Index

The following Help Topics are available:

Overview

Rules Of The Game

Strategy And Hints

Playing The Game

Scoring

What Changed in Release 2

About

Menus

Game Menu Commands

Options Menu Commands

For Help on Help, Press F1


Overview

Welcome to the game of Cribbage. This like many other programs is not very original, but it does play a good game and it looks good.

The rules I have adopted are from what I can remember of the game when I played it regularly and I am open to suggestions if people feel that it does not score correctly.

Rules Of The Game

Strategy And Hints

Playing The Game


Game Menu Commands

The Game Menu consists of the following menu items:

New

Deal

Exit


New Menu Item (Game)

This menu item is available at all times. When selected it will reset all players scores back to zero so you can restart the game. If the current game is incomplete the computer will confirm your intentions before starting the new game.

NOTE: When the program is first started a new game has already been started and you do not need to start again before you deal  the first hand.


Deal Menu Item (Game)

This menu item deals a new set of cards to the two players.

Each player receives 6 cards and one extra card will be displayed as the deck top card after players have played cards into the box.

You may only deal a round if the previous round is complete including scoring.

Shortcut key:	F2


Exit Menu Item (Game)

This menu item shuts down the Cribbage application. Unfinished games are lost.


Options Menu Commands

The Options menu consists of the following menu items.

Cards


Cards Menu Item (Options)

This menu item invokes the Select A Deck Dialog box  to change the picture on the back of the deck of cards being used. You can change the deck at any time, even in the middle of a round.


Select A Deck Dialog Box

This dialog box presents you with twelve alternative card backs that you can use. Selecting a card back is a totally decorative decision and has no impact on the way the game plays. To select a card back click on the image and select OK. The selected image appears above the OK button.


Rules Of The Game

The Deck

The deck is a regular 52 card deck.

The game is played in three stages.

Playing to the Box

After the cards are dealt the two players must select 2 cards to place into the Box. On each round the ownership of the box will changes between the players. The owner of the box is shown below the cards in the box.

To play your two cards into the box select the cards  and press the play button .

Playing The Hand

The player who owns the box leads.

Each player now takes turns playing cards from their hand onto the table. As the cards are played each player can earn bonus points .

To play a card select the card  and press the play button .

Once both players can no longer play because the value would exceed 31 the cards are turned over and the last to play leads. If the last player to play has run out of cards then the other player plays out his hand.

Once all cards have been played the game moves into the next phase.

Scoring The Hands

The player who does not own the box always counts his cards first. followed by the box owners cards and finally the cards in the box.

The computer will always inform you of his score  and how it was broken down between the scoring categories. You enter your score using the score dialog box  which will be displayed automatically at the appropriate time.

Strategy And Hints

Playing The Game


The Score Dialog Box

The score dialog box consists of the following:

1. An entry field where you may type in the value of the cards displayed.

2. A set of spin buttons which can be used to increment/decrement the score by 1.

3. Four cards which represent the cards either from your hand or from the box depending on what is being scored.

4. The Deck top card.

You must evaluate the cards presented and enter the score  you beleive they are worth. You will be penalised for over or underestimating your score.


Strategy And Hints

On playing to the box.

Be very aware who owns the box. If it is yours it does not hurt to throw in a pair or some cards of value. However if it belongs to the computer you do not want to give him the opportunity to score easy points.

Generally however you focus on the cards you will have left and try to maximise their value and anticipate which cards will be useful during play.

On playing the cards.

While there are not usually a lot of points on offer in this phase of the game, they are bonus points and can make a difference. So always be on the lookout for pairs, runs and totals of 15 and 31.

On counting the cards.

Unfortunately players of cribbage can never be trusted to count their hand properly. However to encourage you to get it right the following rule is in place.

1.	If you undercount your hand then you will receive the value you counted and the computer will take the remaining points.

2.	If you overcount your hand then you will receive the correct value for the hand and the computer will take the number of points you overcounted by.

For your education if you count incorrectly the computer will not only display the correct count but also break the count down into the various scoring categories.

Counting Rules


The ACME Window
The Cribbage Window

1.	This is the peg board which shows each players score. The red line is your score and the blue is the computers. 2 counters are shown in the board representing the impediately previous score and the current score. On a computer this is rather unneccessary but it keeps with the spirit of the game.

2.	Your playing cards. At the base of the cards is the word HUMAN to remind you they are yours. The background of this text is in red to remind you your score is shown in the red on the peg board.

