500 Game Surplus/XSurplus.iso/115/WHIST.DOC

Text File | 1994-05-26 | 9KB | 192 lines

TOMMY'S WHIST (C) COPYRIGHT 1994 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #TM-147-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

THIS WAS THE KING OF CARD GAMES IN THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD IN THE 18TH AND
19TH CENTURIES.  NOW UNJUSTLY NEGLECTED IN FAVOR OF BRIDGE, IT IS STILL A FUN
CARD GAME, EASY TO LEARN BUT HAVING A LOT OF ROOM FOR SKILL. ANYBODY WHO HATES
BRIDGE WITH ALL ITS COMPLEX SCORING, DUMMY AND CONTRACT, OR HASN'T LEARNED TO
PLAY BRIDGE YET, WILL WANT TO PLAY TOMMY'S WHIST FOR SURE!  EXPERT BRIDGE
PLAYERS WILL FIND IT MORE FUN TO PLAY ON A COMPUTER THAN BRIDGE, SINCE
COMPUTERS MAKE CRUMMY BRIDGE PARTNERS (HA HA).

PLAYERS:
4 PLAYERS, IN 2 TEAMS, NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST.  IN TOMMY'S WHIST, YOU PLAY
NORTH AND THE COMPUTER PLAYS THE OTHER HANDS.

THE DECK:
THE STANDARD 52-CARD (FRENCH) DECK IS USED, ACE RANKS HIGH.

DEALER:
THE FIRST DEALER IS CHOSEN RANDOMLY BY THE COMPUTER.  AFTER THAT, DEAL ALWAYS
ALTERNATES.

DEALING:
DEALER DEALS 13 CARDS TO EACH PLAYER FACE DOWN, ONE AT A TIME.  THE LAST (52ND)
CARD IS TURNED FACE UP TO DETERMINE THE TRUMP SUIT BEFORE BEING TAKEN UP INTO
THE DEALER'S HAND.

THE OBJECT OF PLAY:
IS TO WIN A MAJORITY OF (7 OR MORE) TRICKS IN THE DEAL.  A TEAM SCORES 1 POINT
FOR EVERY TRICK IN EXCESS OF 6, OR, AS THEY SAY, FOR EVERY ODD TRICK OVER BOOK.
EXTRA POINTS ARE SCORED FOR HONORS DEALT, NAMELY, AKQJ OF TRUMPS: 2 POINTS FOR
HOLDING ANY THREE, AND 4 POINTS FOR HOLDING ALL FOUR.

PLAY:
ELDEST HAND (FIRST PLAYER TO DEALER'S LEFT) LEADS TO THE FIRST TRICK.  EACH
PLAYER IN TURN MUST FOLLOW SUIT IF ABLE.  EACH TRICK IS WON BY THE HIGHEST
TRUMP IF ANY, ELSE BY THE HIGHEST CARD OF THE SUIT LED.  THE WINNER OF EACH
TRICK LEADS TO THE NEXT.

NOTE: TO ENTER YOUR CARD, USE THE ARROW KEYS ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD TO POINT
TO IT, THEN HIT THE <ENTER> KEY.  ALTERNATIVELY, JUST HIT THE CARD NUMBER,
1 TO 9, A TO D.  OR, HIT THE "." KEY TO LET THE COMPUTER PICK A CARD FOR YOU.

SCORING:
THE TEAM WINNING 7 OR MORE TRICKS SCORES 1 POINT PER ODD TRICK.  THE TEAM IF
ANY HOLDING 3 OR 4 HONORS SCORES 2 OR 4 POINTS RESPECTIVELY, UNLESS IT WOULD
GIVE THEM GAME, IN WHICH CASE HONORS ARE NOT COUNTED.

