betting:

Click the Bet One button once for each credit you wish to bet.

Click the Bet Max button to bet five credits.

When you bet five credits, the machine automatically deals you five cards. When you bet less than five credits, you must click the Deal button to receive your first five cards.

Five cards appear on the screen after you click the Deal button. At this point you must choose the cards you want to keep. You are allowed one re-deal, and can draw anywhere from zero to five new cards. Each card must be individually selected if you wish to keep it. You can keep a card by clicking it, at which point the word Held shows up on the screen above the card. Cards marked by the word Held will not be replaced when you draw new cards. You can easily change your mind about keeping a card by clicking it a second time. Make sure the Held notation disappears when you do so.

If you have a pat hand (five good cards), you can click the Hold All button to quickly mark each card with Hold. Conversely, the Discard All button unmarks each card.

When you’re ready to draw new cards, click the Deal button. The cards not marked by the word Held will be replaced, resulting in your final hand.

If you win, you then accumulate credits. To collect your credit(s), click the Cash Out button.

See Also

Choosing a Video Poker Machine

Summary of Video Poker Buttons


Choosing a Video Poker Machine

There are three types of Video Poker machines: Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and 10s or Better. To learn more about the types of machines or any individual machine, click on the names below.

When you join a Video Poker game, you must choose the game based on the bet level. You must observe the minimum bet amounts during play.

To choose from the available machines while playing Hoyle Demo, click the Go To menu, select Video Poker, pick a machine, and then choose the bet level.

The machines have different payoff percentages. Advertised payoff percentages are purposefully misleading, though. When a casino says they have a machine with a 99% payoff percentage, it doesn’t mean the machine produces a win 99% of the time. It means that in the long run, the odds are you will win back 99% of the money you wager. Click on the name of any machine to see its payoff percentage.

Jacks or Better Machines

Easy Money

Jack’s Back

Crawdad

Deuces Wild Machines

Wild Country

Born To Be Wild

Wild Thing

Wild Party

10s or Better Machines

A-10 Shun

Hang 10

At each machine, you must insert a minimum bet. The following bet levels are available:

$1	$5	$25	$100
See Also

How to Play Video Poker

Summary of Video Poker Buttons


Jacks or Better Machines

The Jacks or Better machines pay out 98 percent to 100 percent at the top end. Expect an even game when playing the Jacks or Better machines, with not as many extremes of winning and losing streaks as you get with the Deuces Wild machines.


Deuces Wild Machines

Some Deuces Wild machines offer great potential for winning money, with a few offering returns up to 102 percent. Naturally, with four wild cards the minimum winning hand is going to change; expect Deuces Wild machines to display three of a kind as a minimum hand. Expect a roller coaster ride of great winning streaks sandwiched between losing streaks.

When playing Deuces Wild machines, make sure you never discard your 2s; it’s easy to forget how valuable they are!


10s or Better Machines

Some of the earliest Video Poker machines are 10s or Better machines. It’s usually difficult to find a 10s or Better machine that offers a high return, although it’s possible to find some wheat among the chaff. A few machines may offer close to a 100 percent return, but most are in the 90-95 percent range.

You can expect the payoffs for a 10s or Better machine to be lower than the Jacks or Better machine. This is natural, since a lower hand (a pair of 10s) brings a win in the 10s or Better machines.


Easy Money

Payoff: 100%.

This machine is called a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine. The 9/6 refers to the payoff for the full house (9 to 1) and the flush (6 to 1). 9/6 Jacks or Better machines with a high five-coin royal flush payout are among the better Video Poker machines you will find, and will pay even money if you adhere to an optimal playing strategy.


Jack's Back
Jack’s Back

Payoff: 95.5%.

This machine is called a 6/5 Jacks or Better machine. The 6/5 means the full house pays 6 to 1 and the flush pays 5 to 1.


Crawdad

Payoff: below 93%.

This machine pays out big credits for four of a kinds formed with face cards and aces, but the overall payoff is low.


Wild Country

Payoff: below 94%.

Wild Country is the only Deuces Wild machine to pay 4-1 on full houses, but it pays lower on straight flushes, five of a kind, and wild royal flushes. In the short run, the 4-1 full house is nice, but when you finally hit that five of a kind, you’ll wish you were on a different machine.


Born 2 Be Wild
Born To Be Wild

Payoff: below 95%.

