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- ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ TOMMY'S EUCHRE, DOS VERSION, (C) COPYRIGHT 1988-1997 BY ║
- ║ TOMMY'S TOYS, P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ║
- ║ CATALOG #TM-119-1A. ║
- ║ HTTP://WWW.TOMMYSTOYS.COM TOMTOYS@AOL.COM ║
- ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
- INTRODUCTION:
- EUCHRE, A DESCENDANT OF TRIOMPHE, WAS AT ONE TIME CALLED THE NATIONAL CARD
- GAME OF THE UNITED STATES UNTIL ITS OUSTER BY CONTRACT BRIDGE AFTER 1925-6.
- SOME SAY THE JOKER CARD WAS INVENTED FOR THIS GAME (ITS USE MAKES THE GAME
- GO A LOT FASTER), OR THAT THE WORD EUCHRE IS A CORRUPTION OF THE WORD JOKER.
- IT IS AN EASY GAME TO LEARN, LESS DEMANDING THAN BRIDGE, BUT A GOOD TIME FOR
- ALL.
-
- TOMMY'S EUCHRE IMPLEMENTS THE CLASSIC 4-HANDED PARTNERSHIP VERSION WITH AND
- WITHOUT A JOKER.
-
- RULES OF THE GAME
- -----------------
- THE CARDS:
- EUCHRE IS PLAYED WITH ONLY THE 9 THROUGH ACE, 24 CARDS IN ALL. NOTE: MANY
- PLAY WITH THE 7 THROUGH THE ACE, BUT BY DISCARDING THE 7S AND 8S THE PLAYERS
- HAVE MORE INTERESTING HANDS AND THE GAME IS MORE FUN. OPTIONALLY, A JOKER
- MAY BE ADDED TO THE DECK MAKING 25 CARDS.
-
- THE PLAYERS:
- EUCHRE IS PLAYED BY 4 PLAYERS, WITH OPPOSITE PLAYERS BEING PARTNERS.
-
- NOTE: IN THIS PROGAM, THE KEYBOARD MAY PLAY ANY OR ALL OF THE POSITIONS ON THE
- TABLE, THE COMPUTER PLAYS THE REST. TO GIVE THE PLAYER POSITION TO THE
- COMPUTER, ENTER A NULL NAME (OR THE NAME "COMPUTER"). DURING PLAY, BY USING
- FUNCTION KEY F2 YOU CAN MAKE THE COMPUTER PLAY ALL HANDS AT THAT POINT IN THE
- GAME. (FANCY TRICK: START A NAME WITH CTRL-D AND IT WILL BE ACCEPTED AS A
- COMPUTER PLAYER.) OF COURSE, THE HANDS FOR KEYBOARD PLAYERS ARE ALL DISPLAYED
- ON THE SCREEN, SO YOU CAN SEE EACH OTHERS' HANDS, HENCE USE IT ONLY FOR
- TEACHING.
-
- AFTER BIDDING FOR TRUMP, EACH PLAYER TAKES TURNS PLAYING CARDS WITH THE OBJECT
- BEING TO TAKE AS MANY TRICKS AS POSSIBLE.
-
- THE DEAL:
- THE DEALER GIVES 5 CARDS TO EACH PLAYER (4 CARDS REMAIN). THE NEXT REMAINING
- CARD IS THEN TURNED OVER (THE TURN-UP OR FLIPPED CARD). IF THE TURN-UP IS THE
- JOKER, THERE IS A REDEAL.
-
- THE BIDDING:
- PLAYERS TAKE TURNS BIDDING STARTING WITH THE PLAYER TO THE LEFT OF THE DEALER
- (ELDEST HAND) AND CONTINUING TO THE LEFT. A PLAYER MAY EITHER BID A SUIT
- (S,H,D,C), OR PASS (P); OR LET THE COMPUTER DECIDE FOR YOU (A).
-
- IN THE FIRST ROUND OF BIDDING, THE ONLY SUIT THAT CAN BE BID IS THE SUIT OF THE
- FLIPPED CARD. IF EVERYONE PASSES THEN THE FLIPPED CARD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
- AND PLAYERS GO THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF BIDDING.
-
- IN THE SECOND ROUND, ANY SUIT MAY BE BID EXCEPT THE SUIT OF THE FLIPPED CARD.
-
- IF NO SUIT IS BID AFTER THE SECOND ROUND, THE HAND IS THROWN IN AND THE PLAYER
- TO THE LEFT OF THE PRESENT DEALER DEALS THE NEXT HAND.
-
- PLAYING ALONE:
- IF A PLAYER MAKES A BID, HE HAS THE OPTION OF PLAYING ALONE. THIS MEANS THAT
- THE BIDDER'S PARTNER PUTS HIS CARDS DOWN AND SITS OUT THE HAND. A TEAM CAN
- GET MORE POINTS BY GOING ALONE (SEE SCORING).
-
- ACCEPTING THE TURN-UP:
- IF A BID IS MADE IN THE FIRST ROUND, USING THE FLIPPED CARD SUIT, THEN THE
- DEALER PICKS UP THE FLIPPED CARD AND DISCARDS (SLOUGHS) ANY CARD HE CHOOSES
- (PRESUMABLY A LOSER). THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IF THE BID IS MADE IN THE SECOND
- ROUND.
