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

Text File | 1994-04-13 | 12KB | 269 lines

TOMMY'S CASSINO (C) COPYRIGHT 1994 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #TM-146-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

THIS PROGRAM PLAYS CASSINO (ALSO SPELLED CASINO), A CARD GAME OF MEDITERRANEAN
ORIGIN WITH AN ARITHMETICAL BENT.  IT IS THUS GOOD FOR CHILDREN, AND FOR ADULTS
WHO DON'T MIND CHILDREN BEATING THEM (HA HA).  IT ALSO HAS MANY CUTE VARIANTS,
SOME OF WHICH THIS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTS.

THE SENIOR VERSION IS CALLED 4-HANDED SCOPONE, NOT A KID'S GAME AT ALL, RATHER,
IT'S THE NATIONAL CARD GAME OF ITALY, WITH MUCH LATITUDE FOR STRATEGY AND SKILL.

BOTH ARE BASED ON MATCHING A CARD WITH 2 OTHERS WHOSE VALUES ADD UP TO ITS
VALUE.  SCOPONE GOES BACK OVER 300 YEARS IN ITALY.  THE GAME CONJURES UP A
PICTURE OF LITERATE CATHOLIC PRIESTS BUSILY CALCULATING AND SCHEMING OVER A
TABLE, WORKING TO STAB EACH OTHER IN THE BACK -- JUST LIKE THEY THINK OF
AMERICANS AS ILLITERATE COWBOYS CHEATING AT POKER ALL THE TIME AND SHOOTING
EACH OTHER UNDER THE TABLE (HA HA).

PLAYERS:
CASSINO CAN BE PLAYED AS 2-HANDED (BEST), 3-HANDED, OR AS A 4-HANDED
PARTNERSHIP.  3-HANDED CASSINO IS SAID TO BE UNFAIR BECAUSE THE DEALER AND
ELDEST HAND HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER THE THIRD (MIDDLE) PLAYER.  THIS TOY ONLY
PLAYS THE 2-HANDED VERSION, YOU VERSUS THE COMPUTER.

THE DECK:
THE STANDARD 52-CARD FRENCH DECK IS USED.  IN ITALY THE KING, QUEEN, AND JACK
ARE CALLED THE RE (KING), CAVALLO (KNIGHT), AND DONNA (JILL) -- I WONDER IF
NAPOLEON HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT? (HA HA)

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

DEALING:
AFTER THE SHUFFLE, TWO CARDS ARE DEALT EACH PLAYER, TWICE IN A ROW, FOR A TOTAL
OF FOUR CARDS EACH.  THEN FOUR CARDS ARE DEALT FACE UP TO START THE TABLE.

THERE ARE THEN 2 WAYS TO PLAY:
  1. REGULAR CASSINO.  AFTER FOUR TURNS (PLAYERS' HANDS EMPTY), ANOTHER FOUR
     CARDS ARE DEALT IN BATCHES OF TWO.
  2. DRAW CASSINO. ONE CARD IS DEALT EACH PLAYER AFTER EACH TURN.

 EITHER WAY, NO MORE CARDS ARE DEALT TO THE TABLE.  WHEN THE DECK IS EXHAUSTED,
 DEALER ANNOUNCES IT BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THE STRATEGY OF THE GAME.

THE OBJECT OF PLAY (WIN PILES):
IS TO CAPTURE TABLE CARDS WITH HAND CARDS AND PLACE THEM FACE DOWN IN THE WIN
PILE FOR ONE'S SIDE FOR LATER SCORING.  (AS A GAME OPTION FOR BEGINNERS, ALL
CARDS CAN BE LEFT FACE UP IN THE WIN PILE).  AT THE END OF THE GAME, POINTS ARE
SCORED FOR HAVING CAPTURED:

    THE MOST CARDS        3 POINTS
    THE MOST SPADES       1
    BIG CASSINO (10D)     2
    LITTLE CASSINO (2S)   1
    EACH ACE              1

THE BIG CASSINO IS THE TEN OF DIAMONDS, THE LITTLE CASSINO IS THE DEUCE OF
SPADES.  IF PLAYERS TIE FOR MOST CARDS, NEITHER SCORES THOSE POINTS -- DITTO
FOR MOST SPADES OR WHATEVER.