Born To Be Wild offers lower payouts than Wild Thing on straight flushes or better, and it doesn’t offer higher payouts on the lower hands to compensate. Accordingly, the payoff percentage on Born To Be Wild is lower than it is on Wild Thing.


Wild Thing

Payoff: below 96%.

The higher payouts for straight flushes or better make this a relatively good Deuces Wild machine.


Wild Party

Payoff: 99%.

In addition to the four deuces, a wild joker is also included with Wild Party. There is a nice 3-1 payoff on flushes, and the 800-1 payout on a natural royal flush is better than any of the other machines. There is a much lower payout on four of a kind through four deuces, but the additional wild card means you will hit payoffs more often. The extra straights and flushes will make up for the lower jackpots on the high hands.

Wild Party also has a 4000-1 payoff for 5 wild cards!


A-10 Shun

Payoff: 99.1%.

A-10 Shun has a lower payout than Hang 10 on flushes and full houses, but pays 2-1 on two pairs, compared to a 1-1 two-pair payout on Hang 10.


Hang 10

Payoff: below 95%.

Compared to A-10 Shun, Hang 10 offers nice payoffs for the full house and straight, but low payoffs for two pair.


Summary of Video Poker Buttons

Deal

Starts game play by dealing the first set of cards. Also deals the next set of cards after the discard.

You start or continue the deal by:

Clicking Deal.

Pressing the letter D on the keyboard.

Choosing Deal from the Actions menu.

Hold 1

Holds the first card (on the far left) for your current hand.

You hold the first card by:

Clicking on the first card.

Pressing the number 1 on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold 1 from the Actions menu.

Hold 2

Holds the second card (second from the left) for your current hand.

You hold the second card by:

Clicking on the second card.

Pressing the number 2 on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold 2 from the Actions menu.

Hold 3

Holds the third card (third from the left) for your current hand.

You hold the third card by:

Clicking on the third card.

Pressing the number 3 on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold 3 from the Actions menu.

Hold 4

Holds the fourth card (fourth from the left) for your current hand.

You hold the fourth card by:

Clicking on the fourth card.

Pressing the number 4 on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold 4 from the Actions menu.

Hold 5

Holds the fifth card (fifth from the left) for your current hand.

You hold the fifth card by:

Clicking on the fifth card.

Pressing the number 5 on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold 5 from the Actions menu.

Hold All

Holds all the cards for your current hand.

You hold all cards by:

Clicking Hold All (when it is lit).

Pressing the letter A on the keyboard.

Choosing Hold All from the Actions menu.

Discard All

Discards all the cards for your current hand.

You discard all cards by:

Clicking Discard All.

Pressing the letter R on the keyboard.

Choosing Discard All from the Actions menu.

Bet One

Bets one credit. Use this option to specify the exact number of credits, without making a maximum bet. To quickly make the maximum bet, click Bet Max. You can only use this option if you have credits on the machine.

You can bet one from credit during play by:

Clicking Bet One (when it is lit).

Pressing the letter B on the keyboard.

Choosing Bet One from the Actions menu.

Bet Max

Bets the maximum number of credits. To specify the exact number of credits, without making a maximum bet, click Bet One for each play. You can only use this option if you have enough credits on the machine.

You can make a maximum coin bet during play by:

Clicking Bet Max (when it is lit).

Pressing the letter M on the keyboard.

Choosing Bet Max from the Actions menu.

Cash Out

Pays out all credits bet for the Video Poker machine. The credits include any winnings on the machine to that point.

You can cash out during play by:

Clicking Cash Out (when it is lit).

Pressing the letter C on the keyboard.

Choosing Cash Out from the Actions menu.

See Also

How to Play Video Poker

Choosing a Video Poker Machine


  Making a Face in Facemaker

In Hoyle Demo, you can play with Facemaker, but you cannot save the faces or use them in the games.

In the full versions of each product represented in Hoyle Demo, you can use Facemaker to create a unique picture to represent yourself. This picture is shown on the screen when you play games on your computer or over the Internet. You can make just one face to represent yourself, or make several different faces and choose a different face each time you play!

Click one of the topics below to learn more about Facemaker:

 Starting Facemaker

 Using Facemaker

 The Facemaker screen


Starting Facemaker

To start Facemaker:

Click the Facemaker button on the main screen.

OR

Click the Go To menu and then click Facemaker.