-
- NOTE: WITH REAL CARDS, IT IS TRADITIONAL FOR THE DEALER TO LEAVE THE TURN-UP
- ON THE TABLE UNTIL HE NEEDS TO PLAY IT. IN THE BIDDING, THE NON-DEALING TEAM
- "ORDERS UP" THE TURN-UP, WHILE THE PARTNER OF THE DEALER SAYS "I ASSIST" TO
- BID ON THE FIRST ROUND. ON THE SECOND ROUND, THE BIDDERS EITHER "MAKE IT",
- THAT IS, NAME A TRUMP, OR PASS; AND WHEN THE TRUMP IS NAMED, IF IT HAS THE
- SAME COLOR AS THE FLIPPED CARD THIS IS CALLED "MAKING IT NEXT", WHILE IF IT
- HAS THE OPPOSITE COLOR AS THE FLIPPED CARD THIS IS CALLED "CROSSING IT".
-
- THE PLAY:
- ELDEST HAND LEADS THE FIRST TRICK AND IS FOLLOWED BY THE PLAYER TO HIS LEFT
- UNTIL EVERYBODY HAS PLAYED 1 CARD.
-
- TO ENTER YOUR PLAY, TYPE THE RANK (9,10,J,K,Q,A,*) AND SUIT (S,H,D,C); OR
- JUST TYPE A FOR AUTOPLAY. THEN HIT THE <ENTER> KEY.
- (NOTE: "*" MEANS JOKER; A SUIT IS NOT SPECIFIED IN THIS CASE, AS TRUMP SUIT
- IS ALWAYS ASSUMED.)
-
- OR, USE THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARROW KEYS ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD TO HILITE THE
- DESIRED CARD, THEN HIT <ENTER>.
-
- A LEAD CALLS UPON EACH OTHER HAND TO FOLLOW SUIT IF ABLE; OR TO PLAY ANY
- OTHER CARD IF UNABLE. A TRICK IS WON BY THE HIGHEST TRUMP, OR BY THE HIGHEST
- CARD OF THE SUIT LED. THE WINNER OF A TRICK LEADS TO THE NEXT.
-
- TRUMPS AND BOWERS:
- UNLIKE IN CONTRACT BRIDGE, THE HIGHEST CARD IN THE TRUMP SUIT IS THE JACK
- (CALLED THE RIGHT BOWER), FOLLOWED BY THE JACK OF THE OTHER SUIT OF THE SAME
- COLOR (CALLED THE LEFT BOWER), FOLLOWED BY THE ACE, KING, QUEEN, TEN AND NINE.
- IF THE JOKER IS PRESENT, IT RANKS ABOVE THE RIGHT BOWER.
-
- FOR EXAMPLE, IF HEARTS ARE TRUMP THEN THE HIGHEST TRUMP CARDS ARE THE JACK OF
- HEARTS, THE JACK OF DIAMONDS, THE ACE OF HEARTS, KING OF HEARTS, QUEEN OF
- HEARTS, TEN OF HEARTS, AND NINE OF HEARTS, IN THAT ORDER.
-
- THE LEFT BOWER IS CONSIDERED A TRUMP CARD WHEN FOLLOWING SUIT. SO IF HEART
- IS TRUMP THEN IF A HEART IS LED, A PLAYER CAN FOLLOW SUIT WITH THE JACK OF
- DIAMONDS, BUT IF A DIAMOND IS LED, THEN A PLAYER CANNOT FOLLOW WITH THE JACK
- OF DIAMONDS UNLESS HE HAS NO DIAMONDS IN HIS HAND.
-
- IN ALL OTHER SUITS, THE ACE IS THE HIGHEST CARD AND THE NORMAL ORDER IS
- FOLLOWED, I.E., ACE, KING, QUEEN, JACK (EXCEPT LEFT BOWER), TEN, AND NINE.
-
- SCORING:
- THE OBJECT OF PLAY IS TO WIN AT LEAST 3 TRICKS. IF THE MAKING (BIDDING)
- SIDE FAILS TO WIN THREE IT IS 'EUCHRED'. THE WINNING OF ALL FIVE TRICKS
- BY ONE SIDE IS CALLED 'MARCH'. IF YOU PLAY ALONE AND ARE EUCHRED OR MARCH,
- THE PENALTY OR BONUS IS DOUBLED:
-
- # OF TRICKS TAKEN POINTS
- (OUT OF 5 POSSIBLE) AWARDED
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
- PLAYING WITH PARTNER PLAYING ALONE
-
- LESS THAN 3 TRICKS WON (EUCHRE) 2 FOR OPPONENTS 4 FOR OPPONENTS
- 3 OR 4 TRICKS WON 1 FOR BIDDERS 1 FOR BIDDERS
- 5 TRICKS WON (MARCH) 2 FOR BIDDERS 4 FOR BIDDERS
-
-
- GAME:
- THE GAME IS WON BY THE FIRST TEAM TO REACH N POINTS, WHERE N IS SELECTABLE
- BY THE USER (FROM 5 TO 10 -- 5 IS USUAL).
