Copyright: ® G.M.McKay


Contents
Euchre From Special K

This is the help file for Euchre From Special K.   Click on one of the topics below to learn more about each.   Alternately, you can use the above search button to find a topic.

•	   Computer requirements

•	   Distribution

•	   Run this game

•	   Let's start playing

•	   The game of euchre From Special K

•	   The rules of euchre

•	   Installing euchre from Special K

•	   What version is this?

•	   Registration Incentives

•	   Print the Registration Form


 Author

Euchre from Special K

This game is a classic!    Please contact me if you need any help, or you have suggestions.

This program is © 1999-2000 G.M.McKay  All rights reserved.


Computer requirements (def.)
      Any 486, pentium or better IBM compatible computer will successfully run this game as long as it can run Windows 95 and has over 8 Mb of memory. It  will  use any sound driver that your Windows has fitted (ie. a sound card or PC speaker driver).   A mouse is preferable (as with all  Windows activities), but this is not a requirement.  It works best if Windows has a standard screen resolution, such as 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, or 1280x1024.   However, it can accommodate any resolution.


Distribution

       This copyrighted game is distributed under the SHAREWARE system which depends upon your support for on-going development.   You are encouraged to freely copy and distribute this product unaltered to  friends,  business associates, bulletin boards and user groups.   HOWEVER THIS  PRODUCT IS NOT FREE!   You have an evaluation period of two weeks.  If you decide you do not like the game, simply pass the disk along to someone else.   If you are still using euchre From Special K after two weeks  of  evaluation, you are obligated to send a minimum payment of $28.   If the future of low-cost quality software is to continue, we all must support this concept.   If you  cheat on this payment may you be constantly finessed.

       When you register, you get lots of goodies, as well as that warm fuzzyfeeling that only comes from the knowledge that you are more saintly than the scum around you.   Click here to find out all about the goodies.

If you registered a previous version that gave you life time registrations (like this one does), simply setup this Shareware program on top of the previous one (ie into the same directory).  It will become registered.   DO NOT delete the previous version.


Playing the game

These options are available on the Main Menu Screen.   Click on one to learn more about it.

•	   Start Game

•	   Basic Rules

•	   Rule Variations

•	   Preferences

•	   Register

•	   Quit


Running it (def.)
       See elsewhere in this file for full details on installing this program (if you are reading this, then chances are that you have already installed it correctly).

       Once the program has been installed, running it is as easy as selecting the icon installed in the START button Programs group.   If  this is too easy, you can also start it by double clicking on EUCHRE.EXE in the File Explorer (naturally you have to find the correct directory if you choose the hard way).


The game

       You can make bids and play cards by clicking the left mouse button on the card or button.   You can also bid and play your own cards with the function keys.

       You can bid with the F1-F6 keys and play the cards with the F1-F5 keys.

       Yet another way of bidding is to use the keys indicated by the underscored letters in their labels, eg bid hearts by pressing H, 'order card up' by pressing r, and pass by pressing P.

The options button shows you the following pop-up menu.

You can also see this menu by right mouse clicking anywhere on the card table.

       You can change the rules or your preferences at any time during a game by choosing the main menu item after the option button.   It also lets you review the Bids made in that hand, Replay the cards played in that hand, or shows you the Score Card with the last 19 scores in your game to date.   These options are also available at the end of a hand, to let you review it.  When you review the cards played in that hand, you can control the speed at which the cards are displayed.   You also get to see everyone's cards.

       To stop playing the game and return to Windows, return to the Main Menu, and press quit.


Keyboard keys

       You can make bids and play cards by clicking the left mouse button on the card or button.   You can also bid and play your own cards with the function keys.

       You can bid with the F1-F6 keys and play the cards with the F1-F5 keys.

       Yet another way of bidding is to use the keys indicated by the underscored letters in their labels, eg bid hearts by pressing H, 'order card up' by pressing r, and pass by pressing P.


Option Button

Pressing the option button exposes a number of menu options.   You can also see these options by clicking with the right mouse button on any part of the screen.

The items in the menu are:


Main Menu (def.)
Return to the main menu to change an option for bidding, playing, or changing your setup preferences, or to exit.


Review Bids (def.)
Review the bids made this hand.   It shows all the bids all the players made.


