Mac500 is a computer version of the popular card game 500. It is a four player game, with you and your computer partner (North) playing against two computer opponents (East and West).
Registration
The registration fee is $10 US, and is good for all future versions of Mac500. You can register easily over the internet or by mail.
If Mac500 is unregistered, each time you run the program, it will quit after 15 minutes of play, and your preferences settings will not be saved. Registered copies will give you unlimited play time, and all preferences settings will be saved, including the scoring history.
Registration is processed by Kagi Software, a payment processing service which will automatically complete your order and provide you with a unique Registration Key. The fastest and most efficient method of registration is via the Internet. You can register online at:
http://order.kagi.com/?27K
One your order is processed, Kagi will send you an e-mail (usually within 4 hours) containing a Registration Key that will unlock all of the features of Mac500.
If you prefer not to order online, you can use the "Register" application included with Mac500. It will accept a variety of payment methods, and you can e-mail, fax, or mail it to Kagi. Once your order is processed by Kagi, they will send you a Registration Key by e-mail (or by mail if you prefer). For more details, see the “Registration Read Me” file.
Game Play
If you are familiar with the rules of 500 you should be able to jump right in and start pointing and clicking. If you are new to the game, you can go to the Preferences Menu and select “Show Suggestions” and Mac500 will show you suggested bids and suggested cards to play.
Bidding
In the bidding rounds, the bids are displayed in the center of the window. When it is your turn to bid, a bidding panel is displayed to the right of your hand. To bid, click on a bid value and a bid suit, then click on the bid button. If a bid is not allowed because of a previous higher bid by a computer player, the buttons will be disabled and dimmed. You can click on the pass button at any time.
When bidding is completed the display moves the trump suit to the right side of your hand, and the bowers are moved to the correct position.
Merging the widow into your hand
If you win the bid, the display shows the widow merged into your hand with the cards from the widow raised. You can toggle any of the cards up and down until you have all of the cards that you want to discard in the raised position. You can then click on the discard button. The discard button is disabled if you do not have the correct number of cards raised.
Preferences
Mac500 gives you the option of selecting several preferences:
Rules
There are many variations of the rules of 500 as played around the world. Mac500 gives you choices to play some of the most popular variations. The Rules panel of the Preferences Window gives you the following options:
• 45 card deck or 43 card deck
With the 45 card option the deck consists of the ace through four of each suit, plus a Joker. Ten cards are dealt to each player, and there is a five card widow.
With the 43 card option the four of spades and the four of clubs are also removed from the deck, and there is a three card widow.
Bidding Rounds
• One bidding round option
The bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer. (The dealer is selected randomly when the program starts, and the deal is passed to the left on each subsequent hand. The dealer is indicated by an underline under his or her name.) Each player bids only once, and the highest bid wins. If everyone passes, the hand is redealt.
• Multiple bidding rounds option
The bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer and continues around until all but one player has passed. Once a player has passed, he or she may not bid again.
• Allow winning bidder to raise own bid option
If this option is checked, the winning bidder may elect to raise his or her own bid. If you are the winning bidder, the bidding panel will come up one more time, and you can enter a higher bid or click on pass to stay with your current bid. This option is available only when multiple bidding rounds is selected.
• Play six bids option
When this option is checked, all winning bids are played. (Six is the lowest allowable bid.) When the option is unchecked, seven bids are the lowest bids played. If the winning bid is a six bid, the hand is redealt.
Players Options
You can give any name you want to the four players, and you can adjust the bidding styles of the computer players.
If the bidding style of a player is set to timid, the player will win fewer bids, but will make a greater percentage of the bids he or she takes. On the bold setting the player will win more bids, but will get set more often.
History
The history panel shows the wins and losses from the date the program was first registered or from the date the reset button was clicked.
Show Suggestions Option
The suggested bids are the same as a computer player would make when his or her bidding style is set to normal. If you are using multiple rounds of bidding, the suggested bid is the highest bid that is recommended, and you may want to start with a lower bid. Also, the suggestion does not take into account what bids may have already been made. If a higher bid has already been made, the recommendation is that you pass.
When merging the widow into your hand, gold arrows indicate the cards suggested to be discarded.
During play, a gold arrow points to the card suggested to be played.
You are, of course, free to disregard any suggestions.
Version Information
Version 1.1 makes some improvements in the play of the computer players, adds the option allowing the winning bidder to raise his or her own bid, and fixes some bugs in the suggestions routines.
Version 1.0.1 increases the minimum and preferred memory setting in the program's Get Info window to correct some display problems that were occuring on some systems with version 1.0. Mac500 uses less memory if you have your monitor set to thousands of colors rather than millions of colors. If you wish to keep your monitor set to millions, you may need to allocate more memory to Mac500 in the program's Get Info window in the Finder.
Contact Information
If you have questions or comments, contact the author at:
daveris@mac.com
David J. Risvold
5582 Meister Rd.
Fridley, MN 55432
USA
The web site for Mac500 is: http://homepage.mac.com/daveris/mac500.html
This software may be distributed via the Internet archives, online services, user groups, BBSs, and informal transfers between friends. Any other means of distribution, such as including it on a CD-ROM, bundling it with a book or magazine, or selling it in a commercial shareware/public domain software collection, requires the consent of the author. Whenever this software is distributed, it must be distributed unaltered and as a complete package, including the Read Me files and the Register program.
Use this software at your own risk. The author of this software makes no claims as to the fitness of this software. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
DAVID J. RISVOLD DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
