CASINO
version 2.1, by Ernst and Richard Munter, copyright Dec 31, 2000, 2002.
Download at www.richardmunter.com

This software is distributed as freeware.  You can freely download and play it as long as you do not modify any part of it, misrepresent the game authorship, or sell it.  This software is provided as is with no warranty.  Use at your own risk.  

If you have questions, comments, or bug reports, please send them to rickrunningman393@hotmail.com.

CONTENTS
------------------------------------

a. rules of Casino
b. scoring
c. how to play the computer game
d. hints and tips



A. RULES OF CASINO
------------------------------------

Casino is a game for 2, 3 or 4 players using a regular deck of 52 cards.  This computerised version is for one person playing against a computer opponent.

To start the game, each player is dealt 4 cards and 4 cards are dealt face up on the table (these cards are called the tableau).  Play proceeds clockwise with everyone playing a card until nobody has any cards remaining.  Another four cards are then dealt to each player.  A round is finished once all 52 cards have been dealt and played in sets of four.

At the end of the round, the points are counted and recorded.  The game is over once a player reaches 21 points; this usually takes three or four rounds.

You may have up to four options on any turn.  You may: Put, Take, Build, or Block.

PUT:  When you Put, you are discarding a card into a free space in the tableau.  If there are no free spaces then the card is added to your own Capture Pile (all the cards you have taken - see below).

TAKE:  You can remove a card from the tableau if it matches one in your hand.  Both cards then go to your Capture Pile (the cards you have taken).  For two cards to match they must have the same value regardless of suit.  If several cards add up to the value of a card in your hand then they also match and can be taken.  For example: a 10 can match any other 10 or any combination of cards that add up to ten (e.g. 2 plus 8, 3 plus 7, 2 plus 3 plus 5, etc.).

The face cards have these values: Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, Kings are 13, and Aces are 14 OR 1.

In the same turn, you can take cards that match and cards that add up to the value of the card in your hand.  Only by taking do you add cards to your Capture Pile and have the opportunity to get points.

BUILD and BLOCK:  The purpose of building and blocking is to reserve cards to take later.  In both cases you place a card from your hand on one in the tableau.  This creates a pile that can only be taken by a specific rank of card.  You can only construct a build or a block if you have a card in the hand that could take the new pile;  however, you are not required to take your own builds and blocks.

When building, the pile can only be taken by a card that equals the sum of the cards in the pile.  For example: you are holding a 3 and a King. You could place the 3 on a 10 in the tableau to make a build worth 13 (the value of a King).  Builds can be taken singly or in combination with other cards.  A build pile can be further extended (built upon) by any player.  A build pile of rank ACE always counts 14, and cannot be built further.

When blocking, the cards in the pile must have the same value and can only be taken by a card with the same value. For example: you have two 7's in the hand and there is a 7 in the tableau.  You have the option to block a 7 onto the 7 in the tableau.  The only card that can take the 7-7 block is one of the remaining 7's.  Note that an Ace cannot take this block since the value of the block is 7 and not 14. A block cannot be taken in combination with other ranks of cards, and cannot be built upon.



B. SCORING
------------------------------------

Your score is calculated on the basis of the cards in your Capture Pile.  You earn points for having Aces, the 10 of diamonds, or the 2 of spades.  Points are also gained by collecting over half the spades or over half the cards.  If a player removes all the cards from the tableau, this is called a sweep and is worth one point.

Players can gain points as follows:

	Each Ace                        	1 point
	The 2 of spades                 	1 point
	The 10 of diamonds			2 points
	Twenty-seven or more cards		3 points
	Seven or more spades            	1 point
	Each sweep                      	1 point

EXAMPLE:  The following situation illustrates all of your options.  You have a 2, 2, a Queen and an Ace in the hand.  The tableau contains the 2 of spades, a 5-7 build, and a Jack.

You could PUT any one of your cards on the table.  This would be a wasted move since you can take.

