Bridge for Palm OS Manual
from Stand Alone, Inc.
Table of Contents
1 Welcome and Registration
1.1 About Bridge
1.2 System Requirements
1.3 Registering Bridge
1.4 Contacting Stand Alone Inc.
1.4.1 Business Hours
1.4.2 Email
1.4.3 Phone
1.4.4 Regular Mail
1.4.5 World Wide Web
1.5 Reporting Bugs
2 Playing Bridge on
Your Palm Device
2.1 Installing Bridge for the Palm OS
2.2 Starting a New Game
2.3 Bidding
2.4 Details of the Main Screen
2.5 Your Hand
2.6 Bid Result
2.7 Tricks Taken
2.8 Starting the Hand
2.9 Playing a Card
2.10 Playing as the Dummy
2.11 Ending the Hand
3 Scoring
3.1 Bonus
3.2 Game Points
3.3 Total
3.4 OK
3.5 Reset Score
4 Menus and Preferences
4.1 Game Menu
4.1.1 New Game
4.1.2 Auto Play
4.1.3 Undo Round
4.2 Options Menu
4.2.1 Bids
4.2.2 Score
4.2.3 Preferences
1.1 About Bridge
Bridge is an electronic version of the card game for the Palm
Pilot Personal, Professional, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII devices.
It is great for learning the game, or for playing when you can't
find three other people.
Included in this archive are the following packages:
Bridge.prc
This is the software package that you need to install on your
PalmPilot.
BridgeManual.htm
This is an html version of the Bridge manual
BridgeManual.txt
This is a text only format of the user's manual.
SAStuff.txt
A list of all of the software available from Stand Alone, Inc.
1.2 System Requirements
Bridge is designed to work on both the PalmPilot, Professional
and Personal units, as well as the Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm V,
and Palm VII devices.
Throughout this manual, PalmPilot is used to refer to any of these
units.
1.3 Registering Bridge
Bridge is shareware, and costs $15.00
The Bridge Demo will work for a 30 day trial period. At the
end of the 30 Days, it will stop working. To avert this tragedy,
you will need to get in touch with
Stand Alone to register your software. You can register with us
by several different methods. Before it expires, it is fully functional,
with no hidden features.
You will need to include the following information, no matter
how you choose to register. Most importantly, you need to include
your name EXACTLY as it is entered
in your PalmPilot, including spaces. We use this to generate your
password, so it must be precise. You will need to specify which
programs you wish to register, and
include payment for each of them. We accept Visa, MasterCard,
and American Express. If you are using normal mail, you can send
us a check as well. Make sure to
include your card number, the expiration date, and what type of
card you are using. You also need to give us a way to get in touch
with you. Email is the preferred
way, followed by your address and phone number. An Email address
is not strictly necessary, but it will result in much faster service.
The easiest way to register our software is using our on-line order form.
For instant gratification, register by phone, and pay using
Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. To do so, call (773) 477-2492
and we will give you a password
right over the phone.
Alternatively, you can send us a check to the address below.
You can also email us. Just email us the relevant information,
and we'll send you a code. It is also possible to purchase Bridge
through PalmPilot Gear HQ at
www.pilotgear.com
Once you register, you will receive a password from us. To
install the password, first tap on the Menu silkscreen button.
Then, select Options, and tap Enter
Registration Code. Finally, enter your password on the space provided.
1.4 Contacting Stand Alone Inc.
There are several ways to get in touch with us here at Stand Alone,
Inc, but email is the preferred form of communication. If you
have any questions, comments,
suggestions or compliments, please don't hesitate to contact us
through any of the methods listed below.
1.4.1 Business Hours
Stand Alone is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday. We are
closed on Saturday and Sunday. These times are CST and GMT -5.
1.4.2 Email
internet: info@standalone.com
1.4.3 Phone
Voice: (773) 477-2492
Fax: (773) 477-2579
1.4.4 Regular Mail
Stand Alone, Inc.
3862 N. Lincoln Ave., 2nd Floor
Chicago IL, 60613
USA
1.4.5 World Wide Web
http://www.standalone.com
1.5 Reporting Bugs
If you find a bug in our software, it would be helpful if you
reported the bug to us. To report a bug, please Email us with
Bug Report Request in the subject line. In the
Email, include the following information:
What type of Palm device you are using (i.e. Personal)
The software name and version number (i.e. Super Names v1.34)
The error message
A brief description of how we can recreate the error
Your name and Email address so we can contact you when the bug
is fixed
When reporting bugs, it is best to Email us, rather than calling,
so that the programmers have a written record of the information
they need to solve the problem. As
soon as we receive your Email, the programmer will examine the
problem, and fix it. Because our programmers are busy creating
software, it can take a while for them
to reply, but they will release a new version of the software
that fixes the bug as soon as they can.
2 Playing Bridge
on Your Palm Device
This instruction manual does not attempt to teach you how to play
the game of Bridge, only how to use the features of the software.
If you wish to learn how to play Bridge, many fine books have
been written on the game. One good introductory book would be
Bridge for Dummies, by Eddie Kantar from the popular For Dummies
series. A concise introduction can be found at www.bridgeworld.com/begin.html.
