The Complete Encyclopedia of Games 3/GAMES1000V3_d2.iso/card/prog57/canasta.doc

Text File | 1994-04-19 | 15KB | 322 lines

TOMMY'S CANASTA (C) COPYRIGHT 1988 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #88-110-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

CANASTA (SPANISH FOR BASKET) IS A FIREY FREEWHEELING LATIN CARD GAME WHICH
USES A DOUBLE SIZE DECK AND IS SO NEAT TO WATCH WHEN A PLAYER HAS A HAND FULL
OF DOZENS OF CARDS SPREAD OUT LIKE A GIANT FAN.

CANASTA (ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS ARGENTINE RUMMY) ORIGINATED IN LATIN AMERICA, THE
MANY NATIONAL VARIATIONS ATTESTING TO THIS FACT.  IT WAS IMPORTED TO THE U.S.
IN 1948 OR 1949.  WITH THE POPULARITY IN AMERICA AT THAT TIME OF ANYTHING
CUBAN, EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE ANOTHER LUCY OR RICKY AND SING BABALOO OR PLAY
CANASTA.  AFTER ABOUT 1952, HOWEVER, THE CRAZE DIED OUT: WITH THE JAN. 1953
BIRTH OF LITTLE RICKIE (WHOSE THEATRICAL BIRTH SHOW ECLIPSED THE INAUGURATION
OF EISENHOWER), PEOPLE DROPPED THE CARDS AND BEGAN TO MAKE BABIES, PROBABLY
RESULTING IN YOU, IF YOU ARE A BABY BOOMER.

NOW THAT YOU ARE THE SAME AGE AS RICKY AND LUCY WERE, IT'S YOUR TURN TO PICK UP
THOSE CARDS, ON YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER, AND PLAY TOMMY'S CANASTA... BABIES ARE
OPTIONAL.

PLAYERS:
CANASTA CAN BE PLAYED BY 3-6 PLAYERS, BUT IT IS REALLY A 2-SIDED GAME.  IN
TOMMY'S CANASTA, YOU CAN PLAY 2 OR 4-HANDED CANASTA.  IN 2-HANDED CANASTA
YOU PLAY AGAINST THE COMPUTER: YOUR HAND IS DISPLAYED AT THE TOP OF THE
SCREEN.  IN 4-HANDED CANASTA, YOU PLAY IN PARTNERSHIPS LIKE IN CONTRACT
BRIDGE: THE COMPUTER PLAYS 3 HANDS, YOU PLAY THE 4TH (NORTH).

CARDS:
2 STANDARD DECKS OF 54 (52+2 JOKERS) ARE MIXED TOGETHER, A TOTAL OF 108 CARDS.
JOKERS AND DEUCES ARE WILD, HENCE THERE ARE 4+8=12 WILD CARDS IN THE DECK.

CARD VALUES:
EVERY CARD HAS A POINT VALUE, AS FOLLOWS:

     CARD               POINT VALUE
     ----               -----------
     RED TREY (3)       100 (SEE BELOW)
     JOKER              50
     A OR DEUCE (2)     20
     8..K               10
     4..7                5
     BLACK TREY          5 (BLACK MEANS CLUB OR SPADE SUIT)

    (2=20, 3=5 (BLACK) OR 100 (RED), 4..7=5, 8..K=10, A=20, *=50)

DEALER:
THE INITIAL DEALER IS CHOSEN BY THE COMPUTER AFTER ROLLING A DIE IN ITS
CIRCUITS.  AFTER THAT, DEAL ROTATES CLOCKWISE.

THE DEAL:
EACH PLAYER RECEIVES 15 CARDS IN 2-HAND, OR 13 CARDS IN 4-HAND CANASTA, DEALT
TO EACH PLAYER IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION STARTING WITH THE PLAYER TO DEALER'S
LEFT.

DISCARD PILE OR PACK OR POT:
THE TOP CARD OF THE DECK IS THEN TURNED UP AND BECOMES THE UPCARD ON A
SEPARATE DISCARD PILE (SOMETIMES CALLED THE PACK OR POT).

IF THE UPCARD IS A WILD CARD (DEUCE OR JOKER) IT IS ROTATED 90 DEGREES TO
INDICATE ITS PRESENCE AND ANOTHER CARD DRAWN AND FACED ON THE DISCARD PILE.

DURING PLAY, ANY TIME THE UPCARD IS WILD IT IS ROTATED 90 DEGREES SO THAT
NO MATTER HOW MANY MORE CARDS ARE DISCARDED ON TOP OF IT, ITS PRESENCE CAN
BE DETECTED.  THIS IS BECAUSE THE DISCARD PILE IS NOW A "PRIZE" PILE (SEE
BELOW).

