Copyright: Visual Help Copyright® 1993 Firas Bushnaq


CONTENTS
Absolute Spades

Introduction

Rules

Options

Credits


Introduction

This is a very fun variation of the popular spades game.  You can play four human or computer players.  You can set the game speed, card backs, background, music and points needed to win.

Absolute Spades is a Spades variation sometimes called "Solo Spades" because each player plays as an individual rather than as a partnership.

Absolute Spades Rules


Rules

Players - Four players.  May be computer or human.  Spades is a plain-trick game in which cards of the spades suit are always trumps

Cards - A deck of 52 cards.  The cards rank (from highest to lowest)
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Deal - Players each receive 13 cards.

Trick -  The four cards (one by each player) played in a round.  A trick is won by the highest spade or by the highest card of the suit that was led.

Bidding -  Each player must make a bid, which is the number of tricks the player expects to take. In is important to realize that in Spades all players' bids stand (it is not like other bidding games in which only the higher bid counts).

Nil Bidding - A player may choose to bid NIL, indicating the desire to win no tricks.

Play -  The eldest hand leads first and may lead with any suit, except spades.  The suit of spades may not be led until the suit is “broken” by a spade on a previous trick (unless a player has no other suit to lead).  Players must follow the suit if at all possible.  A trick is won by the highest  trump card  or by the highest card of the suit that was led.  Each trick is kept by the player winning it.

Scoring -  The object of the game is to fulfill the contract bid, at the beginning of the game.

Bags - Bags are defined as overtricks. For example, if you bid 4 tricks at the beginning of the game, and you ended up getting 6 tricks - you would end up with 2 bags. The variation rule involving bags states that if you have 10 bags, you get -100 points.

Tricks count as 10 points for each, if the contract is made, 10 points against if the contract is not met.  Note:  Negative scoring is possible.  Tricks that are won in excess of the contract are counted one point each.  A bid of NIL scores a bonus of 100 points if successful or a penalty of 100 points if set.

By default, the game consists of 250 points.  If both sides go over that amount in the same hand, then the side with the larger total score is the winner.  You may also set the points needed to win to 500.


Options

General

•	You may set the game speed from slow to bullet fast

•	You can set the points needed to win at 250 or 500

Appearance

•	You can choose from the 4 different background designs

Cards

•	You can choose from the 7 different card back designs

Players

•	You can name each of the players

•	You can select if they are human or computer

Music

•	You can select the songs to play in the background or turn the music off


Credits

•	Original version by Rod Cullison

•	Additional programming by Michael Comish

•	Testing by Mark Comish

•	Additional testing by Matthew Comish