




                       *** Four-Handed Euchre For Windows ***
                                   Version 1.0
                                Copyright (c) 1995
                                  David W. Feltz
        
        SHAREWARE TERMS OF FOUR-HANDED EUCHRE
             Four-Handed   Euchre is being  distributed  as  SHAREWARE.  
        It may   be  copied   and  distributed  freely,  so long  as  no 
	money is charged. Organizations in the  business  of distributing 
	SHAREWARE programs may charge a fee to  cover distribution  
	costs. 
             Please  feel free to give unmodified copies  of  Four-Handed
        Euchre, to  friends, relatives, and co-workers. They too may enjoy
	the opportunity to try it out!
        
        RUNNING THE PROGRAM
             Four-Handed Euchre is a program which requires MicroSoft
	Windows version 3.1 or higher. VGA display is also required.
	A mouse is recomended but is not required.
	     A game is started by selecting Game from the program's main
	menu. Then select New and enter your first name. If you want to
	cancel a game in progress, this can be accomplished by selecting
	Game the Cancel. 
	     Certain game options can be configured by selecting Game then 
	Options.  These options  are saved  upon program  exit, so  they
	become the default next time the program is run.

        CARD SELECTION
             Card  selection is done with the mouse by placing the mouse
	cursor over the desired card and pressing the left mouse button. 
	Also, you will notice an arrow pointing down at the first card. 
	This arrow can be moved with  the TAB key or LEFT and RIGHT arrow
	keys until it points at  the desired card. Then press ENTER or 
	SPACEBAR. 
	    
        DEALING THE CARDS
             The  "Human"  player's computer  controlled partner will  be
        the first to deal.  The  deal will  then move to the left on each
        successive hand. The  act  of dealing the cards will be performed
        by the PC, even if it is  the "Human" player's deal. The   dealer
        will  distribute  the  cards  in  a   clockwise direction  start-
        ing with the player on his or her left. In keeping with the rules
        of  the  game,  each player will receive three  cards,  then  two
        cards.  After  each player has all five cards, the   dealer  will
        turn  one  card  up in the middle of the  screen.   The   "Human"
        player's cards are face up at the bottom of the screen and his or
        her partner's cards are at the top of the screen. The  opponents'
        cards are on the left and right of the screen. The  game  will be
        played by the rules  of  Euchre (described below).  The  computer
        generated  players  will  NOT renege (cheat)   and   the  "Human"
        participant will not be permitted to renege. If the human  player
        tries to renege, a dialog box will popup and say "You must follow
        suit".  Simply  press  the enter key or space bar  or  click  the
        "OK" button with the mouse to resume play.
             When the game is over, a dialog box will appear stating that
        the game is over. It asks if the player would like another  game.
        If  the answer is no, the program exits to DOS. If the answer  is
        yes, a new game will begin.
        
        GAME INFORMATION
             The  computer  players  "talk" to the user  though  a  popup
        dialog  box  which appears over their cards. How  long  this  box
        remains visable depends on the selected game speed. Also if you have
	a sound card & speakers and Voices are turned on in the options 
	dialog box (select Game then Options from the main menu), the 
	computer controlled players will actually speak. The volume is
	controlled by the sound card volume control in windows. 
             The  game  score (tricks taken and points scored)  are  dis-
        played  at  the upper left and upper right portions of  the  game
        screen.  The  name of the player who dealt and the  name  of  the
        player  who  lead  is displayed at the bottom left  of  the  game
        screen.  Trump suit and the player name who made that suit  trump
        is displayed at the bottom right of the game screen.
        
        RULES OF EUCHRE
             Euchre  is a card game usually played by four people with  a
        pack  of  cards  consisting  of nines through aces. The cards are
        ranked downward  with the jack of trump suit (called right bower)
        as  the  highest  card. The jack of the same color as  the  trump
        suit (called left  bower) is  the second highest card and is also
        considered a trump  card. The remaining cards are ranked from the
        ace down.
             The cards are dealt to each player, three on the first round
        and  two on the second. After the last card is dealt, the  dealer
        places the next card face up to indicate the trump suit. Starting
        with  the player to the left of the dealer, each player  in  turn
        has  the  option of accepting or passing the trump suit.  If  the
        player  accepting the trump suit is not the dealer,  that  player
        orders the card up. If the player accepting is the dealer, he  or
        she  picks  the card up. No matter who makes trumps,  the  dealer
        must  place the card that is turned up into his or her  hand  and
        discard one card in exchange for it. If all the players pass  the
        trump,  it is turned down, and each player in turn may  make  the
        suit, that is, call another suit trump, or may pass again. If all
        players pass the second time, the hand is abandoned and the  deal
        moves to the left. A player making trump may go alone without the
        aid  of his or her  partner.  The  partner will give  the  player
        the   best   card he  or she has available and  the  player  will
        discard one card  in exchange  for it.  This  "Pass Best"  is  an 
	option  which  can  be turned  on  or  off by selection Game then
	Options	from the program's main menu. As  soon as a player  makes
        trump, the player  to the  left of the dealer leads. Each  player
        must  play a  card.  If the player has cards of the same suit  as
        that led, that suit must be played. Please note, the jack of  the
        same color as trump (left bower) is played as if it had the  same
        suit  as trump. Failure  to follow  suit is called  reneging  and
        will  not be allowed.  If  the player doesn't have cards  of  the
        same  suit  as  that led, any  card may be  played,  including  a
        trump.
             Tricks  are taken by the highest card of the suit led or  by
        the  highest trump. Cards that are not trump or the same suit  as
        that  led, can never take a trick. The player who took the  trick
        then  becomes the lead. Play continues until all cards have  been
        played.
             The object of the game is for the team making trump to  take
        three or four tricks, which would score them 1 point. Taking five
        tricks would score them two points, unless the player went alone,
        which  would  score four points. Failure to take at  least  three
        tricks  is  referred to as being euchred and scores  the    oppo-
        nent team two points. The game is played to ten points. The  team
        who reaches ten points wins.