MELDING:
UNLIKE GIN RUMMY, THE OBJECT OF PLAY IS NOT TO GO OUT ITSELF BUT RATHER TO
SCORE THE MOST MELDS FIRST.  A MELD IS 3 OR MORE CARDS OF THE SAME RANK
(SEQUENCES DO NOT COUNT), WITH AT LEAST 2 NATURAL (NON-WILD) CARDS, AND AT
MOST 3 WILD CARDS.  TO COUNT, MELDS MUST BE LAID ON THE TABLE FACE UP FOR ALL
TO SEE; THEY ARE THEN OUT OF PLAY.

A CANASTA (SPANISH FOR BASKET) IS 7 OR MORE CARDS OF A KIND: CANASTAS ARE
CALLED RED OR BLACK DEPENDING ON WHETHER THEY HAVE WILD CARDS IN THEM OR NOT:
RED OR NATURAL CANASTAS HAVE NO WILD CARDS AND BLACK CANASTAS DO.

IN 4-HAND CANASTA, EACH TEAM'S MELDS ARE HELD IN COMMON (THE MELDS OF THE N-S
TEAM ARE SHOWN ABOVE THOSE FOR THE E-W TEAM ON THE SCREEN).

TREYS:
TREYS (3'S) ARE NOT USED IN MELDS OR CANASTAS, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, TO BE
DISCUSSED LATER.  THEY ARE LIKE RED AND BLACK PEPPERS WHICH SPICE UP THE GAME.

FACING RED TREYS:
ANY RED (HEART OR DIAMOND SUIT) TREYS IN HAND ARE FACED UP IMMEDIATELY AND
PLACED ON THE TABLE WHERE MELDS ARE HELD; MORE CARDS ARE DRAWN TO REPLACE
THEM.  (IN TOMMY'S CANASTA, THE COMPUTER AUTOMATICALLY FACES RED TREYS AND
REDRAWS FOR YOU DURING THE DEAL, NOT AT THE END OF THE DEAL LIKE WITH REAL
CARDS.)

AT THE END OF PLAY, THE RED TREYS ARE GIVEN SCORING VALUES FOR OR AGAINST THE
PLAYER: THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED MELDS PER SE.  IN TOMMY'S CANASTA, NORTH'S
(N-S) RED TREYS ARE PLACED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, SOUTH'S (E-W)
ON THE RIGHT.

PLAY:
AFTER ALL PLAYERS HAVE FACED RED TREYS, PLAY RECOMMENCES WITH ELDEST HAND,
IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.

PLAYER NOW OPTIONALLY MELDS, THEN EITHER TAKES THE ENTIRE DISCARD PILE (NOT
JUST THE UPCARD AS IN GIN RUMMY), OR A SINGLE CARD FROM THE DECK.  IF HE HAS
TAKEN THE DISCARD PILE HE MUST IMMEDIATELY MELD.  IN EITHER CASE, HE MUST
THEN DISCARD A SINGLE CARD, OR "MELD OUT", ENDING THE HAND.

NOTE: TO SPECIFY A CARD, JUST TYPE IN ITS ABBREVIATION, E.G., 2H FOR TWO OF
HEARTS, AC FOR ACE OF CLUBS, 1D OR TD FOR TEN OF DIAMONDS, JS FOR JACK OF
SPADES.  TO SPECIFY JOKER, TYPE **.

MELDING RULE:
WHEN YOU MELD A CERTAIN RANK FROM YOUR HAND, YOU MUST MELD ALL THE CARDS OF
THAT RANK, NOT JUST SOME OF THEM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WILD CARDS WHICH MAY
BE USED 1-3 AT A TIME.

AFTER A MELD IS LAID DOWN ON THE TABLE IT MAY BE ADDED TO IN LATER PLAYS, BUT
AGAIN, IF YOU ADD ONE CARD OF A RANK TO A MELD FROM YOUR HAND, YOU MUST ADD
ALL THE CARDS OF THAT RANK IN YOUR HAND TO THE MELD.

CANASTAS:
WHEN A MELD REACHES THE CANASTA LEVEL IT IS SPECIALLY MARKED TO SET IT OFF
FROM THE OTHER PRE-CANASTA PILES.  (WHEN PLAYING WITH REAL CARDS, A CANASTA
IS USUALLY SQUARED UP AND TOPPED WITH A RED OR BLACK CARD TO INDICATE ITS
TYPE: GUESS WHAT THESE LITTLE PILES OF CARDS LOOK LIKE.)

