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Player's instructions
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    <p><center><h3>Vingt et Un<br>
    <b>Player's  Instructions</b><br>
    </h3><h4>Version 1.011,  dated 21st October, 2002<br>
 by R.I.D.Macfarlane</h4><br></center>
    <b>Index</b><br>
    <ul>
    <li><a href="#intro">The introductory screen</a>
    <li><a href="#object">The object of the game</a>
    <li><a href="#play">Playing the game</a>
    <ul>
    <li><a href="#card">Peeping at a card</a>
    <li><a href="#chip">Betting</a>
    <li><a href="#second">Turning over the second and subsequent cards</a>
    <li><a href="#result">Squaring up at the end of a game</a>
    </ul>
    <li><a href="#menu">Iconbar menu items</a>
    <ul>
    <li><a href="#info">Info</a>
    <ul>
    <li><a href="#help">Help Text</a>
    <li><a href="#helpplay">Help Play</a>
    </ul>
    <li><a href="#quit">Quit game</a>
    </ul>
    <li><a href="#differences">Differences between the sample and full versions of the game</a>
    <li><a href="#messages">Application messages</a>
    </ul>
    <p>
    <a name="intro"><b>The introductory screen</b></a><br>
As is usual the application sets its icon on the icon bar
when loading is complete. When you click the <I>Select</I> 
mouse button over this icon, the game's window will be 
displayed. The pointer will appear within this window.
    <p>
A welcome message appears with the Vingt et Un logo and if 
you want instructions you should press the mouse 
<I>Adjust</I> button at this point OR press <I>Select</I> 
to start the game.
    <p>
If you choose to view the instructions, which deal with the 
rules of play of Vingt et Un itself, these will be 
presented as a series of pages which can be passed through 
by clicking on <I>Select</I>.  If you need to return to 
the start of the instructions, press <I>Adjust</I>.
    <p>
At the end of the instructions, press <I>Select</I> to 
start the game.  To hide the game, click on the window's 
close icon and to end the game choose the 
<a href="#quit">Quit</a> item from the iconbar's menu.
    <p>
    <a name="object"><b>The object of the game</b></a><br>
The idea of this card game is to reach a total of 21, 
without exceeding it, by counting the pips of the cards that 
are dealt to you. The suits do not play a part in the game. 
    <p>
Aces count either one or eleven at the player's option, 
court cards count ten, other cards their face value. A total 
of 21 therefore can be made with an Ace and a ten or a court 
card and this beats any other combination. The order of 
winning hands in decreasing order is:-
    <ul>
    <li> 21 with two cards
    <li> a five card trick
    <li> 21 made with more than two cards
    <li> 20
    <li> 19
    <li> 18
    <li> 17
    <li> 16<BR>You are not allowed to <a href="#stick">
'stick'</a> at less than sixteen
    </ul>
    <p>
Betting is very much a part of the game. You are given chips 
at the start of the game and, by betting wisely, the object 
of the game is to increase that amount.
    <p>
    <a name="play"><b>Playing the game</b></a><br>
Initially the window is cleared and the pointer will be 
positioned to a point where the first card will appear.
Several chips of various denominations will be displayed at 
the bottom of the window and represent the player's purse.
During the game the contents of the purse is always 
displayed in this area and the denomination of the chips is 
arranged such that there are a few chips of each value, so 
that the player can bet as he/she requires.
    <p>
The software is written to mimic as closely as possible the 
traditional card game, in that the cards are drawn randomly 
(shuffled) and held in a 'pack' and are dealt in this order 
from this pack and after play, returned to the bottom of 
the pack.  The pack is shuffled at the start of the game, 
after a player's Vingt et Un or when the cards have gone 
round twice.
    <p>
Finally two cards are displayed in the window face down.  
The pointer is over the top of the lower card which is the 
player's first card.  The other card is the dealer's card.
    <p>
    <table border=0 cellspacing=4 cellpadding=6>
    <a name="card"> </a>
    <tr><td colspan=2 align=left><b>Peeping at a card</b></tr>
<tr><td align=left>The text at the top invites you to have
a peep at your card. Move the pointer to the centre of the
bottom of the card.<br>
<I>Select</I> is used to drag on the card in an upwards 
direction, in order to 'peep' at the value of the card. 