Click here to learn how to use Facemaker:

See Also

Using Facemaker

The Facemaker Screen


Using Facemaker

To make a face in Facemaker:

1	Click a feature (head, eyes, nose, and so on) on the Facemaker keyboard.

You can select features in any order, and you don’t have to specify every feature (your face can have no nose, for example).

2	Select the picture you want to use for that feature.

You can select eyes and eyebrows that match, or select different left and right ones, if you like. To select matching eyes or eyebrows, click the mannequin head for the picture you want; to select each eye or eyebrow separately, click the left and right sides of the pictures you want.

3	If you want, move the feature around on the face by clicking the arrow buttons on the Facemaker screen or by clicking the arrow keys on your keyboard. All features except the body and clothes can be moved.

4	Add any other features you want.

5	Select one of the four skin tones for your face.

To remove a feature from the face:

With the feature you want to remove selected, click the Clear Item button.

To clear the entire face:

Click the Reset button to start a new face from scratch. Your current face will be cleared.

Hints and Tips:

Moving eyebrows to different heights is a good subtle way to add personality to your face.

Moving a nose downward can create an impression of a longer nose; moving it upward can make a shorter nose.

Be creative! Many items can be moved anywhere on the face.

Clothing is specific to the body you select. If you select an article of clothing and then change your body, you may need to select new clothes for your new body.

To quickly create a unique new face, click the Randomize button. You can still make changes to the random face, if you want. Be careful when using this button as this will erase any face you’ve already made!

See Also

Starting Facemaker

The Facemaker Screen


The Facemaker Screen

Click the picture of Facemaker below to get help with that part of Facemaker.

To get a step-by-step description of how to use Facemaker, click here:


Features

Shows all of the available options for the feature you chose . Click the left and right arrow buttons to move through the pages of options, or click a numbered button to move to a specific page.


Body

Selects your body type. Both male and female body types are shown.


Clothes

Selects clothing for your body. You will only see clothes that fit the body shape you chose.


Head

Selects the shape of your head.


Hair & Hats

Selects hair and hat combinations.


Eyebrows

Selects eyebrows. To select matching eyebrows, click the mannequin head on the picture of eyebrows you want. To select different left and right eyebrows, click the left and right sides of the pictures of the eyebrows you want.


Eyes

Selects eyes. To select matching eyes, click the mannequin head on the picture of eyes you want. To select different left and right eyes, click the left and right sides of the pictures of the eyes you want.


Nose

Selects a nose. Move the nose up and down to lengthen or shorten it.


Mouth

Selects a mouth.


Glasses

Selects glasses for your face. Some glasses will hide your eyes.


Facial Hair

Selects a variety of types of facial hair.


Randomize

Randomly selects a number of features for your face (gives you a face you can use right away). You can make changes to a random face, if desired.


Reset

Resets the current face, removing all of the face’s features so you can start a new face from scratch.


Face

Shows the face in progress, with any features you have added to your face.


Skin Tone

Selects the skin tone for your head and body.


Clear Item

Removes the currently selected feature from your face.


Arrows

Moves the currently selected feature around in the face. Not all features can be moved.


Help

Opens this help file.

Load

Loads a previously saved face. This option is not available in Hoyle Demo.

Save

Saves the current face. This option is not available in Hoyle Demo.

Exit

Exits Facemaker without saving the current face.


How to Play Hearts

There are four players, no teams.

Hearts uses the standard 52-card pack. The cards in each suit rank from the Ace (the highest) to the deuce (the lowest). There are no trumps.

The deal rotates clockwise, as does the play of the cards. The entire pack is dealt. Depending on the game variation and the hand number, players may discard three cards by passing them to another player. (You must pass these cards before you can look at the ones you'll be receiving.) The player with the 2 of clubs (or, in another variation, the player to the dealer’s left) leads the first trick.

Whichever card is led first, the other players must try to follow suit. A trick is won by the highest card in the suit led. The winner of a trick makes the next lead.

The object of the game

The object of play is to avoid taking Hearts in tricks, as each Heart counts as one point against the player taking it. The Queen of Spades counts as 13 points against the player taking it. However, you could try to take ALL the hearts AND the Queen of Spades. This is called "Shooting the Moon," and if you pull it off you hand your opponents a whopping 26 points each and take none yourself.

Hearts cannot be led until they've been broken, that is, thrown into a previous trick by a player who couldn't follow suit.

When a player equals or breaks 100 points, the game is over, and the player with the lowest score at that time is the winner.

