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Video Card Arcade
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Document created by rstuart@ukonline.co.uk on 22nd Nov 99 for
World of Spectrum: http://www.void.demon.nl/spectrum.html

Taken from the CDS compilation 'The Complete Home Entertainment Centre'.

VIDEO CARD ARCADE brings you three of the most popular card games. Play
Poker Royal, Pontoon or High Low and hope lady luck is on your side in your
bid to get on the high score table.

Loading Instructions
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All the programs will load in 48K Basic mode using LOAD"".

Poker Royal: The Game
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The computer will display five cards dealt at random. You then have to
decide which cards to hold, before the remainder are redealt. The aim of the
game is to accumulate as many points as possible in the bank. You start with
twenty credits, and bonus credits are awarded when you score over 200 points.
The hands score as follows:-

  300 points  Royal flush - ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit.
  200 points  Straight flush - five numerically consecutive cards of the same
              suit, the highest being that led by a king and so on down the
              rank.
  150 points  Four of a kind - any four cards of the same value, the highest
              being four aces. The fifth card in the hand does not count.
  100 points  Full house - three cards of one value, together with two of
              another, the highest being three aces and two kings.
  80 points   Flush - any five cards of the same suit, the value of the flush
              depending on the value of the highest card.
  60 points   Straight - five numerically consecutive cards of any mixture of
              suits, the value depending on the highest card.
  40 points   Three of a kind - any three cards of the same value, ranking
              from three aces downwards. The other two cards in the hand
              do not count.
  20 points   Two pairs - two cards of the same value and of any suit, and
              two of another. The higher fifth card in the hands decides the
              winner between two pairs of equal value.

  KEYS
  1-5    Hold/Keep respective cards    M      Return to menu
  ENTER  Deal cards                    SPACE  Cancel last choice

High Low: The Game
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The computer will deal five cards of which the first one is revealed. You
are given the option of changing this first card. Once you have decided
to keep it you have to decide whether the subsequent cards are higher or
lower than the preceding card. You start with twenty credits, and bonus
credits are awarded when you score over 200 points.

The hands are as follows:-
  300 points  Full house               150 points  Flush
  100 points  Straight                 80 points   Three of a kind
  40 points   Two pairs                20 points   Any other

Aces can be high or low but not both. Sould you get two cards of the same
value following each other, then to decide which is higher or lower follow
the ranking of suits; Hearts (high), Spades, Diamonds, Clubs (low).

  KEYS                                  ENTER  Deal cards
  H      Higher                         L      Lower
  C      Change Card                    M      Return to menu

Pontoon (Twenty One): The Game
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The computer will deal the player two cards and itself two cards, of which
one is hidden. You then have to decide whether to twist (take another card)
or stick (settle for the cards you have) and hope the computer goes bust
(scores over twenty one). The Ace can score as either one or eleven. You
start with twenty credits and bonus credits are awarded when you score over
200 points. The aim of the game is to get a score as close to twenty one
as possible without going bust yourself. There are various special hands you
can get which whilst all scoring twenty one or under count for more points.

The hands score as follows:-
  300 points   7, 7, 7                  200 points  6 card trick
  150 points   6, 7, 8 (Any order)      100 points  5 card trick
  60  points   2 card 21                20  points  21 and under

  KEYS
  T      Twist                          S      Stick
  ENTER  Deal cards                     M      Return to menu