Part of the other face of the card, showing its value will 
become visible (see screenshot) and if the drag is completed, 
then the card will have been turned over and will remain so.<br>  
However the drag can be stopped at any time and the card will 
drop back to its original state with its back uppermost.</td>  
<td><img src="../Images/JPEG/Peep.jpg" alt="Screenshot showing the 
pointer and the card's value side being raised"></td></tr>
    <a name="chip"> </a>
    <tr><td colspan=2 align=left><b>Betting</b></tr>
<tr><td align=left>The text at the top of the window then 
prompts you to bet, in the knowledge of your card's value.<br>  
Choose a chip to bet with, moving the pointer over it and then 
use <I>Select</I> to drag on this chip to be moved.<br>The 
pointer will then be changed to the chip, which should be 
dragged to the space between the two cards and then 
released.<br>Move more chips to increase your bet, but there 
is a limit of ten chips.<br>The screenshot shows a chip, 
valued at five being moved by the player to the stake pool 
between the dealer's and player's cards.</td>  
<td><img src="../Images/GIF/1ChipBet.gif" alt="Moving a chip to 
the stake pool"></td></tr>
    </table>
    <p>
You will find that you can change your mind about your 
initial stake and it is possible to move chips back to 
your purse, but only before you have peeped at the second 
card.
    <p>
This then is your initial stake and determines the top 
limit of the price you can pay for future cards in this 
game.  You signify your acceptance of this initial stake 
and moving the game on, by peeping at your second card, 
which will have appeared after you moved the first chip 
of your bet.
    <p>
    <a name="second"><b>Turning over the second and 
subsequent cards</b></a><br>
After you have peeped at your second card, add the card 
values together and, if an Ace is present, arrive at two 
scores: one counting the Ace as one and the second, counting 
the Ace as eleven.  You have three choices:-
    <ul>
    <li><a name="stick"><b>Stick</b></a> - and see what 
the dealer has.<BR>
You do this by clicking <I>Select</I> when the pointer is 
over the dealer's cards.<BR>  You are allowed to stick if 
your cards make at least sixteen and you may count Aces as 
eleven. You might want to stick for a variety of reasons; 
here are just a few of them:- 
    <table border=0 cellspacing=4 cellpadding=6>
<tr><td align=left>
    <ul>
    <li>If your two cards make twenty-one - 
<b>Vingt et Un</b> - then the dealer can only beat you with 
one of his own: this is not common.
<img src="../Images/GIF/40Winks.gif" alt=":-)" width="18" 
height="18" border="0" align="top"><br>
The screenshot shows that the Player's Vingt et Un has been 
equalled by one from the dealer: the dealer takes the 
player's stake.  
    <li>If your two cards make twenty then there is not much 
chance of the dealer having 21 or 20 or a five card trick 
and even less that the card you receive will not 'bust' you. 
    <li>If your two cards make eighteen or more then there 
isn't much chance of obtaining another card which will not 
'bust' you (make your total greater than twenty-one).
    <li>If your two cards make sixteen or seventeen then, 
if you have already seen a lot of small valued cards in the 
last two or three hands, the chances are that there will not 
be many left for you to pick up in the next card to keep you 
under 22. 
    </ul></td>
<td><img src="../Images/JPEG/2x21.jpg" alt="Screenshot showing the 
player's vingt et un equalled by that of the dealer"></td></tr>
    </table>
    <li><b>Buy</b> - increase your stake and keep the dealer 
from knowing what your new card's value is.<BR>
You must move one or more chips to the centre, where your 
initial stake is, and the value of this additional stake 
must be less than or equal to the original stake.  Now 
sometimes you just haven't got the right chips to do that. 
Don't worry: use a higher valued chip, but your actual stake 
will be limited to what it should be and you will receive 
back the 'change' if you loose.  If you buy more cards in 
this hand, this 'change' will go to buying these additional 
cards.<BR>
You will find that you can - and should - peep at the new 
card and keep it concealed.<BR>
You might want to buy a card for a variety of reasons; here 
are just two of them:-
    <table border=0 cellspacing=4 cellpadding=6>
<tr><td align=left>
    <ul>
    <li>
Your card count is very low and there may be a chance of a 
five card trick, which is second only to a Vingt et Un and 
so very strong.  In which case buying the next card is a way 
of increasing your stake and your eventual winnings!<br>
The screenshot shows the player's card count at 6 in two 
cards: a five card trick is a possibility. Note that the 
player's cards have been turned over as a demonstration; 
normally they would be kept concealed.
