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- **Internet Bid Whist**
-
- **by**
-
- **Arthur Crump**
-
- **Table of Contents**
- **=================**
- 1. Getting Started
- a. Requirements
- b. Installation & Setup
- c. Starting Internet Bid Whist
- d. Connecting Over the Internet
- e. How to Play Bid Whist
- 2. Troubleshooting & Technical Support
- 3. How to Contact Us
-
- **1. Getting Started**
- **==================**
-
- **a. System Requirements**
- **----------------------**
-
- To run Internet Bid Whist, you'll need the following system:
-
- An IBM-compatible, 486 or better computer
- Four Megabytes of RAM
- A VGA monitor
- Windows 95, or Windows 98
- Windows 95 compatible Browser
- Hard Disk with four Megabytes free
- Mouse
-
- You'll have more fun with these recommended additions:
-
- Pentium processor
- Eight Megabytes of RAM
-
- **b. Installation and Setup**
- **-------------------------**
-
- 1. To get started with Internet Bid Whist on a hard disk:
- a. Insert the Internet Bid Whist disk in your
- floppy disk drive ('A', or 'B')
- b. From Windows 'run' A:\setup or B:\setup" and press
- Enter.
- c. Follow the screen directions.
-
- **c. Starting Internet Bid Whist**
- **------------------------------**
-
- To start the game, double click on the Internet Bid Whist
- icon in Windows.
-
- **d. Connecting Over the Internet**
- **-------------------------------**
-
- Before you start Internet Bid Whist, make sure that you
- have an internet connection, or you will get an error
- that the 'Internet connection is not found'. You should
- also make sure that your internet browser was developed
- for use with Windows 95 (A browser developed for
- Windows 3.1, even on a Windows 95/98 system will not
- work).
-
- Each time you start Internet Bid Whist you'll see the
- 'Internet Connection' screen. After you're connected
- to the interent, click on the 'SEARCH' button to find
- other players on the internet. This will bring you a
- list of other possible players.
-
- To invite a player to join you in a game, click on the
- 'Connect' button across from their name. If the player
- is still available, they will be sent an invitation to
- play a game with you.
-
- If you receive an invitation to play, click on the
- 'Accept' button if you're interested in playing, or
- click on the 'Decline' button if you don't wish to
- play a game at the present time.
-
- With the shareware version, you can only play with one
- other player at a time. The registered version allows
- you up to four human players simultaneously.
-
- After you have a successful connection, the player who
- initiated the connection starts the game by clicking on
- the card deck in the center of the screen. After the
- cards have been dealt, the initiating player will then
- have the option of bidding or passing first.
-
- This game also comes with a CHAT button that will allow
- you to talk to the other player(s) over the internet.
-
- **e. How to Play Bid Whist**
- **------------------------**
-
- There are many variations of the game of Bid Whist,
- Internet Bidwhist is one variation. In the shareware
- version of this game, you and a human partner connected
- over the internet, play against two computer opponents.
-
- The registered version of Internet Bidwhist allows you
- to play against up to 4 other players over the internet.
- If you have three or less players, you can substitute
- computer player(s). Or, you can practice by yourself with
- a computer partner playing against two computer opponents.
-
- Each player is dealt 12 cards. The dealer is
- allowed the first bid, or pass. Afterwards, each
- player bids in turn. The team that wins the bid,
- wins the six card 'kitty'. The player that won the
- bid then chooses six cards from either the kitty or
- their hand to 'throw away'.
-
- Bid Whist is played with both the jokers, if your
- playing uptown, the Big Joker is the highest card in
- the trump suit, followed by the Little Joker. If your
- playing downtown, the Big Joker is the lowest card in
- the trump suit, followed by the Little Joker.
-
- The goal of Bid Whist is to obtain a score of +7 or
- force your opponents to score -7. Points are made by
- bidding on the number of 'books' or winning hands
- you feel your team will be able to turn above the
- first 6 books.
-
- For example, if you bid 3 uptown Hearts, your
- guessing that you can win 9 hands out of a total
- 13. If you win the 9 hands, you gain 3 points,
- however, if you don't win the 9 hands you lose 3 points.
- You win 1 additional point for each point over your
- bid, so if a player bids 3 and wins 10 hands, they
- win a total of 4 points.
-
- If a player has, for instance, more Heart cards than
- any other trump then it would be advantageous to bid
- in the Heart suit. If a player has a lot of face cards
- then they would want to bid high, or uptown.
-
- A player also has the option of bidding No Trump suit.
- This means that the player has many low (Ace, 1, 2, 3)
- or high (Ace, King, Queen) cards spread out over many
- suits. With No Trump the bidding is doubled. If a
- player bids 4, downtown, No Trump and wins 10 hands
- then 8 points will be added to their score. Likewise
- if a team does not win 10 hands, their score will be
- subtracted by 8 points.
-
- The team that wins the bid automatically is given one
- point and becomes the lead player, and the other players
- must play whatever suit the lead player starts with.
- Afterwards, the player who wins the hand gets to choose
- the lead suit, and the other players must play that
- suit.
-
- If you run out of cards in the suit the lead player
- has played, you have an option of putting out a card
- from another suit. You can win the hand by playing a
- card from the trump suit, otherwise the lead player
- wins the hand.
-
- **2. Troubleshooting & Technical Support**
- **======================================**
-
- If you have a problem, chances are you can fix it without
- needing to get help. Try the following:
-
- If the game says you have insufficient memory, or if it crashes,
- try rebooting without loading any TSR programs, such as your
- disk cache.
-
- If the screen is to dark to see, try turning up the brightness
- on your monitor.
-
- If you are unable to fix your problems, try contacting us via
- electronic mail: **ao545@lafn.org**. Make sure you include
- your computer configuration and what you were trying to do when
- you encountered the problem. Also include any error messages
- that were displayed.
-
- **3. How to Contact Us**
- **====================**
-
- Write to:
-
- **AGCrump**
- **P.O. Box 8216**
- **Inglewood, CA 90308**
-
- E-mail:
-
- **ao545@lafn.org**
-
-
-
-