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- TOMMY'S PITCH (C) COPYRIGHT 1993 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
- P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- CATALOG #TM-142-1A
-
- INSTRUCTIONS:
-
- PITCH, SETBACK, SMUDGE, BUNCH, PEDRO, SANCHO.... SOUND FUN?
-
- THIS TOY PLAYS AUCTION PITCH, A CARD GAME THAT GOES BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY,
- AND IS MOST POPULAR IN NEW ENGLAND, BUT PLAYED EVERYWHERE BECAUSE IT'S FUN!
-
- THE IDEA IS THAT AFTER THE DEAL THERE IS AN *AUCTION* WHERE PLAYERS BID ON WHO
- CAN WIN THE MOST POINTS DURING THE TRICK PLAYING, AND THE HIGHEST BIDDER GETS
- TO *PITCH* THE FIRST CARD ON THE TABLE THEREBY NAMING THE TRUMP SUIT. THE FUN
- PART IS THAT IF PITCHER CAN'T LIVE UP TO HIS CONTRACT, HE IS SET-BACK BY HIS
- BID, THEREFORE DURING PLAY THE OTHER PLAYERS COMBINE AGAINST HIM AND TRY TO
- KEEP HIM FROM IT BY PITCHING CARDS HE NEEDS AT OTHER PLAYERS!
-
- THIS GAME IS POPULAR WITH TRAVELING SALESMEN BECAUSE IT RESEMBLES ONE OF THEM
- TRYING TO TAKE OVER A TERRITORY WITH A NEW PRODUCT WHILE THE COMPETITION HOLDS
- HIM BACK (HA HA). RECOMMEND THIS TOY TO YOUR BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN AS A
- QUALIFYING TEST FOR NEW FACULTY (:]).
-
- THIS GAME DERIVES FROM THE GAME OF ALL FOURS, POPULAR IN ENGLAND BEFORE AMERICA
- WAS COLONIZED AND POPULAR IN AMERICA TOO UNTIL DISPLACED BY POKER ESPECIALLY
- OUT IN THE WILD WEST. ALL FOURS IS ALSO CALLED SEVEN-UP SINCE IT TAKES SEVEN
- POINTS TO WIN A GAME, AND THAT IS TRUE IN AUCTION PITCH TOO.
-
- PLAYERS:
- 2-7 MAY PLAY. THE COMPUTER PLAYS ALL HANDS BUT YOURS, AND IN DEMO MODE PLAYS
- YOURS TOO. YOUR HAND IS SHOWN FACE-UP ON THE SCREEN, ALL OTHERS FACE-DOWN.
-
- THE DECK:
- THE STANDARD 52-CARD DECK IS USED. ACE IS HIGH, DEUCE LOW: AKQJT98765432.
-
- THE DEAL:
- THE FIRST DEALER IS CHOSEN RANDOMLY BY THE COMPUTER. AFTER THAT, DEAL ALWAYS
- PASSES TO THE RIGHT.
-
- STARTING AT DEALER'S LEFT (ELDEST), CARDS ARE DEALT CLOCKWISE.
- THE DEAL IS 2 ROUNDS OF 3 CARDS TO EACH PLAYER, FOR A TOTAL OF 6. HENCE
- FROM 12-42 CARDS ARE DEALT IN ANY DEAL DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS,
- AND THE REST OF THE CARDS REMAIN OUT OF PLAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE DEAL.
-
- SCORING:
- IN EACH DEAL THERE ARE ONLY 4 POINTS THAT CAN BE WON. IT'S NOT THE NUMBER OF
- TRICKS BUT WHAT CARDS ARE WON IN THE TRICKS THAT ARE SCORED. A GAME IS
- TRADITIONALLY 7 POINTS SO EACH POINT IS IMPORTANT AND WORTH FIGHTING OVER.
-
- THE 'BIG FOUR' POINTS ARE AWARDED FOR WINNING:
-
- HIGH HIGHEST TRUMP CARD IN PLAY (AKQJT98765432)
- LOW LOWEST TRUMP CARD IN PLAY (23456789TJQKA)
- JACK JACK OF TRUMPS (IT IF WAS IN IN PLAY)
- GAME HIGHEST TOTAL OF CARDS COUNTING ACE=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1, BUT T=10.
