Casino Trifecta: Tutorial
CASINO TRIFECTA IS A SIMPLE GAME OF ADDITION, SUBTRACTION & MATCHING. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CAPTURE MORE POINT CARDS THAN YOUR OPPONENT.
Don't be scared off because the game screen looks 'busy'. Those 4 rectangles outside the playing table are there for your convenience, to keep score in real time and keep track of your captures. There's nothing you need to do with them.
(email questions to casinotrifecta@aol.com)
Casino Trifecta: The Basics
HOW MANY PLAY?
This is a two-person game that will go through a single deck of 52 cards one time. It only takes about ten minutes to play the online game.
CARD ABBREVIATIONS
A = Ace
K = King
Q = Queen
J = Jack
(Ace can be a 1 when building)
WHAT'S AN AVATAR?
It's the cartoon face you choose to represent you as a player.
WHAT'S A HAND?
It's the group of 4 cards near the bottom of the screen that you are dealt in each round.
HOW MANY ROUNDS ARE THERE?
6 ... Players alternate who goes first in each round. So you will go first in rounds 1,3,5 or 2,4,6.
WHAT'S THE TABLE?
It's the large part of the screen in the center. On each turn, you will move a card from your hand to the table.
WHAT'S A TRIFECTA?
It's when you score 1 point by capturing 3 face cards in any of the following combinations. To capture a trifecta, click and drag one of the two facecards on the table... and move it onto the other facecard. Then play the facecard in your hand onto the two facecards on the table... and click capture.
KQJ
KKK
QQQ
JJJ
WHAT ARE THE TWO GREEN ARROWS ON EACH SIDE OF THE TABLET?
Use them to scroll left or right when there are more than 7 columns of cards.
WHAT'S A LIFELINE?
It's a powerful move that you can only do once per game. There are 3 lifelines.
1.Your Secret Card
Is worth 1 point if you capture it during the game. You can also capture your opponent's secret card for 1 point. You will be prompted to select a secret card before each game and most players pick a heart or a club. As a reminder, a star will appear in the upper right corner of your card.
2.Pass
Once per game you can skip a turn. Your opponent cannot pass in the same round.
3.Subtraction
Is 3 cards only, and your opponent cannot steal it.
HOW DO YOU MOVE CARDS?
Just click and drag a card just as you would in "Solitaire"
HOW DO YOU CAPTURE CARDS?
You can move a card from your hand and place it on top of a table card. Then click one of the following action buttons...
1.Build (which means addition)
Example... When it's your turn, move a 3 from your hand to the table, on top of a 5 ... and click 'Build'. Computer will display 'Build 8'. On one of your next turns, move an 8 from your hand to on top of the 3 & 5 and click 'Capture'. Your opponent can steal your build if he has an 8.
Change Build ... You or your opponent can add a 2 to the above build to change it to a 'Build 10'.
Your hand must have the top card (highest card) to capture a build. The top card cannot come from the table.
Multiple build ... Example ... Use a 9 to capture a build of 2,3,4.
Group build: You can group together any amount of cards as long as you have the final card. Example: If you're building 10, you can have the following cards: (a 9 and ace) plus (a 2 and 8) plus (2,3,5) plus (another 10) Then when you capture (all of the above cards) with the 10 in your hand, you have just captured nine cards in one build.
You cannot build a KQJ but you can capture a KQJ. Example... K and J are on the table by themselves. You play the Q in your hand to capture all 3 cards.
2.Build Same (which means matching)
Example ... There's a 7 on the table & two 7's in your hand. Move a 7 from your hand to on top of the 7 on the table and click 'Build Same'. That means you can only capture the 'build same' with another 7. (Your opponent can steal it if he has a 7.) On one of your next turns, move your last 7 to the table & click 'Capture'.
You can 'Build same' for KKK, QQQ, or JJJ.
You can insert cards in your 'build same' like this 2 and 3. Example ... 5,5,2,3 captured by a 5.
Sometimes you have to choose between build or build same. Example ... You play a 2 & 3 and click build 5. Then you play a 5 on top but you're not done. So with 2,3,5 you can click build 10 or build same 5 depending on what your final card is.
3.Subtraction
This is 1 of your 'lifelines' because you can only do it once per game. It's 3 cards only and your opponent cannot steal it. Note: You must click 'Subtraction' in the lower right BEFORE you click on any cards. Example... There's a 10 on the table and you have a 2 & 8 in hand. On your turn, move the 2 (or 8) on top of the 10 & click 'Subtraction'. On one of your next turns move your other card (2 or 8) to the table and click 'Capture'.