THE MELD TABLE DISPLAY IN TOMMY'S CANASTA:
TOMMY'S CANASTA DISPLAYS THE MELDS AS A TABLE, WITH THE NUMBER OF MELD CARDS
OF EACH RANK GIVEN.  IF THERE ARE ANY WILD CARDS IN THE MELD, THE ENTRY IS IN
BLACK (FOR MONO SCREENS, NORMAL WHITE); IF THERE ARE NO WILD CARDS, IT IS
SHOWN IN RED (FOR MONO SCREENS, BOLD WHITE).  CANASTAS ARE GIVEN SPECIAL
RED AND BLACK COLORS.  THE ENTRY "7/2" MEANS THERE ARE 7 CARDS MELDED OF THIS
RANK, OF WHICH 2 ARE WILD.

TO THE RIGHT OF THE MELD TABLE IS THE SUM OF THE MELD CARDS AND RED TREYS
ON THE TABLE FOR EACH PLAYER (TEAM), WITH APPROPRIATE BONUSES (SEE BELOW).

TO THE LEFT OF THE TOP MELD TABLE IS THE HAND CARD SUM FOR THE KEYBOARD
PLAYER; BELOW THIS IS THE HAND CARD COUNT FOR THE KEYBOARD PLAYER'S PARTNER,
IN 4-CARD CANASTA ONLY.

TO THE LEFT OF THE BOTTOM MELD TABLE IS THE HAND CARD COUNT FOR THE KEYBOARD
PLAYER'S OPPONENT OR OPPONENTS.

GAME:
GAME IS 5000 POINTS (AT THE END OF ANY HAND).  IF A PLAYER (TEAM) REACHES 5000
POINTS BEFORE A HAND ENDS, HE MUST KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT UNTIL THE HAND IS OVER
AND ALL THE BONUSES AND PENALTIES ARE ADDED UP.  IF BOTH PLAYERS (TEAMS) REACH
5000 AT THE END OF THE SAME HAND, THE HIGHER SCORE WINS; IF THERE IS A TIE,
ANOTHER HAND IS PLAYED.

BLACK TREYS:
BLACK TREYS ARE BLACK SHEEP THAT MAY ONLY BE MELDED WHEN MELDING OUT IN LIEU
OF A DISCARD.  WHEN DISCARDED DURING PLAY, THEY "FREEZE" THE DISCARD PILE,
FORCING THE NEXT PLAYER TO DRAW FROM THE DECK.

THE DISCARD PILE:
THE DISCARD PILE IS EITHER A PRIZE PILE, FROZEN, OR UNFROZEN.

A PRIZE PILE IS ONE WHICH CONTAINS 1 OR MORE WILD CARDS BURIED WITHIN IT,
AND A NATURAL (NON-WILD) CARD ON TOP (UPCARD).  A PRIZE PILE CAN ONLY BE
TAKEN BY A PLAYER WHO HAS AT LEAST 2 NATURAL CARDS IN HIS HAND THAT MATCH THE
UPCARD; IT, PLUS THE MATCHING NATURALS, MUST THEN IMMEDIATELY BE MELDED.

A FROZEN PILE IS ONE WHICH IS TOPPED BY A WILD CARD OR A BLACK TREY.  NOBODY
MAY TAKE THE DISCARD PILE WHEN IT IS FROZEN.

AN UNFROZEN PILE IS ONE WHICH IS TOPPED BY A NATURAL CARD AND WHICH CONTAINS
NO WILD CARDS BURIED WITHIN IT.  IT MAY BE TAKEN BY 2 NATURAL CARDS THAT MATCH
THE UPCARD, OR BY 1 NATURAL CARD AND 1 WILD CARD; THE 3 CARDS MUST THEN
BE IMMEDIATELY MELDED (PLUS ANY MATCHING NATURALS IN HAND).

INITIAL MELD:
THE DISCARD PILE ACTUALLY STARTS OUT AS A PRIZE PILE TO EACH PLAYER (TEAM)
SEPARATELY, UNTIL HE MAKES HIS FIRST MELD.  THE CARDS IN THE INITIAL GROUP OF
MELDS MUST HAVE A COMBINED POINT COUNT THAT IS AT LEAST A MINIMUM VALUE,
BASED ON THE SCORE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HAND:

     SCORE      MINIMUM INITIAL MELD
     -----      --------------------
     <0                15
     0-1499            50
     1500-2999         90
     3000+            120

NOTE: THE INITIAL MELD POINT COUNT IS FOR THE CARDS ONLY; THE CANASTA BONUS
(SEE BELOW) IS NOT USED HERE.

