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- C R I B B A G E 1 2 8
-
- by Robert B. Cook
-
- CRIBBAGE 128 is an easy to use, electronic version of the popular card
- game. The rules are not TOO complicated so I'll list them before I go into
- the workings of the program, but don't expect to become an expert just
- because you know the rules. It takes some sailors two or three trips across
- the equator to learn a good strategy, then some swabby who doesn't know a
- poopdeck from a fo'c'stle comes along and hoists their jibs. But don't
- worry if you're a landlubber, Cribbage can be enjoyed by anyone, and with
- this program, you don't even need to have a partner.
-
- THE RULES OF CRIBBAGE
-
- A regular 52-card deck is used. The object is to score a certain
- number of points before your opponent does. In CRIBBAGE 128 the number of
- points is 61, 91 or 121. This is decided before play begins. Usually a
- Cribbage board is used to keep score, but we'll let the computer do it for
- us. Two, three or four players may play, but CRIBBAGE 128 is for two
- players, you against the computer. The following rules refer to the
- two-player game only.
-
- The deck is cut to determine who is the dealer. Six cards are dealt,
- face-down, to each player. Each player then decides which two of his six
- cards he wants to discard into the "crib". The crib belongs to the dealer,
- and is set aside, face-down.
-
- The top card of the deck (called the "starter" card) is turned over and
- placed on the deck. If it's a Jack, the dealer gets 2 points for "His Nobs"
- or "His Nibs".
-
- All cards are counted at face value, except face cards, which all count
- as 10's. Aces are counted as 1's. The non-dealer begins by playing a card
- from his hand to the table in from of him and calling out the value. The
- dealer then plays a card to the table in front of him and calls out the
- value of his card PLUS the non-dealer's card.
-
- Play alternates like this until the value of the cards reaches 31, or
- until neither player can play a card without the total exceeding 31. If one
- player can't play a card, he says "Go" (passes) and the other player plays,
- if he can. He must continue to play until he, too, cannot play without
- exceeding 31.
-
- If a player plays a card that brings the total to exactly 31, he says
- "31" and gets 2 points. If neither player achieves an exact 31, the last
- player to play says "Go" and scores 1 point.
-
- If either player has any cards left, the play starts again, with the
- value of the stack starting at 0. This second round is played the same as
- the first. If either player still has cards left, a third round may be
- necessary.
-
- Whoever plays the last card gets 1 point, unless the last play brings
- the score to exactly 31. In that case, he gets 2 points -- not 3. The
- single point for the last card of a hand is not awarded if the last play
- makes a 31.
-
- Now the hands are counted. The hands consist of the four cards lying
- in front of each player, with the dealer having an extra hand, the crib.
- The non-dealer counts his points first, then the dealer counts his, then the
- dealer counts the crib. This order is important since the non-dealer has
- the chance of winning the game before the dealer gets to count his points.
-
- The game continues until one player reaches the agreed-upon point goal
- of the game (61, 91 or 121).
-
- SCORING DURING THE PLAY
-
- - As described above, 1 point for a "Go" and 2 points for a "31".
-
- - In addition, if a player plays a card that makes the total exactly 15, he
- gets 2 points.
-
- - Playing a card of the same rank as the previously played card scores 2
- points. This is called a "Pair". Face cards, even though they all count as
- 10's, must be the same rank. Only a King pairs up with a King, in other
- words.
-
- - If a player immediately plays a third card of the same rank, he gets 6
- points. This is called a "Triplet" or "Pairs Royal".
-
- - Four-in-a-row merits 12 points. This is called a "Quadruplet" or "Double
- Pairs Royal".
-
- - If a player plays a card that, when considered with the two previous
- plays, forms a sequence, he gets 3 points. The sequence need not be in
- order. If a 6 is played, then an 8, then a 7, the player who plays the 7
- gets 3 points. The face cards, as far as sequences are concerned, count as
- themselves, not 10's. 9, 10 and Jack count as a sequence -- 9, 10 and Queen
- do not.
-
- - Any subsequent addition to a sequence scores 1 point for each card. A
- four-card sequence scores 4 points. A five-card sequence scores 5. An Ace
- is a 1 and does not form a sequence with a King. Suits are not relevant in
- forming sequences. Note that a four-card sequence need not follow a
- three-card sequence. Say a 6 is played, then an 8, then a 9. No sequence,
- right? But if the next card is a 7, that player gets a four-card sequence.
- It's like filling an inside straight.
-
- - Flushes (cards of the same suit) don't count in the play of the game.
-
- SCORING AFTER THE PLAY
-
- - The "starter" card is counted by both players, as if it's in his hand.
- The non-dealer begins by counting up all of the combinations he can find in
- his hand. Then the dealer counts the combinations in his hand, and finally,
- counts the combinations in the crib.
-
- - Points in the hands can be made by 15's, pairs, triplets, quadruplets,
- sequences, flushes, and by having the Jack of the same suit as the "starter"
- card.