TN ADDITION, CAPTURING ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE AT ANY ONE TIME SCORES ONE
POINT FOR A 'SWEEP' (SCOPA).

SO, TO WIN YOU TRY TO CAPTURE AS MANY CARDS AS YOU CAN, TAKING SPECIAL CARE
TO CAPTURE SCORING CARDS, AND TO SWEEP WHILE NOT BEING SWEPT....LIKE A GRAND
PRIX EVENT IN THE STREETS OF ROME (HA HA).

PLAY:
IN TURN EACH PLAYER LAYS A CARD FACE UP ON THE TABLE, THEN EITHER CAPTURES
CARDS WITH IT, REMOVING THE CARD WITH THE CARD(S) IT HAS CAPTURED, OR
"TRAILS" IT, LEAVING IT ON THE TABLE.  IN CASSINO, A TRAILED CARD MAY
ALSO "BUILD" ON ANOTHER TABLE CARD, AS DESCRIBED BELOW.

CAPTURING BY PAIRING:
A HAND CARD MAY CAPTURE A SINGLE CARD OF THE SAME RANK, FOR EXAMPLE, A 5-SPOT
MAY CAPTURE A SINGLE 5-SPOT, AND A JACK MAY CAPTURE A JACK.

CAPTURING BY COMBINING:
HERE'S WHERE IT GETS FUN!  SPOT CARDS ARE CONSIDERED TO HAVE A VALUE EQUAL TO
THEIR PIP VALUE (1..10).

A HAND CARD MAY CAPTURE TWO OR MORE SINGLE CARDS WHICH TOTAL THE SAME AS THE
HAND CARD, FOR EXAMPLE, A 9-SPOT MAY CAPTURE A 2-SPOT, A 3-SPOT, AND A 4-SPOT.

IN STANDARD CASSINO FACE (COURT) CARDS HAVE NO VALUE, SO THEY MAY NOT BE
CAPTURED BY COMBINING, ONLY BY PAIRING.

MULTIPLE CAPTURES:
ALSO, THE SAME HAND CARD MAY BE USED REPEATEDLY TO CAPTURE TABLE CARDS IN THE
SAME TURN.  FOR EXAMPLE, AN 8 MAY CAPTURE ANOTHER 8 AND ALSO TWO 4S AT THE SAME
TIME, OR A 5 MAY CAPTURE THREE OTHER 5'S ON THE TABLE.

BUILDING:
A HAND CARD MAY BE PLAYED ON TOP OF A TABLE CARD WITH THE DECLARATION THAT IT
WILL BE LATER USED FOR A STATED KIND OF CAPTURE; THE PLAYER MUST HAVE THE CARD
NEEDED FOR THE CAPTURE IN-HAND AT THE TIME OF THE BUILD, AND ON HIS NEXT TURN
HE IS NOT PERMITTED TO TRAIL.  ONLY ONE TABLE CARD AT A TIME MAY BE USED TO
CREATE A BUILD.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE IS A 3 ON THE TABLE, A PLAYER CAN ADD A 5 FROM HIS HAND
AND STACK THEM UP ON THE TABLE AS AN "8" (DECLARED OR META VALUE), BUT ONLY IF
HE HAS ANOTHER 8 IN-HAND AT THE TIME.  ON THE NEXT TURN HE IS NOT PERMITTED TO
TRAIL, BUT IF HE TRIES IT ANYWAY THEN THE TRAILED CARD IS LEFT ON THE TABLE AND
HE HAS TO STAND-OUT ON THE NEXT TURN.  IF A PLAYER DECLARES A BUILD WHEN HE
DOESN'T HAVE THE CARD NEEDED TO CAPTURE IT IN-HAND, THEN ONE POINT IS ADDED TO
EACH OPPONENT'S SCORE.

NOTE THAT A BUILD CAN NEVER BE CAPTURED BY COMBINING, ONLY BY PAIRING A HAND
CARD WITH ITS DECLARED VALUE.  A CARD THAT IS USED TO CAPTURE A BUILD CAN GO
ON AND CAPTURE OTHER BUILDS OR FREE (NOT PART OF BUILD) TABLE CARDS VIA PAIRING
OR COMBINING.