Having said that, Bridge for the Palm OS can be a good aid to
learning the game, once you know the basic rules. Currently, the
Pilot is an okay player. To make it better, select the They See
All option under Preferences, as described in Section
4.2.3.
2.1 Installing Bridge for the Palm OS
To install Bridge, follow the normal procedures for installing
any software on your Palm device.
2.2 Starting a New Game
To start a new game, first open Bridge by tapping on its icon
in the Applications menu. Once Bridge is open, tap the Menu Button,
select the Game menu, and tap New Game.
2.3 Bidding
When you start a new game or a new hand, the Bid screen appears.
Also, your hand is visible at the bottom of the screen. You then
make your bid according to your hand. To make a bid, select the
suit, and the level of the bid by tapping on the number or icon.
Once you have selected both, tap the Bid button. The human player
is always in the South position, and your bid will appear in the
South column. If you do not wish to make a bid, tap the Pass button.
After you have bid, the three computer players will place their
bids. If you don't believe that your opponants can make their
bid, you have the option to double the stakes by tapping the Douple
button. They will then have the option to redouble you if they
choose. The bidding process will continue until three people in
a row pass.
The Pilot bids according to standard conventions, including the Stayman and Blackwood conventions. In order to assure that it can make its contracts, the Pilot currently bids slightly conservatively.
2.4 Details of the Main Screen
The Main Screen is where most of the game play occurs.
2.4.1 Your Hand
Your hand is always at the South position at the bottom of the
screen.
2.4.2 Bid Result
The top of the screen, to the right of the Bridge folder tab tells
you what the current bid is, and who the Determining player is.
You can also view the current bid through the Options menu described
in Section 4.2.1.
2.4.3 Tricks Taken
The upper right hand corner of the screen tells you how many tricks
have been taken by your team and your opponents.
2.5 Starting the Hand
Once the bidding has take n place, it is time to start playing
the hand. The player who made the final bid becomes the Declarer,
and the player opposite them the Dummy. The Dummy's hand is placed
face up, so everyone can see it. Play then starts to the person
to the left of the Declarer and then proceeds clockwise according
to the rules of Bridge.
2.6 Playing a Card
To play a card, tap the card you want to play. The hands controlled
by the computer play automatically. If you are the Declarer, you
will have to play for the Dummy hand as well as your own.
2.7 Playing as the Dummy
When you are in the Dummy position, you have the option of playing,
or letting the computer play for you. To set this option, see
Section 4.2.3.
2.8 Ending the Hand
When all the tricks have been taken, the hand ends. A screen then
appears that displays if the contract was successfully made or
not, and by how many tricks by which it was made or missed.
3 Scoring
At the end of each hand, the score screen appears showing the
points of each side. You can also view the score through the Options
menu described in Section 4.2.2.
3.1 Bonus
The Bonus line of the score screen shows any bonus points you
have accumulate d, either from this hand or previous ones.
3.2 Game Points
The Game Points screen are the points your have gained towards
winning hands. If you win 100 points, you win a game. If you win
two games, you win the Rubber.
3.3 Total
The Total line shows your total number of points.
3.3 OK
Tap this button when you are finished viewing the score.
3.4 Reset Score
Tap this button to reset the score to zero for both sides.
4 Menus and Preferences
Bridge has two menus of special features that you can access by
tapping the Menu silk-screen button.
4.1 Game Menu
The Game Menu includes three options.
4.1.1 New Game
Select this option to start a new game. This will reset the scores
to zero for both sides.
4.1.2 Auto Play
Auto Play has the Pilot play all of the hands. The speeds up the
game if you already know the result of a hand and do not wish
to play it through yourself.
4.1.3 Undo Round
This option resets the game to the previous round. This is useful
if you made a mistake in play and wish to correct it.
4.2 Options Menu
The Options menu gives you access to three special screens.
4.2.1 Bids
Selecting this option brings up the Bids screen, where you can
view the current bid.
4.2.2 Score
This option brings up the Score screen, where you can see the
current score.
4.2.3 Preferences
The Preferences screen gives you a number of options to fine tune
Bridge for the Palm OS to suit your needs.
During AutoPlay
Selecting Play Faster makes AutoPlay go through the hands more
quickly.
The Display Longer box makes it easier to see what was just played.
Tap either box to select it.
Draw Full Hand at the End of the Round
If this box is checked, you get to see each player's hand at the
end of the round.
Tap to End Turn
Selecting this box makes it so you have to tap the screen to end
each turn. This gives you time to examine the play of the last
round.
Human Plays When Dummy
If this box is checked, you will play for your team when you are
in the Dummy position.
AutoBid
If this box is checked, the Pilot will bid for you.
Auto Correct Incorrect Bids
If you check this box, any incorrect bid will be automatically
corrected for you. Even if this box isn't checked, you will not
be able to make an illegal bid.
Show Hands
Check the boxes of any of the players whose hands you wish to
see.
They See All (Improving the Pilot's Skill)
If you want the Pilot to play at a higher level, this is the box
to check. It allows the computer to see everyone's hand.
Grey Scale
If you have a Palm III or higher device, check this box to make
Bridge's graphics in grey scale. This will not work on Palm Personal
or Professional devices.