Spades the Card Game
			  By Greg DeBacker


	1)Introduction
	2)Installation
	3)How to Play




1)Introduction

	Spades has always been one of my favorite card games, and, IMHO, I'm
	a pretty good player. I did my best to instill my knowledge of the
	game into this program so that it will be challenging enough. 
	However, this is my first attempt at artificial intelligence so you
	will be the final judge of how well I did.

	Spades is Shareware. Feel free to pass this game along to anybody
	you see fit, and upload it to any BBS you want to. All I ask is that
	you pass the ZIP file along with out altering its contents in any
	way.

	If you like the game and wish to continue playing it the cost is
	$3.00. For your $3.00 you will not receive a users manual. Nor will
	your name be added to a database so I can alert you to further
	upgrades. I will not send you junk mail trying to push other fine
	shareware products on you. What you will receive is the piece of 
	mind that comes with knowing that you did the right thing, and 
	maybe I'll drop you a postcard thanking you for your payment.

	Send payments to:
				Greg DeBacker
				638 San Juan Av
				Santa Cruz, Ca 95065

	Send comments to:
				Greg DeBacker
				CompuServe # 71042,36

	Payments can be sent in the form of cash, money order, foreign 
	money, personal check, or anything else that you feel has a value 
	of about $3.00.

	Please be advised that you play Spades at your own risk. I don't 
	think I could write a computer virus if my life depended on it, and
	I've run the game on several machines with no ill effects, but
	once you load it on your computer you are on your own.


2)Installation

	In order to save upload and download time I decided not to write
	an installation program. Besides, its really very simple.

	There should be 4 files in the ZIP file:

		README.TXT - This file
		SPADES.EXE - The executable file
		MHRUN400.DLL - Support file
		MHCD200.VBX  - Support file

	SPADES.EXE can go in any directory. After you play the game the
	first time a file called SPADES.INI will be created in the 
	directory you placed SPADES.EXE. SPADES.INI stores the game options
	you've chosen (speed, card deck, ect)

	MHRUN400.DLL and MHCD200.VBX should be put in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM
	directory (usually c:\windows\system), but can be put in the
	same directory you put SPADES.EXE.

	You will need to supply VBRUN300.DLL. This is the runtime module
	for Visual Basic. Visual Basic is the language Spades was written 
	in. Because there are so many Visual Basic shareware programs out 
	there this file is traditionally not supplied with the other files 
	needed for the game. VBRUN300.DLL can be found on almost any BBS 
	under the name VBRUN3.ZIP. Once you have this file store it in your 
	WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

	To run Spades you can double click on SPADES.EXE from the File
	Manager, or add the Spades icon to a program group. To add Spades
	to a program group, open the group and select File|New, then type
	in the path and file name for SPADES.EXE (something like
	c:\spades\spades.exe), and click on OK.

	

3) How to play

	The first time you start the game you will be asked to supply your
	name (or any name). This is the name you will be referred to 
	throughout the game.
	
	You will then be asked if you want to start the deal. If you chose
	"No" the deal will be passed to the left.

	The cards will then be dealt. After the deal you will be asked 
	to "Bid" on your hand. Here are the basics of bidding and playing:

		You bid the number of tricks you think you can
		take in the game. You get a bonus if you take
		exactly the number of tricks you bid. You are
		penalized if you take fewer tricks than you bid.

		A trick consist of 4 cards, one from each player.
		If yours is the highest of the 4, and is in the 
		suit of the firt card that was played you win the 
		trick. Ace is the highest and 2 is the lowest card.

		The suit Spades is the exception to the above rule.
		A Spade can beat any card except a higher Spade.
		If the other 3 players play the Ace, King, and 
		Queen of Hearts, and you play the 2 of Spades you
		take the trick. This is called a "trump". 

		However, you can only play a Spade if you are out
		of the suit that was first played, that is, the suit 
		that was "opened" with. The suit that was "opened" is
		the suit of the first card that was played, this is
		also reffered to as the "Lead Suit". 

		You can not open with with Spades until
		Spades have been "broken". Spades are considered
		broken when someone trumps a trick.

	After you type in a bid you will be shown the total number of bids
	for the current deal. There are a total of 13 possible tricks
	for a deal but the bids of the 4 players can total more or less
	than 13. 

	The play goes in order to the left. When it is your turn to play a
	card you click on a card in front of you to play that card. After
	all 4 of the players have played a card the computer will determine
	the winner and that player will be credited with the trick. The 
	player that wins the trick will begin the next round by playing 
	a card.

	A status bar above your hand will tell you either which
	suit was lead, or if it is your turn to open with a card.

	If you try and play the wrong suit the computer will beep and the 
	card you clicked on will not be played. You must play in suit
	if you have the suit that was lead.

	After all 13 tricks have been played the score sheet will be 
	displayed and then the next deal will begin. The deal rotates
	to the left. This continues until someone has won the game.


	Menu Options

	 Auto Play - If you select Auto Play the computer will take over
	 your hand and play the game for you. At the end of every hand
	 you will be shown the score sheet and then asked if you want to 
	 continue with Auto Play. If you chose "Yes" every time, Auto Play 
	 will play the entire game until a winner has been decided.

	 Play To - Determines when a winner is decided. You can play to 
	 250, 500, or 750 points.

	 Speed - Determines how fast the game is played. You can select
	 Fast, Medium, or Slow. Auto Play on Fast is pretty cool!

	 Card Deck - Determines the style of deck used. 
	 
	 Set Player Name - Asks you to supply your name. 

	 Mystery Option - This option can be selected once in a deal, and
	 only after the first deal in a game. Different things can happen
	 when you select the Mystery Option. Sometimes it is innocuous,
	 sometimes it helps, and sometimes it hurts. Its a mystery!

	 Display Scores - Displays the current scores.

	 Scoring - Explains how points are scored.

	 About - Displays an About box

	 Exit - Close the game.

	When you chose Set Player Name, Card Deck, Speed, or Play To your
	selection is written to a file (SPADES.INI) and your choices will
	remain in affect the next time you start the game.

       Scoring

	If you take exactly the number of tricks you bid you get 10 points
	for every trick bid plus 20 points for being such a good player.

	If you take more tricks than you bid you get 10 points for every
	trick you bid plus 1 point for every trick over your bid.

	If you take fewer tricks than you bid you get -10 points for
	every trick bid. Not good.

	If you bid 0 this is called "Going Low". If you Go Low and take
	0 tricks you get 50 points. If you Go Low and take any tricks at
	all you get -50 points.



That's the long and short of it. I hope you enjoy Spades. If you don't
enjoy it, and happen to think about it, drop me a line and tell me why 
so I can improve it.

Greg