doc: write the Trick-Taking Games chapter (manual pass 4)
* doc/card-games.texi (Trick-Taking Games): shared-keys intro plus a section for each game -- 500, Hearts, Spades, Whist, Oh Hell, Euchre, Pitch, Briscola, and Contract Bridge -- with object, rules, a strategy note, and its keys, including the distinct 500 and Bridge keymaps.
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@ -591,8 +591,219 @@ controls are identical.
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@node Trick-Taking Games
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@chapter Trick-Taking Games
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@c TODO(pass 4): 500, Hearts, Spades, Whist, Oh Hell, Euchre, Pitch,
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@c Briscola, Bridge.
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@cindex trick-taking
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@cindex tricks
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In these games the four players each play a card to the @dfn{trick}, and
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the highest card (or the highest trump) wins it. You sit South; the
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other three seats are computer players, and for the partnership games
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North is your partner.
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@cindex trick games, controls
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Most of them share these controls:
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@table @kbd
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@item @key{LEFT} @key{RIGHT}
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Choose a card in your hand.
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@item @key{RET} @r{(or} @key{SPC}@r{)}
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Play the chosen card. During the Hearts pass it instead marks a card.
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@item p
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Confirm the Hearts pass, once three cards are marked.
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@item n @r{/} g @r{/} ? @r{/} q
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New match, redraw, describe the keys, and return to the menu.
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@end table
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@noindent
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When a game calls for a bid, you are prompted for it in the minibuffer.
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@xref{Opponents}, to set how hard the computer plays. 500 and Bridge
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have richer boards and a few keys of their own, noted below.
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@menu
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* Five Hundred: 500. Partnership bidding to 500.
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* Hearts:: Avoid the hearts and the black lady.
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* Spades:: Bid your tricks; spades are trump.
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* Whist:: Fixed trump, no bidding.
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* Oh Hell:: Bid exactly, on shrinking hands.
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* Euchre:: Bowers, and going alone.
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* Pitch:: Set the trump with your lead.
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* Briscola:: No follow; capture the points.
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* Bridge: Contract Bridge. The auction, the dummy, the rubber.
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@end menu
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@node 500
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@section 500
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@findex cg-bid
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@cindex 500
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Australia's national card game, and the flagship of this collection. You
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and North play against East and West. After the deal there is an
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auction: each side bids a number of tricks (six to ten) and a trump ---
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or Misère, to take no tricks at all. The high bidder takes the five-card
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@dfn{kitty}, then discards five cards, and play begins.
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The trump order runs Joker (highest), then the Jack of trump (right
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bower) and the other Jack of the same colour (left bower), then Ace down
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to Four. Score the Avondale table for making or breaking the contract.
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A side wins by reaching 500 on a contract it made (the ``front door''),
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and loses by falling to @minus{}500 (the ``back door'').
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@table @kbd
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@item b
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Make a bid; @kbd{p} passes.
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@item @key{RET}
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Select the card, or the kitty card, under the pointer.
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@item x
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Discard the five cards you have marked for the kitty.
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@item v
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Toggle the full-window table.
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@item M-@key{UP} M-@key{DOWN}
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Scroll the message log (the mouse wheel works too).
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@item n @r{/} ? @r{/} q
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New game, help, and the menu.
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@end table
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@noindent
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500 can also be played live against other people over the network.
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@xref{Networked Play}.
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@strong{Strategy.} Bid what your trumps and side-suit aces can actually
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make; take the kitty only when it can complete a contract; and keep
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Misère for a hand too weak to win a single trick.
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@node Hearts
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@section Hearts
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@findex cg-hearts
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@cindex Hearts
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An avoidance game with no trump. Every heart costs one point and the
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Queen of Spades costs thirteen, and you want as few as possible. Before
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each hand you pass three cards to another player --- left, right, across,
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then a hand with no passing, and around again. The Two of Clubs leads
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the first trick, on which no points may be played.
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Take @emph{all} the points in a hand and you ``shoot the moon'': the
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twenty-six are charged to everyone else instead. When a player reaches
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100 the game ends and the lowest score wins.
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@strong{Strategy.} Void a suit so you can throw the Queen or a heart into
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it; keep track of who might hold the Queen; and only chase the moon with a
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hand that cannot be stopped.