-
- GAME LOG:
- THE COMPUTER AUTOMATICALLY KEEPS A LOG ON FILE EUCHRE.SCR. IF YOU WANT TO
- CLEAR THE LOG, JUST ERASE THAT FILE.
-
- *NOTE: THE UNREGISTERED SHAREWARE VERSION EXITS IF YOU TRY TO START A NEW
- HAND AFTER 5 MIN. OF PLAY TIME. PLEASE PURCHASE THE FULL VERSION AFTER
- YOUR EVALUATION PERIOD IS OVER.
-
- FUNCTION KEYS
- -------------
- F1 TOGGLE SOUND EFFECTS ON/OFF
- F2 DEMO MODE TOGGLE (IN DEMO MODE, THE COMPUTER PLAYS ALL HANDS)
- F5 DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS
- F7 QUIT
- F9 TABLE CLEAR MODE TOGGLE. THIS TOGGLE CONTROLS WHETHER THE TABLE
- CLEARS AT THE END OF THE TRICK AUTOMATICALLY (BASED ON ELAPSED TIME
- AND THE GAME SPEED DELAY, SEE BELOW) OR AFTER YOU TAP THE SPACE BAR.
- F10 (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BORDER COLOR
-
- *NOTE: FOR TOGGLE SWITCHES, THE FUNCTION KEY LEGEND DISPLAYED IS THE MODE THAT
- WILL BE ENTERED BY PRESSING THE KEY, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE MODE IN
- EFFECT AT THE TIME.
-
- GAME SPEED:
- THE UP ARROW (ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD) INCREASES, AND THE DOWN ARROW DECREASES
- THE DELAY BETWEEN COMPUTER MOVES. THE VALUE OF THIS DELAY, IN SECONDS, IS
- SHOWN AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE SCREEN.
-
- TO SKIP THE STARTUP MUSIC: HIT <ENTER> TWICE INSTEAD OF ONCE WHEN RUNNING
- THE PROGRAM FROM DOS.
-
- A NOTE ON STRATEGY.
- -------------------
- THERE WILL BE 7 TRUMPS IN THE DECK OF 24 (2 BOWERS PLUS 9,10,Q,K,A). SINCE
- 20 OR 21 CARDS ARE DEALT, THERE ARE THEREFORE ABOUT 7*(20/24)=6 TRUMPS IN
- PLAY. TO BID YOU MUST USUALLY HOLD 3 TRUMPS, THEREFORE THERE ARE ONLY 3 LEFT
- FOR THE OTHER 3 PLAYERS, OR AN EXPECTATION OF 1 EACH. BUT IF THE FLIPPED
- CARD IS A TRUMP, AND THE DEALER TAKES IT UP, YOU CAN EXPECT TO FIND AT LEAST
- 2 TRUMPS IN HIS HAND.
-
- ALL BIDDING MUST BE TO THE SCORE. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO
- SUFFER A EUCHRE TO AVOID THE OTHER SIDE MAKING GAME. SIMILARLY, THE LOSING
- TEAM MUST GET MORE BRAVE IN CONTROLLING THE TRUMP WHEN THE OTHER SIDE IS
- THREATENING TO TAKE THE GAME.
-
- PLAYING ALONE IS INDICATED WHEN YOU HAVE AN IRONCLAD HAND (3 SURE TRICKS),
- OR WHEN THE OTHER SIDE IS CLOSE TO GAME AND YOUR HAND HAS SOME PROSPECT OF
- WINNING 3 TRICKS.
-
- UNLIKE IN CONTRACT BRIDGE, USUALLY YOU MUST TRY TO WIN EVERYTHING THAT COMES
- ALONG. THUS, AN ACE OR KING SHOULD USUALLY BE LED AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY;
- OTHERWISE YOUR PARTNER MIGHT WASTE HIS TRUMPS. BUT A HAND WITH THREE TRUMPS
- AND A SIDE ACE SHOULD PROBABLY LEAD TRUMPS FIRST TO LESSEN THE DANGER OF THE
- ACE BEING TRUMPED.
-
- COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
- S STARTUP WITH SOUND OFF
- M FORCE MONO MODE
- C FORCE COLOR MODE
-
- EXAMPLE: >EUCHRE MS
-
- TOMMY'S FIVE HUNDRED:
- IF YOU LIKE EUCHRE, TRY FIVE HUNDRED, ITS DESCENDANT, CREATED IN 1904 TO TRY
- TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE CONTRACT BRIDGE. CHECK OUT TOMMY'S FIVE HUNDRED, #TM-216.
-
- ----------------------
- DID YOU LIKE THIS TOY?
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- GOODIES, FOR ONLY $2 SHIPPING/HANDLING TO ANY U.S. ADDRESS, $3 OUTSIDE U.S.
- (U.S. DOLLARS ONLY).
-
- IF YOUR PC BORES YOU WRITE US NOW.
-
- TOMMY'S TOYS, P.O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.
-
- HAVE FUN!
-