YOU CAN START YOUR INITIAL MELD BY TAKING THE DISCARD PILE, BUT ONLY THE UPCARD
MELD ITSELF, PLUS ANY ADDITIONAL MELDS MADE OUT OF THE ORIGINAL HAND, COUNT FOR
THE INITIAL MELD POINT COUNT.  ONLY IF YOU MAKE THIS POINT MINIMUM MAY YOU THEN
TAKE THE DISCARD PILE UP AND USE IT FOR ADDITIONAL MELDS.

ALSO NOTE THAT IN TOMMY'S CANASTA, IF YOU INTEND TO TAKE THE UPCARD PILE TO
START YOUR INITIAL MELD, YOU MUST USE THE "T" COMMAND, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE
THE DISCARD PILE FROM INSIDE THE "M" COMMAND.

GOING OUT:
TO GO OUT (MELD OUT, GO RUMMY), THAT IS, PLAY THE LAST CARD, EITHER TO THE
DISCARD PILE OR THE MELD TABLE, AND END THE HAND, A PLAYER (TEAM) MUST HAVE
AT LEAST 1 CANASTA ON THE TABLE AFTER THE PLAY.  IF THERE IS ONLY 1 CARD LEFT
IN THE HAND, AND IT CAN'T BE MELDED OR DISCARDED, IT REMAINS IN THE HAND.

FINISHING & FORCING:
IF NO ONE MELDS OUT BY THE TIME THE DECK IS EXHAUSTED, PLAY CONTINUES SO LONG
AS EACH PLAYER IN TURN LEGALLY TAKES AND MELDS THE CARD DISCARDED BY THE
PREVIOUS PLAYER.  IT IS MANDATORY TO TAKE THE DISCARD IF IT IS LEGALLY
POSSIBLE TO ADD IT TO A MELD ALREADY ON THE TABLE (THE PREVIOUS PLAYER HAS
THEN "FORCED" YOU TO MELD).  THE HAND ENDS WHEN A PLAYER DOES NOT TAKE THE
DISCARD.  IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO REFUSE TO TAKE THE DISCARD AND END PLAY IF IT
IS NOT A FORCING CARD.  IF THE LAST CARD OF THE DECK IS WILD OR A TREY, PLAY
ENDS IMMEDIATELY AND NO ONE GETS CREDIT FOR THAT CARD.

PERMISSION:
WHEN PLAYING 4-HAND CANASTA, A PLAYER MAY OPTIONALLY ASK HIS PARTNER FOR
PERMISSION TO GO OUT; THE PARTNER IS BOUND BY THE REPLY.  BUT PERMISSION
MAY NOT BE ASKED BY A PLAYER IF HE HAS MELDED ANY CARDS IN THAT TURN.
MOREOVER, ASKING PERMISSION TO GO OUT AND THEN BEING UNABLE TO DO SO INCURS
A PENALTY OF 100 POINTS.

CARD COUNT:
ANY PLAYER MAY ASK HIS PARTNER FOR THE NUMBER OF CARDS HE HOLDS IN HIS HAND:
HE MUST TELL HIM THE TRUE NUMBER.  (IN TOMMY'S CANASTA, THE KEYBOARD PLAYER'S
PARTNER'S CARD COUNT IS AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAYED AND, IN 4-HAND, THE COMBINED
CARD COUNT OF THE OPPONENT TEAM).

SCORING:
AFTER THE HAND ENDS, SCORES ARE TABULATED AS FOLLOWS (A SCORE CAN BE NEGATIVE
OR POSITIVE):

    1. THE RED TREYS ARE ADDED UP, 100 FOR EACH.  IF THE PLAYER (TEAM) HAD
       AT LEAST 1 MELD ON THE TABLE, THE SCORE IS PLUS, ELSE IT IS MINUS.
       IF PLAYER (TEAM) HAD ALL 4 RED TREYS, THE SCORE IS DOUBLED.
       IF PLAYER (TEAM) HAD NO RED TREYS, -200 POINTS.

    2. THE CARDS IN THE MELDS AND LEFT IN HAND ARE SUMMED, USING THE CARD
       POINT VALUES.  THE SUM OF VALUES OF ALL THE CARDS IN EACH PLAYER'S
       (TEAM'S) MELDS COUNT PLUS, THE SUM OF VALUES OF ALL THE CARDS LEFT
       IN HAND COUNT MINUS.  (IN 4-HAND, THE CARDS IN THE HAND OF THE
       PARTNER OF THE PLAYER MELDING OUT ALSO COUNT AGAINST THE TEAM).

