60-2701.fm Page 1 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM Please read before using this equipment.
60-2701.fm Page 2 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM ˆ Contents Introduction ................................................ 3 Preparation ................................................. 4 Installing Batteries ................................... 4 Rules of Spades ...................................... 6 Bidding and Scoring ................................ 8 Blind Bidding ....................................... 9 Underbidding/Sandbags ................... 10 Nil Bidding .......................................
60-2701.fm Page 3 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM ˆ Introduction Your RadioShack Color FX2 Spades game combines the intensity of a bidding card game with the convenience of a hand-held game. The game has three levels of difficulty, which is perfect for both beginner and advanced players. You can use the easy-to-understand “Rules of Spades” on Page 6 as well as the convenient “Glossary of Terms” on Page 16 to learn the game.
60-2701.fm Page 4 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM ˆ Preparation INSTALLING BATTERIES Your game requires four AA batteries (not supplied) for power. For the best performance and longest life, we recommend RadioShack alkaline batteries. Cautions: • Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type. • Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries (standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacities.
60-2701.fm Page 5 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM 1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the battery compartment cover’s screw, then lift the cover off. 2. Place the batteries in the compartment as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) marked inside. 3. Replace the cover and secure it with its screw. When the display dims, the sound becomes weak or distorted, or the game stops operating properly, replace the batteries. Warning: Dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn or bury them.
0-2701.fm Page 6 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that can destroy electronic parts. Note: When you replace the batteries, all game memory is lost. RULES OF SPADES You (PLAYER) play spades with your virtual partner (PARTNER) against two computer opponents (COMP.1 and COMP. 2). The object of the game is to win as many tricks as your team bids to outscore your opponents. After the game shuffles the deck, teams bid how many tricks they think they can win.
60-2701.fm Page 7 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM Play your turn when the game prompts you. The first player opens the hand with a high card to attempt to win the trick. Each player in turn must play a card in the lead suit, if they have one. The player who plays the highest card in the suit wins the trick for their team and begins the next trick by leading a card in the desired suit. A player may choose to cut the hand if he/she does not have cards in the lead suit.
60-2701.fm Page 8 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM Each suit is ordered lowest to highest, from the 2 to the Ace. BIDDING AND SCORING After all of the 13 tricks in a hand are played out, the game compares the number of tricks each team has won with how much they had bid. The higher you bid the more you can win (or lose). If a team equals or exceeds their bid, they get 10 points for each trick they bid plus 1 point for each extra trick. For example: A team bids 5 and wins 8 tricks: 5×10+3 = 53.
60-2701.fm Page 9 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM For example: A team bids 5 and wins 4 tricks: –5×10 = –50. That team loses 50 points from their score. Blind Bidding You can try to guess how many tricks your team can win before dealing the hand (bid blind). The game prompts you to select this option when you are 100 points behind the computer players. If a team makes their blind bid, they get twice their bid multiplied by 10 added to their score.
60-2701.fm Page 10 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM • The penalty for not winning the amount of tricks bid blind is twice as much as a normal bid: (5×–2)×10 = –100. Underbidding/Sandbags If you bid four tricks but win seven tricks, your score is only 43 (as opposed to a possible 70). You then have three sandbags. For every 10 sandbags a team has, that team loses 100 points from their score. Nil Bidding If a player feels that a dealt hand is particularly bad, the player may choose to bid nil (0 tricks).
60-2701.fm Page 11 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM Big Moe and Little Moe If a team takes the first six tricks in a hand, they get an extra 50 points added to their score (Little Moe). If they take the first eight tricks in a hand, they get an extra 100 points added to their score (Big Moe). Two for Ten Any team that bids 10 tricks and makes it gets an extra 100 points (for a total of 200 points) added to their score for the hand.
60-2701.fm Page 12 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM TURNING THE GAME ON/ OFF To turn on the game, press ON/OFF. The game automatically turns off after about 4 minutes if you do not press any keys, to conserve battery power. To turn the game off sooner, press ON/OFF. The game stores the current game status and score in memory. To resume the game where you left off, press ON/OFF again. TURNING THE SOUND ON/ OFF The game is preset to sound a tone each time you press a key.
60-2701.fm Page 13 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM ˆ Playing the Game 1. Press ON/OFF to turn on the game. (If you have played the game before, the display shows where you left off in the last game.) 2. Repeatedly press MODE to select the desired game level (BEGINNER, EXPERT, or PRO). 3. Press START/BID/ENTER to enter the setting. 4. Repeatedly press RIGHT or LEFT to increase or decrease the bid from 0 to 13.
60-2701.fm Page 14 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM 5. Press START/BID/ENTER to enter the setting. 6. Press START/BID/ENTER again to start a new game. Each player gets 13 cards, but you can only see your own hand. Once all the cards are dealt, they appear in order (clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades), with the cards in each suit arranged from low to high, right to left. Press RIGHT or LEFT to move the blinking arrow to a card you want to play. Press START/BID/ENTER to play the desired card.
60-2701.fm Page 15 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM (PLAYER) and your virtual partner’s (PARTNER) scores are counted together for the team score. COMP. 1 and COMP. 2 scores’ are counted together toward their team total, as well. The winner is the team that reaches 500 points. Or, if one side keeps losing (up to –999 points), the other team wins the game. Notes: • BLIND BID flashes whenever your team is 100 points behind the other team.
60-2701.fm Page 16 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM each team wins for the current game. The game also shows the number of underbids, sandbags, and points each team won (or lost) on previous games, when you press SCORE. ˆ Glossary of Terms B bid, 6 — how many tricks you think your hand can win. Big Moe, 11 — taking the first eight tricks in a hand and winning 100 points. blind bid, 9 — bidding without first looking at your hand. Boston, 11 — winning all 13 tricks in a hand and earning 300 extra points.
60-2701.fm Page 17 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM breaking a suit, 7 — playing the first spade (of a hand) when you do not have the dealt suit. C cutting the hand, 7 — playing a spade when you do not have the dealt suit (see also “breaking a suit”). H hand, 6 — a round of play in the game. L Little Moe, 11 — taking the first six tricks in a hand and winning an extra 50 points. N nil, 6 — a bid of zero tricks. S sandbag, 10 — underbidding; the amount by which a hand is underbid.
60-2701.fm Page 18 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM set, 8 — bidding a certain amount of tricks and not making the bid. suit, 7 — the four different sets of cards that make up a deck: hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades. T trick, 6 — the individual round within a hand of cards; also, the card that wins a hand. Two for Ten, 11 — bidding and winning 10 tricks, for 200 extra points. W winning a hand, 6 — playing the high card in a trick.
60-2701.fm Page 19 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM pointed object (such as a straightened paper clip) to press RESET on the back of game. CARE Keep the game dry; if it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Use and store the game only in normal temperature environments. Handle the game carefully; do not drop it. Keep the game away from dust and dirt, and wipe it with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking new.
60-2701.fm Page 20 Tuesday, June 27, 2000 2:04 PM Limited Ninety-Day Warranty This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers.