GAME:
THE FIRST TEAM TO REACH 5 POINTS WINS THE GAME, AND ALSO PREVENTS THE OTHER
TEAM FROM SCORING FOR HONORS IF THEY COULD HAVE.  WINNING TEAM SCORES 1
GAME POINT IF THE OTHER TEAM MADE 3 OR 4 POINTS, 2 GAME POINTS IF THE OTHER
TEAM MADE ONLY 1 OR 2 POINTS, AND 3 GAME POINTS IF THE OTHER TEAM MADE NO
POINTS.  THE SIDE WINNING 2 GAMES FIRST (THE RUBBER) GETS 2 EXTRA GAME POINTS
FOR THE RUBBER: THE MATCH SCORE IS THEN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2 TEAMS' GAME
POINTS, THE HIGHEST BEING 8 (=2*3+2 FOR RUBBER).

MATCH POINT:
CAN BE SET ANYWHERE FROM 8 TO 9999.

***GAME OPTIONS****
GAME POINT: CAN BE VARIED FROM 5 TO 99 POINTS.

HONORS POINTS: CAN BE DISABLED.

NOTE: A 7-POINT GAME WITH NO HONORS IS CALLED AMERICAN WHIST, AND A 9 OR 10
POINT GAME WITH HONORS IS CALLED LONG (SCIENTIFIC) WHIST.

TRUMPS: INSTEAD OF BEING DETERMINED BY LAST CARD DEALT, TRUMPS CAN BE SELECTED
AT RANDOM BY COMPUTER, OR ANNOUNCED BY ELDEST AS HE LEADS TO THE FIRST TRICK,
OR PLAY CAN BE WITH NO TRUMP.

FAVORITE: THE TRUMP SUIT USED IN THE FIRST DEAL REMAINS THE 'FAVORITE' FOR
THE ENTIRE RUBBER, AND EACH TIME IT COMES UP ALL SCORES FOR ODD TRICKS AND
HONORS ARE AUTOMATICALLY DOUBLED.

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 THE OPTIONS MENU
    F4       REPLAY MODE TOGGLE.  IN REPLAY MODE YOU ASKED IF YOU WANT TO
             REPLAY THE LAST DEAL.
    F5       DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS
    F7       QUIT THE PROGRAM
    F9       (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BACKGROUND COLOR
    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: >WHIST MS

TERMS TO KNOW:
-------------
VOID SUIT: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS NO CARDS.
SINGLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 1 CARD.
DOUBLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 2 CARDS.
RUFFING: PLAYING A TRUMP TO A NON-TRUMP TRICK (PLAYER MUST BE VOID IN TRICK
 SUIT).
RENOUNCING: PLAYING A NON-TRUMP INSTEAD OF RUFFING TO A TRICK.
FINESSE: WINNING A TRICK WITH A CARD THAT IS NOT HIGHEST IN-HAND IN THAT
 SUIT, SAVING THE HIGHER CARD(S) FOR WINNING YET MORE.

NOTES ON STRATEGY:
THE IDEA IS FOR EACH TEAM TO FEEL EACH OTHER OUT AND TRY TO FIND OUT THEIR
LONGEST SUIT, THAT IS, SUIT WHICH TOGETHER THEY HOLD THE MOST CARDS IN.

IDEALLY EACH PARTNER LEADS HIS LONGEST SUIT AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY, OR
DISCARDS A LOW CARD FROM IT WHEN UNABLE TO FOLLOW SUIT TO THE CARD LED.  THEN,
HAVING INFERRED THEIR COMMON LONGEST SUIT, THEY SEEK TO FORCE OUT ANY HIGH
CARDS THE OPPONENTS HOLD IN THAT SUIT, ALONG WITH ANY TRUMPS THE OPPONENTS
HAVE.  FINALLY, THEY GO FOR THE KILL WITH THEIR LONGEST SUIT AND WIN ALL THE
TRICKS THEY CAN.

ON A GIVEN TRICK THE PLAYER PLAYING 2ND PLAYS LOW UNLESS HE IS CERTAIN OF
WINNING; THE NEXT PLAYER PLAYS HIGH IN AN ATTEMPT TO WIN UNLESS HE IS SURE
HIS PARTNER'S LEAD IS UNBEATABLE; AND THE LAST PLAYER HAS THE MOST FAVORABLE
POSITION TO PLAY WHAT HE SEES FIT.