- THIS MAKES TENS THE KEY CARD FOR THIS POINT.
- IF THERE IS A TIE FOR HIGHEST TOTAL, NOBODY GETS THE GAME POINT.
-
- DOES THE BIG SALESMAN CONVENTION SONG "HI-LO, MR. JACK GAME!" GIVE YOU MISTY
- EYES YET? (HA HA)
-
- BIDDING:
- BEGINNING WITH ELDEST HAND, EACH PLAYER GETS ONE TURN TO BID. THE LOWEST
- BID IS 1, THE HIGHEST 4. EACH PLAYER MUST EITHER PASS OR RAISE THE BID (TO
- PASS, HIT THE <ENTER> KEY).
-
- IF ANY PLAYER BIDS 4 THE BIDDING ROUND IS OVER IMMEDIATELY. HIGH BIDDER
- LEADS THE FIRST TRICK, AND NAMES THE TRUMP BY VIRTUE OF 'PITCHING' HIS FIRST
- CARD INTO PLAY. IF EVERYBODY PASSES, BIDDING CONTINUES UNTIL SOMEBODY BIDS.
-
- PLAY:
- IF ABLE TO FOLLOW SUIT, EACH PLAYER IN TURN MUST EITHER FOLLOW SUIT OR TRUMP.
- BUT IF UNABLE TO FOLLOW SUIT, ANY CARD MAY BE DISCARDED. EACH TRICK IS WON BY
- THE HIGHEST TRUMP, OR BY THE HIGHEST CARD OF THE SUIT LED IF NO TRUMPS ARE
- PLAYED. THE WINNER OF EACH TRICK LEADS TO THE NEXT.
-
- SETBACK:
- AFTER ALL CARDS ARE PLAYED, THE PITCHER MUST SCORE AT LEAST AS MANY POINTS AS
- HE BID, ELSE HE IS 'SET BACK', THAT IS, HIS BID IS SUBTRACTED FROM HIS PREVIOUS
- GAME SCORE, WHICH MAY MAKE IT GO NEGATIVE, OR IN THE HOLE. THE OTHER PLAYERS
- ALWAYS GET TO KEEP THEIR GAME SCORES AS MADE.
-
- GAME:
- THE FIRST PLAYER TO REACH GAME POINT (USUALLY 7) WINS THE GAME. IN CASE OF 2
- OR MORE PLAYERS REACHING GAME POINT ON THE SAME DEAL, PITCHER'S POINTS ARE
- COUNTED FIRST, AND THEN THE TIEBREAKERS IN ORDER ARE: HIGH, LOW, JACK, GAME.
-
- SMUDGE:
- IF PITCHER BIDS 4 AND MAKES IT, HE WINS THE GAME IMMEDIATELY, UNLESS HE WAS
- IN THE HOLE AT THE TIME OF BID, IN WHICH CASE HE SCORES 4 [OR 1/2 OF
- (MAX PTS PER DEAL + 1)].
-
- MATCH SCORE:
- A MATCH MAY GO SEVERAL GAMES. AT THE START OF THE MATCH EACH PLAYER IS GIVEN
- N CHIPS BY THE BANK. N IS SELECTED AT MATCH START BY YOU AS ANYTHING FROM 10
- TO 1000 (DEFAULT 20).
-
- AT THE END OF EACH GAME, WINNER COLLECTS FROM EACH LOSER 1 CHIP, PLUS 1 CHIP
- FOR EACH TIME LOSER WAS SET BACK, AND 1 CHIP FOR BEING IN THE HOLE WHEN THE
- GAME ENDED. ANY PLAYER WHO LOSES ALL HIS CHIPS MUST DROP OUT OF THE MATCH.
-
- THE COMPUTER SAVES ALL POTS ON DISK AT THE END OF EACH GAME SO IF YOU QUIT THE
- TOY AND THEN RUN IT AGAIN, IT WILL ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO RESUME A MATCH OR
- START A NEW ONE WITH NEW POTS AND POSSIBLY A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF PLAYERS.
-
- GAME OPTIONS:
- THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS CAN ONLY BE CHANGED AT THE BEGINNING OF A GAME.
