From 8f8c44b47baabe446c9b6f946d625c0f3cb35bf8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Corwin Brust Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 12:06:24 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] 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. --- doc/card-games.texi | 215 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 213 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/card-games.texi b/doc/card-games.texi index 7e448ae..c6c9ba1 100644 --- a/doc/card-games.texi +++ b/doc/card-games.texi @@ -591,8 +591,219 @@ controls are identical. @node Trick-Taking Games @chapter Trick-Taking Games -@c TODO(pass 4): 500, Hearts, Spades, Whist, Oh Hell, Euchre, Pitch, -@c Briscola, Bridge. +@cindex trick-taking +@cindex tricks +In these games the four players each play a card to the @dfn{trick}, and +the highest card (or the highest trump) wins it. You sit South; the +other three seats are computer players, and for the partnership games +North is your partner. + +@cindex trick games, controls +Most of them share these controls: + +@table @kbd +@item @key{LEFT} @key{RIGHT} +Choose a card in your hand. +@item @key{RET} @r{(or} @key{SPC}@r{)} +Play the chosen card. During the Hearts pass it instead marks a card. +@item p +Confirm the Hearts pass, once three cards are marked. +@item n @r{/} g @r{/} ? @r{/} q +New match, redraw, describe the keys, and return to the menu. +@end table + +@noindent +When a game calls for a bid, you are prompted for it in the minibuffer. +@xref{Opponents}, to set how hard the computer plays. 500 and Bridge +have richer boards and a few keys of their own, noted below. + +@menu +* Five Hundred: 500. Partnership bidding to 500. +* Hearts:: Avoid the hearts and the black lady. +* Spades:: Bid your tricks; spades are trump. +* Whist:: Fixed trump, no bidding. +* Oh Hell:: Bid exactly, on shrinking hands. +* Euchre:: Bowers, and going alone. +* Pitch:: Set the trump with your lead. +* Briscola:: No follow; capture the points. +* Bridge: Contract Bridge. The auction, the dummy, the rubber. +@end menu + +@node 500 +@section 500 + +@findex cg-bid +@cindex 500 +Australia's national card game, and the flagship of this collection. You +and North play against East and West. After the deal there is an +auction: each side bids a number of tricks (six to ten) and a trump --- +or Misère, to take no tricks at all. The high bidder takes the five-card +@dfn{kitty}, then discards five cards, and play begins. + +The trump order runs Joker (highest), then the Jack of trump (right +bower) and the other Jack of the same colour (left bower), then Ace down +to Four. Score the Avondale table for making or breaking the contract. +A side wins by reaching 500 on a contract it made (the ``front door''), +and loses by falling to @minus{}500 (the ``back door''). + +@table @kbd +@item b +Make a bid; @kbd{p} passes. +@item @key{RET} +Select the card, or the kitty card, under the pointer. +@item x +Discard the five cards you have marked for the kitty. +@item v +Toggle the full-window table. +@item M-@key{UP} M-@key{DOWN} +Scroll the message log (the mouse wheel works too). +@item n @r{/} ? @r{/} q +New game, help, and the menu. +@end table + +@noindent +500 can also be played live against other people over the network. +@xref{Networked Play}. + +@strong{Strategy.} Bid what your trumps and side-suit aces can actually +make; take the kitty only when it can complete a contract; and keep +Misère for a hand too weak to win a single trick. + +@node Hearts +@section Hearts + +@findex cg-hearts +@cindex Hearts +An avoidance game with no trump. Every heart costs one point and the +Queen of Spades costs thirteen, and you want as few as possible. Before +each hand you pass three cards to another player --- left, right, across, +then a hand with no passing, and around again. The Two of Clubs leads +the first trick, on which no points may be played. + +Take @emph{all} the points in a hand and you ``shoot the moon'': the +twenty-six are charged to everyone else instead. When a player reaches +100 the game ends and the lowest score wins. + +@strong{Strategy.