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Help For MHearts
Introduction
Welcome to the network Hearts server. The rules of MHearts are below. The challenge and move commands for MHearts are described here. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games.
MHearts Command Summary
- mhearts challenge [ parameters ] userid1 userid2 userid3 userid4
- Start a new game. Four players are required.
parameters:
- -jack
- The Jack of Diamonds will be worth -10 points.
- -nojack
- The Jack of Diamonds has no special significance. This is the default.
- -blood
- "Blood" may be drawn on the first trick of a hand. That is, you may throw a heart or the Queen of Spades on the first trick of a hand.
- -noblood
- "Blood" may not be drawn on the first trick of a hand. This is the default.
- mhearts move board userid password move
- Make a move on the specified board (if it is your turn).
Rules for Hearts
INTRODUCTION
MHearts is a trick-winning card game. The object is to win the least number of points, or to get all the possible points.STARTING
13 cards are dealt to each of the 4 players. You start by choosing 3 cards to pass to player to your left. For your first move, you will enter the abbreviations of the 3 cards you have chosen, for example:
mhearts move 123 user pass 2h,Qs,5c
where 2H, QS, and 5C are the thee cards that you wish to pass.
All players pass cards simultaneously, and you will not see your new cards until all players have submitted their pass move.
The player with the two of clubs in their hand goes first, and the card will be played automatically once the cards have been passed.
PLAY
When it is your turn, submit a move specifying the card in your hand that you wish to play. Once all players have played a card into the trick, the winner takes the entire trick and places it in their won pile. The winner of a trick is the player who played the highest card of the same suit led in the current trick.Leading: You may not lead with a heart until hearts have been broken.
Playing: You should follow the suit that was led, unless you do not have that suit -- then you may play a card of another suit. If you are the first player to play a heart card, then hearts are "broken" and may be led in a trick.
The winner of trick will lead the next trick.
Once all cards have been played, the cards will be re-dealt and you must now select three cards to pass to the player to your right. For the third hand, you will pass three cards to the player across from you, and for the fourth hand, you will not pass any cards. The cycle repeats for subsequent hands.
SCORING
Scoring will be done after each hand. Each heart is worth 1 point and the Queen of spades is worth 13 points.If a player takes all 13 hearts and the queen of spades, he will have "shot the moon" and will receive no points, while all his opponents will have 26 points added to their score.
If the "-jacks" option is specified, the player who took the JD will have 10 points subtracted from their score.
ENDING THE GAME
The game is over when one player has 100 points or more. The player with the fewest points is the winner.If two players are tied, another hand will be played to break the tie.