    3. CANASTAS GET BONUS SCORES: 500 FOR RED (NATURAL), 300 FOR BLACK.

    4. THE PLAYER (TEAM) WHO MELDED OUT (IF ANY) SCORES A BONUS OF 100 POINTS.

    5. IF A PLAYER (TEAM) WITH NO MELDS GOES OUT BY MELDING ALL HIS CARDS AT
       ONCE, INCLUDING THE REQUIRED CANASTA, HE IS SAID TO HAVE A "CONCEALED
       HAND" AND SCORES AN ADDITIONAL 100 POINTS.

STRATEGY:
THE MAIN OBJECT IS TO SCORE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR MELDS BEFORE GOING OUT,
NOT TO GO OUT ITSELF.  THE GAME CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS AN ATTEMPT TO MAXIMIZE
THE VALUE OF THE QUANTITY (MELDS - HAND), GIVE OR TAKE THE BONUSES.

NOTE: IN 2-HAND CANASTA THE COMPUTER KEEPS YOUR SCORE DYNAMICALLY UNDER THE
LEFT SIDE OF THE MELD TABLE THROUGHOUT THE PLAY, MAKING IT EASY TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE.  YOU CAN THUS USE 2-HAND CANASTA AS A BEGINNER'S MODE.

INDEED, GOING OUT IS OFTEN A DEFENSIVE MOVE, AS WHEN THE OTHER SIDE GETS TOO
FAR AHEAD, HAS TOO MANY CARDS IN HAND, AND THREATENS A BIG MELD.

IN ORDER TO MAKE MELDS IT IS ADVANTAGEOUS TO TAKE A LARGE PACK EARLY IN THE
GAME, BEFORE MAKING THE 2ND MELD.  THE INITIAL MELD IS USUALLY THE MINIMUM
REQUIRED, SAVING CARDS IN HAND TO MAXIMIZE THE CHANCES OF TAKING THE DISCARD
PILE.  REMEMBER THAT IF YOU CAN TAKE THE DISCARD PILE, PREVIOUS DISCARDS COME
BACK TO YOU LIKE A YO-YO.

AFTER THE 2ND MELD, MAKE MELDS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, USING WILD CARDS RATHER
THAN HOARDING THEM, SINCE THEY WILL COUNT 20 OR 50 POINTS EACH AGAINST YOU IF
YOU ARE CAUGHT WITH THEM AFTER SOMEBODY MELDS OUT.

THE BEST TIME TO FREEZE THE DISCARD PILE IS WHEN THE OPPONENT HAS MELDED AND
YOU HAVE NOT; THAT GAINS YOU BREATHING SPACE.

DISCARD LOW AT FIRST, AND IN RANKS WHICH OPPONENT IS ALSO DISCARDING; BUT
BEWARE THE OLD FISHING TRICK WHERE A PLAYER DISCARDS FROM A TRIPLET, LURING
THE OPPONENT TO DISCARD A 4TH CARD OF THE SAME RANK, WHICH IS THEN SNATCHED
UP AND MELDED (ALL 4 OF THEM).

----------------------
FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS:
SOUND EFFECTS TOGGLE: FUNCTION KEY F1 TOGGLES THE SOUND EFFECTS ON AND OFF.

DEMO MODE TOGGLE: FUNCTION KEY F2 TOGGLES THE DEMO MODE.  IN DEMO MODE, THE
COMPUTER PLAYS ALL HANDS.

TO QUIT: HIT FUNCTION KEY F7.

TO DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS: HIT FUNCTION KEY F5.

TO CHANGE THE SCREEN BORDER COLOR (COLOR MONITORS ONLY): HIT FUNCTION KEY F10.

TO CHANGE THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE COMPUTER PLAYS: USE THE UP AND DOWN ARROW
KEYS ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD.  THE DELAY BETWEEN COMPUTER MOVES, IN SECONDS,
IS SHOWN AT THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE SCREEN.

TO SKIP THE STARTUP MUSIC: HIT THE <ENTER> KEY TWICE INSTEAD OF ONCE WHEN
RUNNING THE PROGRAM FROM DOS.

COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
WHEN RUNNING CANASTA FROM DOS, YOU CAN INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING COMMAND
LINE PARAMETERS:

   C   FORCE COLOR MODE
   M   FORCE MONO MODE
   S   FORCE INITIAL SOUND EFFECTS OFF
   *   SKIP THE STARTUP SHOW

FOR EXAMPLE:  >CANASTA MS

----------------------
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