AVOID AN OPENING LEAD FROM A SUIT IN WHICH YOU HOLD ONLY 1 OR 2 CARDS
(SINGLETON OR DOUBLETON) IN ORDER TO VOID A SUIT SO YOU CAN START TRUMPING.
THIS WILL HAPPEN LATER AUTOMATICALLY, AND YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS YOUR CHANCE
FOR AN OPENING LEAD THAT IS INFORMATIVE.

SIGNALS TO YOUR PARTNER:
IF YOU ARE PLAYING TO A TRICK YOU CAN'T WIN, YOU NORMALLY PLAY THE LOWEST CARD
IN HAND OF THE SUIT LED, BUT IF YOU ONLY HAVE 2 CARDS LEFT IN THE SUIT, IT IS A
STANDARD SIGNAL TO PLAY THE HIGHER FIRST SO THAT YOUR PARTNER, WHEN HE SEES
YOU PLAY THE REMAINING (LOWER) CARD LATER, WILL KNOW YOU ARE NOW VOID IN THAT
SUIT.  OF COURSE IF YOUR HIGHEST CARD IS A SURE WINNER, YOU MIGHT SKIP THIS
(HA HA).

BLUE PETER:
SIMILARLY, PLAYING AN UNNECESSARILY HIGH CARD BEFORE A LOWER ONE IN THE SAME
SUIT IS KNOWN AS 'BLUE PETERING', SIGNALING YOUR PARTNER TO LEAD TRUMPS AT HIS
EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.

CROSS-RUFFING:
IF PARTNERS ARE VOID IN DIFFERENT SUITS, AND REALIZE IT, EACH PLAYER CAN LEAD
INTO THE PARTNER'S VOID SUIT, PERMITTING THE PARTNER TO WIN BY RUFFING, AND
THEN LEADING INTO THE OTHER PARTNER'S VOID SUIT, RIPPING THE OPPONENTS UP!

LEADING TRUMPS:
IF YOU HAVE AT LEAST 5 TRUMPS, INCLUDING AKQ, LEAD Q THEN K THEN A.  SIMILARLY,
IF YOU HAVE AKQJ, LEAD J THEN Q THEN K THEN A.  IF YOU ONLY HAVE AK THOUGH,
YOU NEED AT LEAST 7 TRUMPS TO LEAD K THEN A.

RULE OF 11:
IF YOU ARE LEADING FROM A SUIT WITH AT LEAST 4 CARDS IN-HAND, LEAD THE ACE IF
YOU HAVE IT, ELSE LEAD YOUR 4TH BEST. YOUR PARTNER WILL THEN SUBTRACT THE VALUE
OF THAT CARD FROM 11 TELLING HIM HOW MANY HIGHER CARDS ARE LACKING FROM YOUR
HAND TO HAVE A LOCK.  FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR PARTNER LEADS THE SEVEN OF TRUMPS,
THAT MEANS THERE ARE 11-7=4 CARDS LACKING FROM HIS HAND.  WHY 11 INSTEAD OF 12?
BECAUSE IF HE HAD AN ACE HE WOULD HAVE LED THAT RATHER THAN THE 4TH BEST.

EXAMPLE: PARTNER LEADS AN 8, THEREFORE YOU KNOW HE LACKS 11-8=3 CARDS TO HAVE
A LOCK, AND DOESN'T HAVE THE ACE, THUS MUST HAVE 2 OF THE CARDS KQJT9. IF YOU
HAVE THE K AND J, YOU CAN FURTHER NARROW DOWN PARTNER'S HOLDINGS TO 2 OF THE
CARDS QT9; AND SINCE YOU ALSO KNOW THAT THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE ACE, THEIR NEXT
HIGHEST IS EITHER THE Q OR THE T.

----------------------
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.