3.	The computers playing cards. At the base of the cards is the word COMPUTER to remind you they belong to the computer. The background of this text is blue to remind you the computers score is shown in the blue on the score board.

4.	These cards are the cards in the box.

5.	This card represents the card turned face up during the cut of the cards. This card is not displayed until after both players have played two cards into the box. This card is used when evaluating the value of the box and each players hand.

6.	The total of cards played is displayed here.

7.	The cards played by the human are displayed here. After a play has reached 31 or both players have passed the cards played to that point will be turned face down.

8.	The cards played by the computer are displayed here.


Playing The Game

To play the game select the Deal menu item  off the Game menu ..

If the deal menu item is disabled it may be because:

1. The game is over as a player has scored 101 points. Select New  to start a new game.

2. You have not finished playing the current hand.

Rules Of The Game

Strategy And Hints


Selecting A Card

To select a card click anywhere on the visible cards. The only cards that are selectable are those that are face up in your hand. A card signifies that it is selected by being moved slightly to the right the other cards in your hand.

The number and type of cards that can be selected vary according to the stage of the game. The computer will not allow you to select an invalid card and play it.


Scoring

Scoring occurs both during play and during the card counting phase of the game. The scoring can be broken down into a number of categories.

Playing the Hand

Runs

Runs occur when the two players play consecutively cards whose face value either increase or decrease on each play. A run is scored at one point per card in the run for each player who adds a card to the run after the second card in the run.

Eg.	player 1 plays a 4
player 2 plays a 5
player 1 plays a 6 - player 1 earns 3 points for the run (+2 points for 15).
player 2 plays a 7 - player 2 earns 4 points for the run
player 1 plays a 6 - no points scored

Pairs

Pairs occur when the two players play cards consecutively with the same face value. Pairs are scored at 2 points for a pair, 6 for three of a kind and 12 points for 4 of a kind.

15

When the total of the cards played exactly adds up to 15 the player who played the card to reach this total is awarded 2 points. Note Aces are scored as 1 and Jack, Queen and King are scored as 10.

31

When the total of the cards played exactly adds up to 31 the player who played the card to reach this total is awarded 2 points.  Note Aces are scored as 1 and Jack, Queen and King are scored as 10.

Last Played

If no player can play on a hand either because it would exceed 31 or they have run out of cards then the last player to play on the hand is awarded 1 point.

Scoring the Hands and Box

Runs

Runs occur when a hand or box contains at least 3 consecutive cards of any suit by face value. Runs are scored at 1 point for each card in the run. It is impossible for a run to include both an Ace and a King.

Pairs

A pair is counted whenever 2 or more of the same face value card exists in the players hand or box. Pairs are scored at 2 points per pair. Three of a kind is worth 6 points and 4 of a kind is worth 12 points.

Fifteens

A fifteen is counted for every combination of cards in the players hand or box that add up to 15. For each 15 the player earns 2 points. When totalling cards to 15 an Ace is worth 1 and Jack, Queen and King are all worth 10.

Flushes

Flushes are not scored for the box. A flush occurs when a player has 4 or more cards of the same suit in his hand. A flush is scored at 1 point for each card in the flush.

The Nob

The nob is the jack of the suit of the deck top card. If the nob is held in either a players hand or in the box then 1 point is credited to the player owning the hand or box. If the top card is a jack then the one point is scored when evauating the value of hand of the player who owns the box. It is not counted in the box or the other players hand.


The Play Button

The play button is situated on the main window. The play button is used whenever you wish to:

Play cards into the box

Play a card

Pass on play. (you can only pass if you cannot play)

If the Play button is disabled then it is safe to assume that you are not in a position to play or you have not selected appropriate cards.


About

Author : Keith Westley

Address : 15 Scotney Place
Quakers Hill, 2763
NSW, Australia

Internet : Keith.S.Westley@ac.com

DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT

Users of CRIB must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "CRIB" is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.  The author assumes no liability for damages,direct or consequential, which may result from the use of "CRIB".

FREEWARE NOTICE

CRIB is a "freeeware program" and is provided at no charge to the user. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.

Anyone distributing CRIB for any kind of remuneration must first contact Keith Westley at the address above for authorisation.  You are encouraged to pass a copy of CRIB along to your friends.

Copyright laws apply to both Freeware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software to anyone as long as the following files are included :

       README.TXT

       CRIB.EXE

       CRIB.HLP


What Has Changed In Release 2

The following changes have been made in this release:

-	I am now giving this software aware as freeware, rather than shareware so all limitations of the shareware version have been removed. (who in their right mind would pay for this?