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@node Spades
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@section Spades
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@findex cg-spades
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@cindex Spades
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Spades are always trump. Each player bids the number of tricks they
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expect to win, and the two partners' bids are added: your side must make
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that combined total. Extra tricks (``bags'') score a point each, but
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every tenth bag costs you 100. A bid and made @dfn{Nil} --- no tricks at
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all --- scores 100, or loses 100 if broken. Play to 500.
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@strong{Strategy.} Count your sure winners before you bid; go Nil only
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with low spades and short, duckable side suits; and protect your
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partner's Nil when you can.
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@node Whist
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@section Whist
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@findex cg-whist
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@cindex Whist
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The old English ancestor of Bridge, with no bidding. The dealer's last
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card is turned for trump. Follow the suit led if you can; trumps beat the
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plain suits. Each side counts one point for every trick it wins beyond
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the @dfn{book} of six, and the first side to five wins.
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@strong{Strategy.} Lead from your longest suit, draw the opponents'
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trumps, and remember the cards that have gone.
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@node Oh Hell
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@section Oh Hell
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@findex cg-ohhell
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@cindex Oh Hell
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The hand shrinks every deal, from seven cards down to one, and a card is
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turned for trump. Each player bids the @emph{exact} number of tricks
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they will take and scores a bonus only for hitting it precisely --- one
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over or under and the bonus is lost. Play the fixed run of rounds; it is
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every player for themselves.
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@strong{Strategy.} On the small hands a high card is a sure trick and a
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low one a sure miss; do not be afraid to bid zero and duck everything.
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@node Euchre
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@section Euchre
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@findex cg-euchre
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@cindex Euchre
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A brisk 24-card game (Nine to Ace). The Jack of the trump suit (the
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@dfn{right bower}) and the other Jack of the same colour (the @dfn{left
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bower}) are the two highest trumps. A card is turned up, and you may
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@dfn{order it up} as trump or, later, name a different suit. The side
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that names trump must take three of the five tricks. Partnership to 10.
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You are asked whether to order up the turned card (@kbd{y} or @kbd{n})
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and, if bidding comes round again, to name a trump.
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@strong{Strategy.} Order up with three trumps, or two trumps and an
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off-suit Ace; a very strong hand can be played ``alone'' for a bigger
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score.
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@node Pitch
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@section Pitch
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@findex cg-pitch
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@cindex Pitch
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Auction Pitch. Players bid for the right to @dfn{pitch}, and the
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pitcher's first lead sets the trump suit. Thereafter follow the led suit
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if you can, but you may always trump instead. Four points are at stake
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each hand --- High, Low, Jack, and Game --- and the first to seven wins.
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@strong{Strategy.} Bid only on a solid trump holding, ideally with the
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Jack or with both the highest and lowest trumps.
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@node Briscola
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@section Briscola
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@findex cg-briscola
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@cindex Briscola
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A 40-card Italian game. One card is turned to fix the trump, the
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@dfn{briscola}, and --- unusually --- there is no need to follow suit: you
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may play any card to any trick. Winning a trick captures its cards, and
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the Aces and Threes carry the most points. Capture the points; the first
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to 61 of the 120 wins.
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@strong{Strategy.} Save your briscole to capture the opponents' Aces, and
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lead worthless cards to coax points out of them.
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@node Contract Bridge
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@section Bridge
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@findex cg-bridge
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@cindex Bridge
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@cindex Contract Bridge
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The full game: the auction, then the play with the dummy exposed, and
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rubber scoring. You sit South and partner North against East and West.
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In the auction you compose a call and make it: @key{UP} and @key{DOWN}
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change the level, @key{LEFT} and @key{RIGHT} change the strain, @key{RET}
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bids it, @kbd{p} passes, and @kbd{d} doubles. When the auction ends, the
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declaring side's first player is declarer and their partner is the dummy,
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whose hand is turned face up; the declarer plays both hands, so you play
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the dummy from your seat when it is the dummy's turn. Making your
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contract scores below the line toward game and the rubber.
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@table @kbd
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@item arrows @r{and} @key{RET}
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Compose and make a call (auction), or choose and play a card (play).
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@item p @r{/} d
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Pass and double, during the auction.
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@item n @r{/} g @r{/} q
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Next deal, redraw, and the menu.
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@end table
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@strong{Strategy.} Count your high-card points, look for an eight-card
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trump fit with your partner, and plan the whole hand --- drawing trumps,
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setting up a long suit --- before you play to the first trick.
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@node Rummy Games
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@chapter Rummy Games
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