HEARTS 
     
          Most  card games are played for high score...but the object 
     in  Hearts is the least score.  The game has many  predecessors, 
     but  all  have become obsolete  by the modern  game which became 
     popular  in the  1920's.  The modern game  was known as   "Black 
     Lady"  on its introduction...the Black Lady being the additional 
     penalty  card,  Dirty Dora,  Lil,  Calamity Jane,  Black Maria - 
     the Queen of Spades. 
     
                                THE GAME 
     
          Hearts  is  played with a single standard deck  of  playing 
     cards,   excluding  the  Jokers, to comprise a 52  card  playing 
     pack.  All but four cards each are delt to two players, the four 
     being  set aside as a pair of phantom tricks to be taken by  the 
     winner of the first trick.  If played with up to six players, an 
     alternate method is used in which  no phantom tricks are set up. 
     In these cases the deck is stripped of certain cards. With three 
     players, strip  the  two of clubs;   with five players,  the two 
     of clubs and the two of diamonds;  and with six players, the two 
     of clubs,  three of clubs,  two of diamonds,  and two of spades. 
     When all cards are delt,  play commences  to left of the dealer. 
     
     
                                  PLAY 
     
          The  player  at the left  of the dealer  makes the  opening 
     lead.   The other players in order must follow suit if  possible 
     otherwise  they  may make any discard.  In all suits the Ace  is 
     high.  Whoever beats the lead card takes the trick and leads the 
     next  trick with his choice.  The object of the game is to avoid 
     taking  Hearts  or the Queen of Spades - Dirty Dora.   When  all 
     of  the  tricks have been played, each player counts his  cards. 
     Low  score wins the hand...with one exception:  Should a  player 
     collect  all  of the Hearts as well as the Queen of Spades,   he 
     scores  nothing and all of the other players are given 26 points 
     as  a  penalty!   The game ends with a high cumulative score  of 
     500 points. 
     
     
                                 SCORING 
     
          Each Heart is worth 1 point. The Queen of Spades counts 13. 
     
     
     
                             USING THE KEYBOARD 
     
          VALUES - 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,1,J,Q,K,A. (The "1" equals a ten.) 
     SUITS - S,H,D,C.  Press <ESC> to quit midgame. 
     
     
                            PLAYING THE COMPUTER 
     
          This  game is designed to allow the computer to act as both 
     tutor and player.  It does not look at your hand to make playing 
     decisions  and  doesn't remember any of the cards in  your  hand 
     when  it  does  check them.  It checks your hand  only  to  make 
     certain that you play your tricks properly.  It counts cards and 
     keeps score for the game. It knows all of the rules and will not 
     not  allow you  to break them.   When you  are found  to be in a 
     rule-breaking  situation,  it  displays a message to assist you. 
     In   addition,  the  computer  plays  with  a certain degree  of 
     sophistry    and practices  a few of the  more bizarre   nuances 
     of the game.  You may  be certain that when you can consistently 
     beat the computer  you are playing  with a good degree of skill. 
  You may  be certain that when you can consistently 
     beat the compute