
       HEARTS.TXT   (Ver. 6c)

                             --  Requirements --

             This  program  requires  a  computer  with  color  monitor
       capabilities,  DOS  2.xx  or  greater,  and  the following files
       present (in the same directory) to operate properly.

                     HEARTS.EXE - HEARTS.DAT - HEARTS.TXT

                             --  How to Play  --

             HEARTS is a very easy card game to play and one that  will
       give  you  many hours of enjoyment.  The rules for this game are
       quite simple.  After the cards  are  shuffled,  they  are  dealt
       clockwise  to  each player.  There are four players in this game
       with each receiving 13 cards (a total of 52).  The direction  of
       play,  like  most  card games, is clockwise around the table.  A
       player must always match the SUIT of the first card in play.  If
       a player does not have the LEAD suit then he or she can play any
       card in their hand.  The cards are RANKED  in  descending  value
       from the Ace (A) to the 2.  The Ace being the HIGHEST rank.  The
       player  having  the  highest  ranked card in the lead suit takes
       that TRICK and BEGINS play on the next trick.   There  are  four
       cards  in  each  trick  (one from each player) and 13 tricks per
       hand.

             You cannot lead a HEART or the QUEEN OF SPADES until  they
       are  BROKEN (one has already been played), or unless this is all
       that remains in your hand.  Each NEW HAND is started by  leading
       the TWO OF CLUBS.

          3      The players are numbered from 1 to 4, with YOU playing
       2     4   position  number  "1"  at  the  bottom  of  the table.
          1

                          --  Scoring of Hearts --

             The  scoring of HEARTS is what makes this game unique from
       most other card games.  The LOWEST accumulated  score  wins  the
       game.  The score is determined by the number of POINT CARDS that
       a  player  has  received in the tricks that he or she has taken.
       The point cards are - all HEARTS, each counting as one point and
       the QUEEN OF SPADES, which counts as  13  points.   There  is  a
       total  of  26 points for each hand.  The score from each hand is
       then added to your Game Score.  When a player reaches or exceeds
       the Game Point, then the game  ends  and  the  player  with  the
       LOWEST score wins that game.

                          --  Shooting The Moon  --

             If a player is able to take all 26 points in a hand,  then
       that player "SHOTS THE MOON" (a run) and each of their opponents
       will  receive  26 points.  Remember, LOW score wins, and a score
       of 25 does not qualify as a run.

                         --  Passing Three Cards  --

             At  the beginning of each hand all players have the oppor-
       tunity to PASS three cards to another player.  The direction  of
       the  pass  is counterclockwise.  The first pass is to the player
       on your RIGHT.  The next pass is to the player ACROSS from  you,
       and  the last is to the player on your LEFT.  The next hand is a
       HOLD hand, in which no cards are passed.  The pass rotation then
       begins again.

             When selecting your cards  to  PASS,  you  may  void  your
       selection  at any time by pressing the ESCAPE key,  UP arrow, or
       RIGHT mouse button.   The passing process will then begin again.


                           --  The Option Menu  --

             The Option Menu can be called at any time  throughout  the
       game.   This  is  done with the ESCAPE key,  UP arrow,  or RIGHT
       mouse  button.   The  hand you are playing will be SAVED and the
       game will continue upon your return from the Option Menu.

             When  using  the DOS Shell  from the Option Menu,  be sure
       that Hearts  can  find the file COMMAND.COM.   This  can be done
       by setting the environment variable COMSPEC.  At the DOS prompt,
       type and Enter - set comspec=[location]\command.com.  An example
       of  this  entry  would be - set comspec=c:\sys\command.com.   Be
       sure that COMMAND.COM is located where you say it is!

                            --  Game Commands  --

             Use the RIGHT and LEFT arrow keys or  ROLL  the  mouse  to
       select the  card  to  play.   After you have selected your card,
       press the ENTER key or LEFT mouse button to play that card.  The
       keyboard CURSOR will skip played cards and will jump to the  low
       card of the suit in play.  The CURSOR also will wrap from end to
       end.   Pressing  the  ENTER  key or LEFT mouse button after each
       trick will bypass the Delay and speed the game along.

             The DOWN arrow key or LEFT mouse button will act the  same
       as  the  ENTER key and will respond "Y" to a question and the UP
       arrow key or RIGHT mouse button will act the same as the ESC key
       and will respond "N" to a question.  This allows game play to be
       conducted entirely from a centrally located area.

             Within  the  Game Point Option screen, you have the choice
       of weather or not the Trick Points received by each player is to
       be displayed on the score board.  After entering your Game Point
       number or selecting the default, you are asked if you would like
       to show the Trick Points.  Answering  No  (N)  will  remove  the
       Trick  Points  for  each  hand  from  the score board.  The Game
       Points are not effected and will continue to be displayed.

             You can reset the Games Won counters to zero by typing  an
       "x"  in  place  of  a  Game Point number while in the Game Point
       Option screen.

             Any comments or suggestions will  be  gratefully  accepted
       and an honest attempt  will be made to answer them.  Please read
       the file HEARTS.REG for additional information.









             This  program  is  produced by a member of the Association
       of Shareware Professionals (ASP).   ASP wants  to make sure that
       the  shareware  principle  works for you.   If you are unable to
       resolve a shareware-related  problem  with an ASP member by con-
       tacting the member directly,  ASP may be able to help.   The ASP
       Ombudsman  can  help  you  resolve  a dispute or problem with an
       ASP member,  but does not provide technical support for members'
       products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road,
       Muskegon, MI  49442  or  send a Compuserve message  via easyplex
       to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
                                            _______
                                       ____|__     |                (R)
       R. J. Crouch                 --|       |    |-------------------
       CareWare                       |   ____|__  |  Association of
       10217 Ridge View Dr.           |  |       |_|  Shareware
       Grass Valley, CA 95945         |__|   o   |    Professionals
       (916) 477-6024               -----|   |   |---------------------
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