To play the game:

1	At the beginning of each hand, you may need to pass three cards. Drag the cards into the tray, or right-click them, and click OKAY to pass them.

2	On your turn, click the card you want to play and drag it to the middle of the board. Or, right-click the card to automatically place it on the table.

Game options

You have the option of setting how cards are led and passed, whether hands are finished early, how hearts are broken, how cards are sorted, and the skill level for computer players.

To change these options, click Hearts Settings on the Options menu. For help on these options, see the help area in the Options dialog box.

See also

Hearts Strategies and Tips


Hearts Strategies and Tips

Try these strategies and tips to improve your Hearts game:

Success in Hearts is largely determined by the cards you discard before every hand. (In the rounds when you don't discard, you just have to hope for some luck to back your skill!)

Always discard an Ace or a King if that's all you have in that suit. (Always discard the Queen of spades if you have no spades to back her up!)

High cards are not dangerous if you have enough low ones to back them up (three at a minimum).

It's better to keep the Queen of spades and dump her on someone during play than to discard her only to have her dumped back on you. But you can't keep the Queen unless you have enough spades to defend her (four is best, three is chancy).

When discarding, keep every spade you can if you don't have the Queen (you might pick her up from the other guy's discards). Don't keep the Ace and King of spades unless you have at least three other spades to defend yourself.

When discarding, if you have the A-K-Q of spades and three or four low spades, give away the A-K and make somebody sweat!

If you don't have to worry about discarding high spades or lone royals, get rid of an entire suit or most of that suit.

When the first card of a suit appears, if only you and another player are holding that suit, you could be in big trouble (unless you have the 2-3-4; then you're in the driver's seat). Try to get rid of this suit as quickly as possible.

The best insurance against picking up the Queen of spades is to lead low spades every chance you get. Force her out of hiding!

If you have four or more cards in a suit, including high cards and low ones, play the high cards early and save the low ones for the later, more dangerous rounds.

If someone picks up the Queen of spades before any other points have been scored, that person may try to shoot the moon. Hold on to a high card in at least one suit to try to stop that attempt.

Shooting the moon is for the real gambler. The odds are against you! There are few thrills like it in all of carddom, but don't try it unless you have nerves of steel.

See also

How to Play Hearts


How to Play Backgammon

Backgammon is played by two players on a special board with 15 pieces to a side. The pieces making up each side are called stones. Though they may be of any color, the darker-colored pieces are called Black while the lighter ones are called White.

The board is divided into two halves, or tables, by a partition running down the center. This is called the bar. The outer table is on your left, the inner table is on your right. In each table there are six points (long, thin triangles).

The pieces move according to your throw of the two dice. The players roll the dice to see who goes first, with the higher roll winning. (If the numbers are the same, you just roll again.) The player with the higher number uses that for his first turn, if the rules are set that way (in Backgammon game settings). From then on turns alternate, and you always throw the dice to begin your turn. (The exception to this is when you are shut out, which can occur when your blot is on the bar. If your enemy's stones have crowded all available space so no possible points are open, you don't get to throw the dice and your turn is over. For details see, Sending Blots to the Bar.)

The object of the game seems odd at first: You win by being the first player to transport all of your stones off the board! To do that you must first get all of your stones into your inner, or home, table. Once they're all safely home, you can proceed to move them off the board. Pieces move from point to point.

Like a Rolling Stone

After you've thrown the dice to begin your turn, you can apply both numbers to one stone or each number separately to two stones. If, for example, you throw a 5 and a 4, you can move one piece a distance of nine points, or you can move one piece five and a second piece four.

Note: When you use both die numbers for one stone, the points must be open for each die value, just as they need to be open for moving two stones separately.

If you throw doubles, say a 3 and a 3, you play that number four times rather than twice: you can move one piece 12 points, or one piece nine points and one piece three, or two pieces six points each, or four pieces three points each.

A stone cannot land on a point occupied by two or more of the opponent's stones. You are not allowed to make that move, even if you have only one piece left and there is no other move you can make. A point occupied by two or more stones is an indestructible fortress; that point is said to be closed or made. However, though you can't share a point with enemy pieces, you can jump over them.

Any number of pieces of the same color can rest on one point. If necessary they are piled on top of each other. This keeps one side's pieces from encroaching on the other side's.

Moves are always compulsory, even when it's in your best interests to stand still. If you can only use one of the two numbers you rolled, then you must do so. You must always try to use the higher number.