You have four opportunities to TAKE.  You could match either 2 in the hand with the 2 of spades on the table.  You would immediately earn 1 point for adding the 2 of spades to your Capture Pile.  You could match your Queen with the 5-7 build (summing to 12) and take all three cards; however, you would earn no points.  You could also use the Ace to take the 2 of spades and the 5-7 build since these together add to 14.  You would earn 2 points: 1 for the 2 of spades and 1 for the Ace.

You could BUILD the Ace onto the Jack since the pile sums to 12 (1 plus 11).  This would earn no points on this turn but you could take this pile on the next turn using the Queen and gain 1 point for the Ace.

A final option would be to BLOCK a 2 onto the 2 of spades in the tableau.  You could earn 1 point for the 2 of spades on the next turn by taking the 2-2 block with the remaining 2 in your hand.

Your best option is to take the 2 of spades and 5-7 build with the Ace since you immediately gain 2 points.



C. HOW TO  PLAY THE COMPUTER GAME
------------------------------------

i. Playing a game

After starting Casino, select New Game from the File Menu.  A dialog box appears, allowing you to choose the settings for your game (including player names, card backs, delay/speed (9 is slowest), and whether animation and sound are enabled).  Once you hit OK, a new game will start.  At any time, you can select Game Settings from the File menu to change the card back, speed, animation, and sound options.  You will need to start a new game if you wish to change your player name.

Your cards appear in the top-left corner of the screen.  Your opponent's cards appear in the top-right corner.  The tableau (the cards available to both players) appears in the center of the screen.  The cards you have taken (Capture Pile) appear at the bottom-left of the screen and the cards your opponent has taken appear at the bottom-right.

At the top-centre of the screen appears the breakdown of points you and your opponent have collected in this round.  Press the 'HINT' button above this score sheet to have the computer suggest a move for you.

At the bottom-centre of the screen is a long grey button - press this to display a list of the remaining cards.  Press this button again to hide the display.

Casino is played by clicking on the card(s) in the tableau and then on the card in your hand.  To Put, simply click on the card in your hand and it will float to the tableau.  To Take, Build or Block, first click on the card(s) in the tableau and then click on the card in your hand.

If you have multiple options (such as Take and Block) or you have made a mistake then a window will open explaining your choices.

A tag appears on builds and blocks indicating the card required to take the pile.

If you try to Put a card on the table but there is no room, this card will be automatically placed in your Capture Pile.  A message will appear informing you of this.

Once all 52 cards have been dealt, the last person to take cards gets any cards remaining in the tableau.  These are automatically moved to that player's Capture Pile.  If neither player has reached 21 points after all 52 cards have been played, then you will be prompted whether you want to continue playing.  Hit OK and the computer will deal the next set of cards.  The game continues until one player reaches 21.

ii. Other functions

Under the File menu, you can also access several other screens:

HOW TO PLAY - Displays the help file.

NEW GAME - Allows you to set all the options for a new game.

GAME SETTINGS - Allows you to modify settings (such as speed and card backs) during gameplay.

HALL OF FAME - Indicates the names and accumulated scores of the top fifteen players.  Scores are accumulated after every completed game by adding the points of every player, and then subtracting the points of the winner from the score of the loser.  This information can be sorted by Name, Wins, Points, etc by pressing the buttons over the columns of numbers.  Erase all scores by clicking the CLEAR SCORES button.

ABOUT - The authors' names and the version number.




D. HINTS AND TIPS
------------------------------------

1.  Get as many points as possible on the current turn since your opponent can take your builds and blocks and steal the points from you.

2.  Use the Unplayed Cards panel at the bottom of the screen to show what cards have not been played.  For example, you can safely build to an Ace if there are no more unplayed Aces.

3.  Watch how the computer plays; it often doesn't take cards so as to prevent sweeps by its opponent.

4.  Pay attention to what your opponent builds and blocks since this is an indication of the cards it has in the hand.

5.  At the end of the round, the last person to have taken gets the remaining cards (this is not a sweep).  By being the last to take you can often add valuable cards to your Capture Pile.