} Void a suit so you can throw the Queen or a heart into +it; keep track of who might hold the Queen; and only chase the moon with a +hand that cannot be stopped. + +@node Spades +@section Spades + +@findex cg-spades +@cindex Spades +Spades are always trump. Each player bids the number of tricks they +expect to win, and the two partners' bids are added: your side must make +that combined total. Extra tricks (``bags'') score a point each, but +every tenth bag costs you 100. A bid and made @dfn{Nil} --- no tricks at +all --- scores 100, or loses 100 if broken. Play to 500. + +@strong{Strategy.} Count your sure winners before you bid; go Nil only +with low spades and short, duckable side suits; and protect your +partner's Nil when you can. + +@node Whist +@section Whist + +@findex cg-whist +@cindex Whist +The old English ancestor of Bridge, with no bidding. The dealer's last +card is turned for trump. Follow the suit led if you can; trumps beat the +plain suits. Each side counts one point for every trick it wins beyond +the @dfn{book} of six, and the first side to five wins. + +@strong{Strategy.} Lead from your longest suit, draw the opponents' +trumps, and remember the cards that have gone. + +@node Oh Hell +@section Oh Hell + +@findex cg-ohhell +@cindex Oh Hell +The hand shrinks every deal, from seven cards down to one, and a card is +turned for trump. Each player bids the @emph{exact} number of tricks +they will take and scores a bonus only for hitting it precisely --- one +over or under and the bonus is lost. Play the fixed run of rounds; it is +every player for themselves. + +@strong{Strategy.} On the small hands a high card is a sure trick and a +low one a sure miss; do not be afraid to bid zero and duck everything. + +@node Euchre +@section Euchre + +@findex cg-euchre +@cindex Euchre +A brisk 24-card game (Nine to Ace). The Jack of the trump suit (the +@dfn{right bower}) and the other Jack of the same colour (the @dfn{left +bower}) are the two highest trumps. A card is turned up, and you may +@dfn{order it up} as trump or, later, name a different suit. The side +that names trump must take three of the five tricks. Partnership to 10. + +You are asked whether to order up the turned card (@kbd{y} or @kbd{n}) +and, if bidding comes round again, to name a trump. + +@strong{Strategy.} Order up with three trumps, or two trumps and an +off-suit Ace; a very strong hand can be played ``alone'' for a bigger +score. + +@node Pitch +@section Pitch + +@findex cg-pitch +@cindex Pitch +Auction Pitch. Players bid for the right to @dfn{pitch}, and the +pitcher's first lead sets the trump suit. Thereafter follow the led suit +if you can, but you may always trump instead. Four points are at stake +each hand --- High, Low, Jack, and Game --- and the first to seven wins. + +@strong{Strategy.} Bid only on a solid trump holding, ideally with the +Jack or with both the highest and lowest trumps. + +@node Briscola +@section Briscola + +@findex cg-briscola +@cindex Briscola +A 40-card Italian game. One card is turned to fix the trump, the +@dfn{briscola}, and --- unusually --- there is no need to follow suit: you +may play any card to any trick. Winning a trick captures its cards, and +the Aces and Threes carry the most points. Capture the points; the first +to 61 of the 120 wins. + +@strong{Strategy.} Save your briscole to capture the opponents' Aces, and +lead worthless cards to coax points out of them. + +@node Contract Bridge +@section Bridge + +@findex cg-bridge +@cindex Bridge +@cindex Contract Bridge +The full game: the auction, then the play with the dummy exposed, and +rubber scoring. You sit South and partner North against East and West. + +In the auction you compose a call and make it: @key{UP} and @key{DOWN} +change the level, @key{LEFT} and @key{RIGHT} change the strain, @key{RET} +bids it, @kbd{p} passes, and @kbd{d} doubles. When the auction ends, the +declaring side's first player is declarer and their partner is the dummy, +whose hand is turned face up; the declarer plays both hands, so you play +the dummy from your seat when it is the dummy's turn. Making your +contract scores below the line toward game and the rubber. + +@table @kbd +@item arrows @r{and} @key{RET} +Compose and make a call (auction), or choose and play a card (play). +@item p @r{/} d +Pass and double, during the auction. +@item n @r{/} g @r{/} q +Next deal, redraw, and the menu. +@end table + +@strong{Strategy.} Count your high-card points, look for an eight-card +trump fit with your partner, and plan the whole hand --- drawing trumps, +setting up a long suit --- before you play to the first trick. @node Rummy Games @chapter Rummy Games