    <li>
You have to take another card, since your card count is less 
than sixteen, but you have a good chance to make a card 
count between sixteen and twenty-one and you don't want the 
dealer to know what's going on.
    </ul></td>
<td><img src="../Images/GIF/6MustBuy.gif" alt="Screenshot showing 
the value of the player's two cards as 6"></td></tr>
    </table>
    <li><b>Twist</b> - ask the dealer for another card.<BR>
You do this by clicking <I>Select</I> while the pointer is 
over the next card and you haven't staked any more chips.  
The card is flipped over so that its value is revealed.
You might want to twist a card for many reasons; here are 
two of them:-
    <table border=0 cellspacing=4 cellpadding=6>
<tr><td align=left>
    <ul>
    <li>
If you have cards of value less than sixteen, then you 
aren't allowed to stick.  If you haven't many chips left, 
twisting the next card is for you! 
    <li>
If you have a card value of between twelve and fifteen, you 
might consider it to be too risky to buy a card, since it 
could well 'bust' you and you have staked enough as it is.<br>
The screenshot demonstrates this (normally the cards would 
be concealed).
    </ul></td>
<td><img src="../Images/GIF/twist.gif" alt="Screenshot showing the 
value of the player's cards as 15"></td></tr>
    </table>
    </ul>
As a matter of etiquette, if you have received a fourth card 
from the dealer and it brings your pip total to less than 
12, you should turn the card face up and twist the last card 
to obtain your five card trick.
    <p>
    <a name="result"><b>Squaring up at the end of a game</b></a><br>
Your turn comes to an end when:-
    <ul>
    <li>you 'bust': your card value is greater than 21.
    <li>you 'stick': click <I>Select</I> over the dealer's cards.
    <li>you have a five card trick
    </ul>
When the last two of these happens, the dealer then turns 
over his cards and deals more cards as required. He cannot 
stick at less than 16 also and he will bust if his card's 
make over 21.
    <p>
If the dealer has the same score as you, he will have won 
and he will take your total stake. If he busts or has a 
lower score, then you will receive back your total stake 
doubled.
    <p>
Your chips can grow in value beyond the dealer's capacity 
or you could loose all the chips you started with.  
In both cases the game ends.
    <p>
    <a name="menu"><b>Iconbar menu items</b></a><br>
The <a name="info">Info</a> item leads to a second menu, 
which shows the information which is available about the 
application.
    <ul>
    <li> <b>About</b> This includes program version and 
status.
    <li> <a name="help"><b>Help text</b></a> This file 
provides detailed information about the application and 
how it can be tailored to suit your requirements.
    <li> <a name="helpplay"><b>HelpPlay</b></a> This is 
the file you are now reading.
    </ul>
    <a name="quit"><b>Quit</b></a> : This item 
removes the application from the desktop.
    </ul>
    <p><br>
    <a name="differences"><b>Differences between the sample 
and full versions of the game</b></a><br>
You are using the sample version of the game.  The full 
version is not available yet, but it is proposed that the 
following extra features will be incorporated:-
    <ul>
    <li> A standard set of cards featuring 32k coloured 
sprites
    <li> Up to ten chip denominations: much higher scores 
and longer games are possible.
    <li> Up to ten texts per message.
    <li> Save game.
    <li> Ace splitting into two player's hands.
    <li> Sound.
    <li> Veneers provided for backdrop, cards, chips, 
and settings for features, colours and positioning. The 
screenshots above show some of the veneers supplied.
    </ul>
    </p>
    <a name="messages"><b>Application messages</b></a><br>
The program keeps a check on the play and will display a 
message if you attempt to do anything it doesn't like. 
During the initial game setup, several checks are made on 
the presence of key files and sprites.  If these are 
absent, the program will halt with an appropriate message.
    </p>
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