Review Cards Played (def.)
Review the tricks played during this hand.   You can select the speed of showing the cards, or stop the review, or show previous tricks.   The card of the player who leads for each trick is displayed first.   This might be considered cheating.   You can also see the cards in summary form with the Card Summary option from the menu.


Review Last Trick (def.)
Review the last trick played.   Those people who might consider it cheating to review all the tricks played this hand, will accept the common practice of reviewing the last trick played.


Review Score card (def.)
Review the Score Card.   This shows the scores in the last 19 hands played.   This may help you to see who won, and how many tricks the opposition took.   It shows when games were won or lost.


Save Game (def.)
You can save your current game by clicking on the Save Game Item in the Option Menu.   This saves the current cards, and the scores saved on the score card.   It does not save the games won and lost by each team.   You can select this item from the start of the dealing, right up to the last card being played.   You can use this feature to replay the hand you have just played with different bids, or even different game rules!   Load this same hand with the Load Game menu item.


Card Summary (def.)
As well as seeing the previous cards played this hand with the Review Cards option on the menu, you can see them in summary form with the CARD SUMMARY option on the menu.   This lets you review them quickly.   The person who lead at each round is indicated by a blue dot.


Load Game (def.)
You can load the saved game by clicking on the Load Game Item in the Option Menu.   This will start the saved game from the start of the bidding.   The first bidder is saved with the saved game.


help (def.)
You can see this comprehensive help file if you choose the help option from the Main Menu, or by choosing it from the popup menu by right clicking the card table.


rules
The rules

       EUCHRE is a well loved card game with a number of local rules (which are accommodated here via the rules menu).   It is probably derived from the game Juker which was played in Alsace.   It reached the USA in the early 1800's, and in the 1850's it became the first game to use a Joker.    In 1904 the US Playing Card Co. created a variant called 500.   Since then, its popularity has increased, which resulted in many new euchre variants all over the World.

      The object of the game is to collect a specified number of points and stop your partner from collecting the same points.   The game is played in teams with you and your partner (sitting opposite you) playing against the players sitting facing each other.   Cards are ranked in order of Ace down to 9 (except if you choose to have cards down to 7),  except in the suit that has been designated the TRUMP suit for that hand, in which the  order is - Joker, right bower (the Jack of the trump suit ), left bower (the Jack of the other suit of the same colour), Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, etc.

       The game starts with each player deciding which suit they want as the trump suit, so that they can win at least three tricks (with their partner's help).   Once one suit is chosen, then that becomes the trump suit.   The bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer.   One card is turned up, and that is offered to everyone as the trump suit.   All four players have the chance to pick this suit, starting with the player on the dealer's left.   If any player chooses this suit they "order up" the card, and the dealer has the option of accepting it into his own hand and discarding another card.   If no player wants that suit, the card is turned over and all players are given the chance to choose another suit.   If all players pass, the cards are dealt again (unless you have chosen the "shaft the dealer" option which means that the dealer may not pass the second time.

       A game option is that the dealer's partner may not choose to order up the card into the dealer's hand, but only order it down, ie choose the suit, but play alone.

       Each player can elect to play alone, rather than as partners.   In this case their partner does not play.   An option is that when playing alone your partner can pass their best card to you and you discard before looking at it to accept it.

       Each player plays consecutively in a clockwise direction, with the winner of the last trick leading.   Each player must follow the suit led if they can (otherwise it is called reneging).

       The bidding team scores 1 point for winning 3 or 4 tricks, and 2 points for 5 tricks.   If they win less than 3 tricks the opposing team win 2 points.   You can choose for the opposing team to win a Super Euchre of 4 points if they win all 5 tricks.

The game ends when one side reaches the designated number of points (usually 10 or 11).


Installing It

       Euchre is distributed in a form which makes installation easy for you.    Like all Windows programs, its installation is more complex than DOS programs, but the SETUP.EXE utility takes care of all this for you.    This way, it can ensure that you have the correct Windows System files that it needs to run properly, without you having to do any work.

       After installation, you should have these files in the \Program Files\Euchre From Special K directory -

 	EUCHRE.EXE -  base program

EUCHRE.HLP -  Windows help file

EUCHRE.TXT -  ASCII text help file

 	REGO.FRM   -  user registration form

SCORES.EUC -  game scores and set-up info

GAME.EUC - saved game

*.CRD      -  data files.