INCREASING:
A PLAYER MAY INCREASE A PREVIOUS BUILD WITH A SINGLE HAND CARD NO MATTER WHO
MADE IT.  FOR EXAMPLE, A BUILD OF 9 MIGHT BE INCREASED TO 10 BY PLAYING AN ACE
ON TOP OF IT.  LIKE WITH ANY BUILD THE PLAYER ANNOUNCING THE BUILD MUST HAVE
THE NECESSARY CARD TO CAPTURE THE BUILD IN-HAND AT THE TIME.  NOTE THAT NO
BUILD CAN BE INCREASED BEYOND 10 IN STANDARD CASSINO, BUT IN THE VARIANT KNOWN
AS ROYAL CASSINO THE COURT CARDS ARE GIVEN VALUES 11 THRU 13 WHEN USED IN
BUILDS, AND THE ACE CAN COUNT AS 1 OR 14 AT WILL.

DUPLICATING:
ANY BUILD THAT CONTAINS 2 SETS OF CARDS EACH ADDING UP TO THE BUILD VALUE IS
CALLED A DUPLICATE BUILD.  THIS KIND OF BUILD CAN NEVER BE INCREASED.  EVEN
TWO 3S ARE CONSIDERED A DUPLICATE BUILD IF THE BUILD VALUE IS 3.  A PLAYER
MAY TAKE A CARD FROM HIS HAND, COMBINE IT WITH A FREE CARD ON THE TABLE,
AND PUT IT ON TOP OF AN EXISTING BUILD, IF IT DUPLICATES THAT BUILD.

TRAILING:
A PLAYER WHO CAN BUILD OR INCREASE DOESN'T HAVE TO, HE MAY TRAIL, EXCEPT IF
THERE IS A BUILD MADE OR INCREASED BY HIMSELF ON THE LAST TURN STILL ON THE
TABLE.

SWEEPING THE BOARD:
IF A PLAYER CAPTURES ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE IN ONE TURN HE IS SAID TO
SWEEP THE BOARD, SCORING 1 POINT.  IN REAL PLAY THE CAPTURING CARD IS ALWAYS
LEFT FACE-UP IN THE WIN PILE TO REMEMBER THAT IT GETS A BONUS OF 1 POINT FOR ITS
VALIANT SERVICE.  MANY TIMES A SWEEP IS MADE JUST BY CAPTURING THE LONE CARD
ON THE TABLE; SO STRATEGY REQUIRES LEAVING LONE CARDS AS SELDOM AS POSSIBLE
EXCEPT IF IT CAN BE DEDUCED WHAT'S IN THE OTHER PLAYER'S HAND.

END PLAY:
AFTER ALL CARDS HAVE BEEN PLAYED, THE LAST PLAYER TO CAPTURE FROM THE TABLE
TAKES ALL THE CARDS LEFT ON THE TABLE.  THE LAST CARD PLAYED CAN SWEEP, BUT
THE BONUS CARDS ARE NOT COUNTED AS A SWEEP PER SE.

WINNER (GAME POINT, MATCH POINT):
GAME IS EITHER 11-UP OR 21-UP, THAT IS, THE FIRST PLAYER TO REACH 11 OR 21
POINTS WINS.

IF MORE THAN ONE PLAYER REACHES GAME POINT, THE GREATER SCORE WINS.

IN CASE OF A TIE GAME, AT 11-UP THERE IS NO WINNER, BUT AT 21-UP TIEBREAKERS
ARE USED.  IN ORDER, THEY ARE: MOST CARDS CAPTURED, MOST SPADES CAPTURED.

IN 11-UP, THE WINNER'S POINT TOTAL IS THEN DOUBLED IF IT WAS REACHED IN 2
DEALS, OR QUADRUPLED IF REACHED IN 1.

THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORES IS THEN ADDED INTO MATCH SCORE.  MATCH POINT CAN BE
SET BEFOREHAND TO ANYTHING FROM GAME POINT TO 1000.