Sending Blots to the Bar

A single stone resting on a point is a target. It's called a blot, and when you land directly on an enemy blot it's called a hit. The blot is then retired to the bar. The blot must be entered and become a stone again before you can move any of your other pieces. Plus, the lonely blot must enter the enemy's home table on an open point. For example, if you roll a 5-2, and if points 5 and 2 in the enemy's home table are open, you can choose either one and place your blot there. If you placed it on point 5, you can now move it two points.

If a single stone of the enemy’s occupies one of those points, you can hit it and send it to the bar. If none of the points are open, if your enemy's stones have crowded all available space, you are shut out and you don't even get to throw the dice. Your blot remains on the bar and you can't move any other. Your turn is over.

When you've collected all of your stones in your home table, you can bear off: that is, remove all your stones from the game, in the order determined by the dice. If the number you rolled is higher than the number of points you have yet to travel, you simply bear off the piece that's farthest away.

If you're hit after you've started to bear off, your stone becomes a blot on the bar. You must enter it and bring it around to your home table before you can go back to bearing off.

Gammon and Backgammon

The game ends when either player bears off his or her last stone. If the loser has borne off at least one stone, then the loser has lost just one game. But if he or she has not borne off at least one stone, the loss counts double. This is called a gammon. If the loser has a stone left in the winner's inner table, or on the bar, the loss counts triple. This is called a backgammon.

Doubling

You can really ratchet up the stakes by using a tactic called doubling. Either player may make the first double of the game. You simply declare your intention to double before rolling the dice. Thereafter, the right to double alternates. When one player chooses to double, the other must decide whether to play on for a double game, or resign right there and lose the current value of the game. The doubling cube is used for this (a single die with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on it). The double for gammon and triple for backgammon both apply to the final score; this is in addition to whatever voluntary doubles have been made. Automatic doubling applies when the roll for first play results in like numbers on the two dice. You must specify this option before play begins.

Playing Backgammon

When you are ready to start play, click your cup to roll the dice.

If you win the roll and you must use or have the option to use the first roll, move your pieces based on the roll of both you and your opponent's dice. If you cannot use the first roll, or choose not to, roll again, then move.

Move any stone in a counter-clockwise direction towards your home, which is the inner table (right side) next to you. Click and drag the stone to move it to the desired point.

Actions

Roll Dice	Rolls the dice for first roll and subsequent rolls for moving your pieces. You can roll the dice by clicking the dice cup, pressing the Spacebar, or clicking Roll Dice on the Actions menu.

Double	If you have enabled the doubling cube in your game settings, you have the option of using it at appropriate times during play. You can double by clicking the doubling cube on the table, pressing D, or clicking Double on the Actions menu.

Resign	Resigns your player from the current game. This is counted as a loss. You can resign by clicking S or clicking Resign on the Actions menu.

Undo	Returns your most recently moved piece to its previous position. You can undo by clicking Ctrl+Z or clicking Undo on the Actions menu.

Game Options

To change game options for Backgammon, click Backgammon Settings on the Options menu. You can set options for the doubling cube, how to use the first roll, whether to show the possible destinations for a stone, and the skill level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.


How to Play Placer Racer

The goal of the game is to clear each level by shooting balls into the playing field. The ball bounces off the walls and sticks to the ceiling, or to the first ball in its path. When three or more balls of the same color touch, they disappear, along with any linked balls below them.

Try to get rid of all of the balls between the shooter and the ceiling. Be careful because the ceiling periodically drops and pushes all of the balls down. If any ball drops below the level of the shooter, the game is over.

Playing Placer Racer

Press Enter or your “fire” key/button to start each round.

If you are using your keyboard to play, use the arrow keys to aim your shooter, and press Spacebar to shoot the ball.

If you are using your mouse to play, move the mouse to aim the shooter and click the left mouse button to shoot the ball.

Playing with Two Players

The two-player option is not available in this demo, but is available in the full version of Hoyle Kids Games.

Actions

Pause/Resume	Pauses the game, or resumes the game if it is paused. You can pause/resume by pressing Esc or clicking Pause on the Actions menu.

Game Options

To change game options for Placer Racer, click Placer Racer Settings on the Options menu. You can set the ball and board type. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.

To change which control you use for the game (Keyboard 1, Keyboard 2, or Mouse), click the Players tab of the Settings dialog.