       In addition, it will make sure that you have Windows system files in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

       If you received this software from a Bulletin Board or the Internet, it will be compressed into the one file, eg EUCSK22.ZIP.   Before running the installation program you will need to decompress it.   Create a temporary directory, eg C:\EUC_TEMP, and decompress all the files into it.   The software is now ready to install, as if you had bought it on a floppy disk.

       Now start Windows, and run the SETUP.EXE program.   The easiest way of doing this is choose RUN from Windows START button, and type in the drive, directory, and SETUP.EXE name.   Alternatively, you can run it from the File Explorer.

       The installation program prompts you to enter the directory name in which to store the files.   The installation program does NOT interfere with any of your standard set-up eg, AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, *.INI,  path.   It places the icon to start the EUCHRE game in a group called "Euchre From Special K" that it creates in the Programs group on the START button.   If you want, you can easily move this icon to a different group (by the usual method of dragging and dropping).

       If  you created a temporary directory, eg C:\EUC_TEMP,  you can  now remove it.

       The total space that this program takes up on disk is about 2.8 Mbytes.

       If you run Euchre and find that it does not fill the whole screen, the answer is probably the screen resolution that you have chosen for Windows.   You can change this via the Display icon in the Control Panel.   It works best with standard resolutions, such as 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, or 1280x1024.   However it supports most other resolutions.  If it does not fill the whole screen, you can force it to use another - click here to find out more.

Windows 95 also lets you uninstall this program (not that you would ever want to!).


uninstall

If for some strange reason you wanted to remove this program from your computer, you can do this with these steps - Start Menu button, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.   It is often a good idea to remove the existing program if a disk corruption has occurred, and you need to re-install the program.   Removing all existing files makes sure that the setup program does not bypass an existing file that is actually corrupted.   An alternative is to re-install it to a different directory.

Remember, if you want to install a new shareware version over a previous Registered For Life version, so that the new copy becomes registered, you must not uninstall the original copy.


This Version (def.)
VERSION 2.2

       This version of Euchre From Special K is designed for new players as well as experienced players.   It is recognised as the most enjoyable Euchre software game.   It provides support for standard and non standard screen resolutions.


Registering your Shareware

 REGISTRATION :

       If you are still enjoying this game after two weeks you should support the  Shareware concept and register your copy by sending a minimum donation of $28.   For an extra $2 handling I will send you, via email, a registered copy of Euchre From Special K.   Make this $6 handling instead of $2 if you want to receive your programs slower via postal mail, rather than email.

Choose from the following:

- the latest, updated registered version (with even better card playing skills).

- if you want it, for a small extra postage cost, I will include a registered copy of  Bridge Card Game From Special K or  500 Card Game For Windows 95.   The card game of 500 is not as widely played as Bridge, but it deserves to be, being very popular in Australia, USA, Canada, and New Zealand.

       An additional incentive is that you can register this version and have registered versions for life!   With this registered version you receive a key.   Download any future shareware version from the Internet, or any other source, and you can turn it into a registered version!

       Yet another incentive to register is that the registered copy does not make you endure the initial "nuisance" screen when you run it.

   SPECIAL BONUS -  The registered copy also has a much more pleasing picture as the background to the Main Menu (ie. you do not have to see me and my family).  It also allows you to put in YOUR OWN background to this menu, so if you have a pleasing Bit Map Picture, or even a scanned-in picture of yourself, this can be in the background every time you run it.

       You can register by posting the registration form and a check to me, and choose to receive your registered version by mail, or receive it quicker by email (and pay $4.00 less).

       You can also register on line by credit card by visiting my homepage at http://www.dezzanet.net.au/~gmckay or http://www.geocities.com/heartland/forest/8063 or http://members.xoom.com/500cardgame .

       Dealer enquires are welcome.  Corporate licenses are available.

see registration form


Start the game (def.)
    Obviously, you press the top button on the menu to start the game.   You can access this Main Menu at any time during a game, and return to the same game.


Nuisance Screen (def.)
    The Nuisance Screen is shown at the start of this unregistered version to remind you that shareware is not free, and that you should pay for it.   This screen initially has a delay of 10 seconds.   If you have not registered after a month, this delay increase up to 20 seconds over the next month.