-
- NO AUCTION: YOU CAN PLAY WITHOUT ANY AUCTION, ELDER ALWAYS PITCHES AND
- EVERYBODY SCORES POINTS AS MADE.
-
- GAME POINT: MAY BE SET AT ANYTHING FROM MAXIMUM PER DEAL TO 10 TIMES THAT
- (USUALLY IT SHOULD BE SET TO 2 TIMES OR 2 TIMES MINUS 1).
-
- SMUDGE WIN: SMUDGE WINS THE GAME FOR PITCHER EVEN IF HE WAS IN THE HOLE.
- IF SMUDGE WIN IS OFF, YOU CAN OPTIONALLY SET THE SMUDGE POINT AT ANYTHING
- FROM 0 (NONE) TO GAME POINT. USUALLY IT SHOULD BE SET AT 1/2 OF
- (MAX PTS PER DEAL + 1).
-
- DEALER RIGHT: WHEN THE DEALER'S BIDDING TURN COMES UP, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO
- ASSUME THE CURRENT BID (THAT IS, "BID OVER") AND PITCH.
- ELDER RIGHT: THE SAME AS DEALER RIGHT, BUT FOR ELDER. IN THIS CASE BIDDING
- BEGINS WITH PLAYER ON ELDER'S LEFT.
- BUNCH: IN A 2-PLAYER GAME WITH DEALER RIGHT THE DEALER CALLS "BUNCH" TO MAKE
- THE OPPONENT CHOOSE WHETHER DEALER CAN PITCH AT A BID OF 2, OR REDEAL.
-
- SELL OUT: A.K.A. COMMERCIAL PITCH, THIS IS ELDER RIGHT WITH A TWIST. BIDDING
- STARTS AT ELDER'S LEFT. ON ELDER'S TURN HE MAY BID OVER AND PITCH, WHEREUPON
- THE HIGH BIDDER SCORES THE AMOUNT OF THE BID AS COMPENSATION; OR LET THE
- HIGHEST BIDDER PITCH, "SELLING" THE CONTRACT TO HIM, ELDER SCORING THE AMOUNT
- OF THE BID AS COMPENSATION HIMSELF. ELDER IS PROHIBITED FROM PITCHING IF THIS
- CAUSES HIGH BIDDER TO WIN THE GAME AUTOMATICALLY. ALSO, IF THE CONTRACT WOULD
- GIVE ELDER THE GAME, THE CONTRACT IS REDUCED TO ONE BELOW WHAT WOULD GIVE HIM
- GAME.
-
- JOKER: THE JOKER IS ADDED TO THE DECK. IT COUNTS AS A TRUMP RANKING BELOW
- THE DEUCE, BUT ISN'T USED FOR LOW TRUMP POINT; INSTEAD, PLAYER WINNING THE
- JOKER SCORES 1 POINT, MAKING MAX POINTS PER DEAL 5 INSTEAD OF 4. JOKER POINT
- COUNTS BETWEEN LOW AND JACK IN THE TIEBREAKER. IF THE JOKER IS PITCHED, THE
- TRUMP SUIT BECOMES SPADES.
-
- PEDRO SANCHO (4 PLAYERS MINIMUM):
- THIS CHANGES THE MAXIMUM POINTS PER DEAL FROM 4 TO 18:
- HIGH SCORES 1 POINT
- LOW SCORES 1 POINT
- JACK SCORES 1 POINT
- GAME POINT IS FOR WINNING THE TEN OF TRUMPS ALONE AND SCORES 1 POINT
- FIVE OF TRUMPS (CALLED PEDRO) SCORES 5 POINTS
- NINE OF TRUMPS (SANCHO) SCORES 9 POINTS.
- DEALER RIGHT IS MANDATORY. JOKER MAY NOT BE USED.
-
- DOM SANCHO (4 PLAYERS MINIMUM):
- PEDRO SANCHO PLAYED WITH A JOKER (NOW CALLED THE SNOOZER), MAKING THE MAX
- POINTS PER DEAL 36:
- HIGH SCORES 1
- LOW SCORES 1
- JACK SCORES 1
- GAME (TEN OF TRUMPS) SCORES 1
- THREE OF TRUMPS SCORES 3
- FIVE OF TRUMPS (PEDRO) SCORES 5
- NINE OF TRUMPS (SANCHO) SCORES 9
- JOKER (SNOOZER) SCORES 15.