***GAME OPTIONS****
GAME POINT: CAN BE VARIED FROM 11 TO 99 OR 0.  0 MEANS EACH HAND IS A GAME.

DRAW CASSINO: INSTEAD OF DEALING 4 EVERY 4 TURNS, EACH PLAYER DRAWS 1 CARD
FROM THE DECK AFTER EACH TURN.

NO MULTI-CAPTURES: PROHIBIT MULTIPLE CAPTURES WITH ONE HAND CARD.

NO SWEEP POINTS: FOR 2-HANDED PLAY MANY THINK SWEEP POINTS ARE TOO MUCH.

VARIANTS OF STANDARD CASSINO (MUTUALLY-EXCLUSIVE):

ROYAL CASSINO:
THE JACK, QUEEN, KING COUNT 11, 12, 13 FOR COMBINING PURPOSES.  AN ACE MAY
BE COUNTED AS 1 OR 14 AT WILL.

CALLABRA:
ROYAL CASSINO WITH NO BUILDING, WHERE THE ONLY SCORING POINTS ARE NUMBER OF
CARDS CAPTURED.  GAME ENDS IMMEDIATELY WHEN ONE PLAYER HAS CAPTURED THE
MAJORITY OF CARDS.  THERE ARE NO TIEBREAKERS.

PISHTI (TURKISH) CASSINO:
THERE IS NO BUILDING, AND A JACK SWEEPS THE BOARD SCORING A BONUS POINT.
MOST CARDS AND BIG CASSINO BOTH SCORE 3 POINTS, LITTLE CASSINO SCORES 2.

SPADE CASSINO:
ONE SPADE IS SCORED FOR EACH SPADE CAPTURED, NOT FOR THE MOST SPADES.  AN
ADDITIONAL POINT IS GIVEN FOR JACK OF SPADES.

DRY CASSINO:
THE TABLE CARDS ARE KEPT FACE UP IN A SINGLE PILE.  IF A PLAYER CAPTURES THE
TOP CARD IN THE PILE HE CAPTURES THE WHOLE PILE.  A JACK CAPTURES THE PILE
UNCONDITIONALLY.  A PLAYER CAPTURING A 1-CARD PILE GETS 10 POINTS FOR A 'DRY
TRICK' (WE COUNT IT AS 10 SWEEPS).  THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO BUILDING OR
COMBINING. SCORING IS 3 FOR MOST CARDS, 3 FOR MOST SPADES, 2 FOR BIG CASSINO,
1 FOR LITTLE CASSINO, AND 1 FOR EACH JACK.  THE INITIAL DEAL IS 6 CARDS EACH,
4 TO THE TABLE.  AFTER THE PLAYERS' CARDS ARE EXHAUSTED, 6 MORE ARE DEALT,
INCLUDING 4 MORE TO THE TABLE.

LADIES' CASSINO (NO OFFENSE, PATRICIA SCHROEDER - HA HA):
AS IN DRY CASSINO, EXCEPT THAT ALL FACE CARDS HAVE NUMERICAL VALUE 10 FOR
COMBINING PURPOSES, AND TABLE CARDS ARE NOT KEPT IN A SINGLE PILE SO PAIRING
AND COMBINING ARE ALLOWED, BUT NOT BUILDING.

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
    F6       POP-UP A SCORESHEET DISPLAY.  THIS IS CHEATING, SINCE IN REAL
             PLAY THEY PENALIZE YOU FOR EVEN TRYING TO SEE HOW MANY CARDS
             ARE IN THE WIN PILE.  BUT, YOU'RE THE MASTER HERE!
    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: >CASSINO MS

NOTES ON STRATEGY:

LEARN HOW TO ADD (HA HA).

OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T WANT TO TRAIL ACES AND CASSINOS, RATHER, COURT CARDS IF
POSSIBLE.

TRY TO CAPTURE AS MANY CARDS AS POSSIBLE OF COURSE, BUT PREFER SPADES WHEN
AVAILABLE, IN BUILDS OR BY PAIRING.

TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE CASSINOS AND ACES AND SPADES, THE BEST PLAYERS HAVE
GOOD MEMORIES FOR THEM.

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