Nag Screen (def.)
    The Nag Screen is shown at the start of this unregistered version to remind you that shareware is not free, and that you should pay for it.   This screen initially has a delay of 10 seconds.   If you have not registered after a month, this delay increase up to 20 seconds over the next month.


Basic Rules button (def.)
See here for the generic rules of Euchre.

i)  There are a myriad of local rules for the euchre card game.   This is a consequence of it being so popular among so many societies.   The more common rules are accommodated here.   You can choose to play with 24, 25, 32, or 33 cards.   25 and 33 cards use a Benny, usually represented by the Joker, which becomes the highest trump.

ii)  You can choose what sort of partner to have.   You can have a partner who bids conservatively, standard, or as a cowboy.   This way, your partner's style can match your own.   This affects your opponents as well as your partner.

iii)  Some people play that any person can play alone, and some that only the declarer can play alone.   If any person can play alone you can have the situation where only one player from the declaring side and only one from the defending site play - in this case the defending player leads first.

iv)  You can choose how many points constitute a game.

v)  If the Benny is turned up as the card in the centre (if you are playing with a Benny), you can choose whether it automatically becomes a Heart and bidding continues as normally, or whether the dealer must nominate a suit (before looking at their cards) and wins the bidding.

vi)  If you get a bad hand, you may want to be able to order a re-deal.   Options here are to order a re-deal if you have no face cards (ie Jack, Queen, or King) and one or more Aces, or order a re-deal if you have no face cards or Aces (ie, no Jack, Queen, King, Ace).   The last option is also known as Farmer's Hand.


Rules Variation button

i)  A popular variation of the most common rules is that the dealer's partner is not free to order up the exposed card into his partner's hand during the first round of bidding.   His only options are to pass or to order it down - ie. choose the card as trumps, but play alone.

ii)  If the defending team win all five possible tricks, they may get a hearty well done congratulation, or may be rewarded with a Super Euchre worth four points.

iii)  The person who feels inclined to order up a card to bid a suit, or to simply nominate a suit in the second round of bidding, may be free to do this without encumbrance, or may have to already possess one of the suit in order to do this (you may question why a person would want to do this with none of the suit, but you cannot delve too deeply into your partner's thought processes.

iv)  Any person playing alone, may want the option to receive a card from their partner.   Their partner chooses the card to pass over without help, and the bidder must discard a card (or decline their partner's card) without looking at the card being passed to them.   If your partner is the dealer, you can choose whether they can accept the turned up card before picking their best card to pass to you.

v)  A popular option is to force the dealer to bid if no one has done so by the end of the second round of bidding.   This prevents multiple deals where everyone becomes timid and passes continually.


Preference Options

i)  If you have installed a sound driver in your Windows, you can choose the level of sound you want.   The Full Sound option makes congratulatory noises at every opportunity and calls the bids made, while Part Sound is somewhat more discrete.  Euchre From Special K supports all sound cards that your Windows is set up for.   This includes the standard PC speaker if you have installed a speaker driver.

ii)  You can also set the volume of the sound.   Typically, mixer programs allow you to set the individual components of sound (eg Wave, Midi, Microphone, CD player, etc) as well as the total volume.   You can only set this volume if you have chosen the Full Sound, or Part Sound options.

iii)  When you adjust the colour of the card table, the colour of the background changes instantaneously.   This helps you to choose the colour that you really want.   Remember that if you decide on a dark colour, any black writing will be difficult to read.

       Remember also that Windows can be customised to view different numbers of colours (through the Display icon in the Control Panel).   Many people choose not to show millions of individual colours, but stick to 256.   When an application, like Euchre, tries to show a colour which is not an exact colour, then Windows will dither it.   This means that over the background, it will show a series of dots and crosses to approximate the colour that you chose.   You will quickly find that Windows dithering does not help readability.   If you do not find a card table colour you like, you can always set up Windows to show more colours (and less dithering).

       If you do not like the colour you have chosen - change it to another.

iv)  You can give names to the buddies that you are playing with, or simply leave them as Player 1, 2 & 3, or West, North & East.

v)  You can display tool tips or not.   These show the name of cards and options.

vi)  You can slow down or quicken the game by adjusting the length of time for which the cards are displayed during a hand.   This also affects the time bids are displayed.

vii)  Similarly, you can adjust the speed at which the cards move.   So if you have a slow computer, or are simply in a hurry to get the cards played, you can set this to a fast speed.

viii)  The number of games won and lost are recorded.  Press the reset button to set these game scores back to zero.

ix)  You can change the order in which your cards are displayed in your hand.