-
- 15's - Every combination that adds up to 15 counts 2 points. Two face
- cards and a 5 count as two 15's and merits 4 points.
-
- Pairs - Each pair counts 2 points.
-
- Triplets - Each triplet counts 6 points. Note that a triplet
- supersedes pairs. The count for the triplet IS the count of all of the pair
- combinations. Don't count pairs AND triplets.
-
- Quadruplets - Each quadruplet counts 12 points. Note that a quadruplet
- supersedes triplets and pairs.
-
- Sequences - This can get complicated so you may want to check out a
- Hoyle's Book of Card Games to get the full story. Basically, you get a
- point for every card in a sequence. However, say your hand has two 4's, a 5
- and a 6. You get 6 points for sequences. 3 for one 4-5-6, and 3 for the
- other 4-5-6. This does not count the 2 points you'd get for the pair. If
- you had 3, 4, 4, 5, 5 in your hand you'd get 16 total points -- 12 for the
- sequences and 4 for the pairs.
-
- Flushes - Four cards of the same suit count for 4 points. Counting the
- starter card, a player may have five cards of the same suit. This counts as
- 5 points. However, in order for the dealer to make a flush with the crib,
- the suit of the crib must match the suit of the starter card.
-
- His Nobs - As mentioned above, having the Jack of the same suit as the
- starter card in the crib or in a player's hand scores 1 point.
-
- NOTE: In playing Cribbage among humans, there are all sorts of penalty
- rules that allow scoring for mistakes, misdeals, miscounts, and the like,
- but in CRIBBAGE 128 these are ignored (except for MUGGINS, which is
- explained below). Let's face it, the C-64 won't make a misdeal or miscount
- and it isn't fair to penalize you for being human.
-
- It is recommended that you count points in this order:
-
- 15's - Sequences - Flushes - Pairs (or Triplets or Quadruplets)
- and finally, His Nobs.
-
- ANOTHER NOTE: The above instructions were written by a novice Cribbage
- player, me, and taken from a good book by Douglas Anderson called ALL ABOUT
- CRIBBAGE, (1971 - Winchester Press).
-
- a Now that you are familiar with the rules of Cribbage, the following
- explains how the program works.
-
- The first thing you're asked to do is cut the deck for the deal. Move
- the joystick (port 2), up or down or press the 8 or 2 key to cut the deck
- low, in the middle or high, then press FIRE or RETURN. The winner of the
- deal will be shown under the cards. In the case of a tie, cut again.
- Whenever you see 'press the button', you're being prompted to press FIRE or
- RETURN.
-
- Next, choose the number of points necessary to win the game, 61, 91 or
- 121. Again, move the joystick up or down or press key 8 or 2 to the score
- of your choice then press FIRE or RETURN.
-
- Six cards will be dealt to you and six to the computer, then the
- computer will check its hand for the best combinations. This will be
- obvious by the 'thinking....' sign and the thinking sound. If, after
- deciding on your best hand, the computer is still 'thinking....', you can
- press the decimal point to place the computer into the fast mode, which will
- blank the screen.
-
- After the computer has chosen its best hand and discarded, you'll be
- asked to discard two cards to the crib. Move the joystick left or right (or
- press 4 or 5) to move the sprite highlight to each card then press FIRE or
- RETURN to discard that card.
-
- You'll be prompted when it's your turn to play a card. Cards are
- played in the same manner as discarding to the crib. The computer keeps
- track of the card count and displays the current total in the lower right
- box. If you can't play a card, press the joystick UP and then press FIRE or
- press '0' to GO. The computer checks your hand for the possibility of
- playing a card but won't automatically give you a GO, you have to decide
- that for yourself. If you try to play a card that will bring the total to
- more than 31 or not play a card when you are able to, you'll receive an
- error message.
-
- Robert has added a "MUGGINS" feature to the game, which you may or may
- not use. If you choose to use MUGGINS, the computer will ask you to count
- your points and enter the number. If you miscount too HIGH, the computer
- will ask you to count again. If you count too LOW, the computer will give
- you the points you enter, but will add the difference to his own score!
- This is a human way of making you add your score correctly. Or else.
-
- About the program: You may notice something a little strange about the
- listing, many of the GOSUBs and GOTOs seem to have labels. Commodore BASIC
- has a programming peculiarity; when returning from a GOSUB it looks for a
- colon, or if none is found, a new line. This allows you to place a
- label-like tag after a GOSUB that will be ignored by BASIC, resulting in a
- program that's much easier to read. Bob's been using this method for quite
- a while and reports that he's never experienced a problem. The only hitch I
- found was that Abacus' BASIC 128 Compiler doesn't like it. If you want to
- compile this program, you'll have to get rid of the REMless comments, or put
- REMs in front of them.
-
- There is no Quit key in this game, except at the end. The simplest way
- to get back to LOADSTAR 128 before a game is over is to reset your computer.
-
- FT
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