- DEALER RIGHT IS MANDATORY.
-
- OPEN HANDS OPTION:
- FOR DEMONSTRATION AND LEARNING PURPOSES, ALL HANDS CAN BE PLAYED FACE UP.
-
- 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 DISPLAY OF CURRENT GAME PARAMETERS
- F4 TOGGLE REPLAY HAND OPTION
- F5 DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS
- F6 REPLAY DEAL OPTION: LETS YOU REPLAY EACH DEAL IF YOU WANT.
- F7 QUIT THE PROGRAM
- 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: >PITCH MS
-
- NOTES ON STRATEGY:
- ON THE SURFACE EVERYBODY TRIES TO WIN THE HIGHEST TRUMP, THE LOWEST TRUMP,
- THE JACK OF TRUMPS, AND AS MANY HIGH CARDS AS POSSIBLE, XAKQJ BEING THE
- HIGH CARDS IN THAT ORDER. ALL THE OTHER CARDS IN THE DECK ARE NON-SCORING.
-
- OBVIOUSLY THE HOLDER OF THE HIGHEST TRUMP CAN'T LOSE IT NO MATTER WHAT HE
- DOES. IT'S JUST THAT NOT ALL THE CARDS ARE DEALT IN A GIVEN DEAL, SO THE
- HIGHEST TRUMP MIGHT BE A K OR Q OR EVEN A J INSTEAD OF AN ACE. MOREOVER,
- A PLAYER NEED NOT FOLLOW SUIT IF HE CAN TRUMP AND TAKE DESIRED CARDS IN
- TRICKS, SO THE TRUMP SUIT LENGTH IS THE BASIS OF ALL BIDDING.
-
- WHEN BIDDING YOU MUST CONSIDER HOW MANY CARDS ARE IN PLAY AND HOW MANY UNDEALT
- TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITY THAT YOU CAN'T FORCE YOUR BID ON ALL THE OTHERS.
- FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE THE K-Q-J OF TRUMPS, BUT NOT THE ACE, YOU COULD BID 3
- IF YOU KNEW THE ACE WAS NOT IN PLAY, BUT OTHERWISE ONLY 2. WITH 4 PLAYERS IN
- THE GAME, THE ODDS ARE ABOUT EVEN (28 TO 24) THAT THE ACE IS UNDEALT, BUT
- THOSE ODDS DECLINE WITH MORE THAN 4 PLAYERS.
-
- SINCE ALMOST ALL THE TRUMPS WILL BE PLAYED IN THE FIRST FEW TRICKS, THE HOLDER
- OF LOW CAN ALMOST COUNT ON WINNING IT, OR FORCING PITCHER TO NOT WIN IT. IN
- PRACTICE, THOUGH, GAME SCORE ALSO IS A CONSIDERATION, AND PLAYERS TRY TO KEEP
- ANOTHER PLAYER FROM WINNING FIRST, THEN THEY THINK ABOUT DEFEATING THE PITCHER.
- HENCE PLAYERS TRY TO THROW THEIR TENS AND LOWS TO WHATEVER PLAYER SEEMS TO HAVE
- THE BEST CHANCE TO DEFEAT THE CURRENT BIGGEST 'THREAT'.
-
- ----------------------
- DID YOU LIKE THIS TOY?
- DON'T FORGET TO TRY OUR GOBS OF OTHER NEAT LOW-PRICED GAMES AND TOYS FOR THE
- IBM PC AND COMPATIBLES. WE ARE WAITING TO SEND YOU OUR 5.25 INCH (360KB) OR
- 3.5 INCH (720KB) DEMO DISK, CONTAINING AN ELECTRONIC CATALOG PLUS OTHER
- GOODIES, FOR ONLY $2 SHIPPING/HANDLING TO ANY U.S. ADDRESS, $3 OUTSIDE U.S.
- (U.S. DOLLARS ONLY).
-
- HAVE FUN!
- TOMMY'S TOYS, P.O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.
-