Tool Tips (def.)
Tool Tips help you by giving more information about the object that the mouse is pointing to.   They can be turned on or off by the Preferences option on the Main Menu.


Back Ground Picture (def.)
The registered version allows you to install your own picture.   This will be displayed as the background to the main menu.   It is automatically centred.   To use your own picture simply store it in Bit Map format in the directory all the Euchre From Special K files are stored in.   Give it the name BACKGRND.BMP.


Register Option (def.)
       If you have read this far, you know that this enjoyable program is NOT free, but is being distributed as SHAREWARE.   This means that if you continue to use it past a short evaluation period, you must register it.   This option helps you to print out the registration form.   If there is a problem printing through Windows, the form is stored in a file called REGO.FRM in your Euchre directory.   You can print this out manually.

 	You can also use this help file to print it - click here.


Quit Option (def.)
       Press the quit button to see what happens.


Registration Form

   Click here to print out this form.

You can also print the file REGO.FRM manually.

To see details of the incentives to register, click here.

______________________________________________________________

               EUCHRE  From  Special  K

Name:_________________________________________Date:___/___/___

address:______________________________________________________

City:_____________________________State:_______Code:__________

Country:________________________

Version:_2.2_ Email.address:__________________________________

My Copy From:__________________(if the Internet, what site)

Windows ver:  ______________         Floppy: __1.44MB__

Registration .............$----- ($28)

Postage & handling........$----- ($2 for email or $6 for post)

options:

include 500 card game.....$----- ($3 if required)

include Bridge card game..$----- ($3 if required)

                   total  $----- (at least $30 or $34)

Included in the price, please send me: (mark your needs)

______ registered copy of the latest version of EUCHRE.

______ registered copy of 500 CARD GAME FOR WINDOWS 95.

______ registered copy of BRIDGE CARD GAME FROM SPECIAL K.

Send registered version by email or post:  ________

I will be grateful for any suggestions, comments, or information on problems with the game you may have.

_________________________________________________________________________

        SEND THE FORM TO:

                              G.M.McKAY

                               29 Melissa St.

                                Strathmore

                                 Victoria , 3041

                                  Australia

ph 03-9379-7696

fax 03-9311-9141

gmckay@dezzanet.net.au

Garry.McKay@akzonobel.com.au

If you want to register on the Internet and pay by credit card, you can at http://www.getsoftware.com or visit my home page at http://www.dezzanet.net.au/~gmckay or  http://www.geocities.com/heartland/forest/8063 or http://members.xoom.com/500cardgame .


Screen Resolution (def.)
The screen resolution is a measure of how wide and high the screen is.   This resolution is measured in pixels.   It is set in the Display Icon in the Control Panel in Windows 95.   Euchre works best with the standard 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 resolutions, but will scale itself to fit with other resolutions.

Very occasionally, a particular combination of computer and video card does not work well with Euchre at different screen resolutions.   This shows up as the game not fitting on the screen properly.   It may takeup only part of the screen, or only part of the game may be displayed on the screen.   You can fix this by forcing the software to display a particular resolution by including on the command line /RESOLUTION500x400.   Adjust the numbers in the command line to make the game suit your screen.   The command line is set by the properties of the Euchre From Special K shortcut.


Shareware (def.)
Shareware (also known as user supported software and other names) is a concept not understood by everyone.  The authors of Shareware retain all rights to the software under the copyright laws while still allowing free distribution.  This gives the user the chance to freely obtain and try out software to see if it fits his needs.  Shareware should not be confused with Public Domain software.

 If you continue to use Shareware after trying it out, you are expected to register your use with the author and pay a registration fee.   Only by paying for the Shareware you use do you enable the Shareware author to continue to support his software and create new programs.  Considering that the Shareware registration fees are almost always far less than the purchase price of comparable commercial software it's obvious that Shareware is a good deal for everyone.

  There are real advantages to you in the Shareware system.  You get to try out software to make sure it is compatible with your hardware and that it is  a good deal before you "buy" it with your registration. The author saves the expense of advertising, packaging and distribution and passes the savings on to you.  Plus, most Shareware authors are much more accessible than commercial software sources so that your questions and suggestions are likely to be responded to.