4.Capture
You click 'Capture' after you have played your top card (highest card) in any of the above actions. You can also match 2 equal cards for a capture. Example ... move a jack in your hand onto a jack on the table and then click 'Capture'.
The cards will move from the table to your 'Captured card' tracker on the right.
You can also move a table card to include in your action.
But you must play one card from your hand when it's your turn unless you click 'Pass'
WHAT IS THE RESET BUTTON?
If you move cards around, but change your mind before you hit an action button, you can hit ‘Reset' to return all the cards to their original position at the start of your turn.
HOW DO YOU TAKE TURNS?
The computer will decide randomly who goes first. When you click an 'action' button such as ... Build, Build same, Capture, Pass, or Subtract, the green arrow displaying 'It's your turn' will switch from your avatar to your opponent's avatar.
If you play a card, but don't use any 'action' button, then click the drop button to end your turn.
HOW DOES THE TIMER WORK?
You have 60 seconds to make a move. If time expires, your opponent receives 1 point. The timer then resets to 60 seconds, and it remains your turn. On the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th violations, your opponent gains another point each time. A 5th violation results in a forfeit, giving the win to your opponent.
If you just move a card from your hand to alone on the table, click the drop button to end your turn.
WHICH ARE THE POINT CARDS?
Points
10 of diamonds
2
2 of spades
1
Aces
1
Any Trifecta | KQJ, KKK, QQQ, JJJ,
1
Flush trifecta (all 3 face cards have the same suit)
2
Secret card
1
Points
Any 5-card build
1
Any 6-card build
2
Any 7-card build ...etc.
3
If there are other point cards in your build, you get those points too.
Bonus points at the end of the game (on your 'Captured card tracker'.)
Most Cards (If 26 & 26, each player gets a half point.)
1
Most Spades
1
Most Diamonds
1
WHAT ARE THE 4 SPECIAL CARDS WITH SPECIAL POWERS?
  • 1. One-eyed jack (of spades) can be used as an 11 or a jack.
  • 2. One-eyed jack (of hearts) can be used as an 11 or a jack.
  • 3. Queen of spades can be used as a 12 or a queen.
  • 4. King of spades can be used as a wild card from 3 to 9, or a king.
WHAT IS THE CARD COUNTER (CARD TRACKER) on the left?
It's the box that highlights all cards which have been dealt. Unlike Vegas, you won't get kicked out for counting cards. Example... If you want to build 10, check the card tracker to see how many 10's have yet to be dealt. (Your opponent might have one.) At the end of each round, the previous 8 cards dealt will be highlighted.
WHAT ARE THE CAPTURED CARD TRACKERS on the right?
Whenever you capture cards, they will move from the table to your captured card tracker. Each capture will be noted by a different color. It will also keep track of your bonus points for the game's end ... (most cards, most spades, most diamonds)
WHAT IS THE POINT TRACKER on the left?
It keeps track of the score in real time.
WHAT IF THE SCORE IS TIED?
Whoever owns the Ace of Spades is the winner.
LAST CAPTURE OF THE GAME
Gets all remaining cards on the table.
YOU NOW KNOW THE BASICS AND CAN PLAY A GAME OF CASINO TRIFECTA

Supplemental Notes

WAITING FOR AN OPPONENT
Once you enter a request to play, you wait until someone else in the world requests to play and that person will be your opponent appearing in the top of the screen.
FIRST DEAL
The computer will pass out 4 cards to each player and 4 cards face up on the table. Each player can see their own cards, but not their opponents' cards. Round 1 is the only round where the computer deals cards to the table. Neither player can see their opponent’s 4 cards until they are placed on the table and he chooses an action.
PLAY THE FIRST ROUND
The player chosen to start will begin by playing one of the 4 cards in his hand. Click and drag one of your 4 cards forward onto the 'table'. Each player must play one card at a time (unless a pass was used). The players alternate until each player has used up his 4 cards for that round.
ALTERNATE ROUNDS
Players will alternate who goes first at the beginning of each round. So if you go last in round 1 and first in round 2, you would try to leave good cards on the table at the end of round 1.
SEPARATE BUILDING POINTS ON THE POINT TRACKER
If the 10 of diamonds was captured as part of a build, then those 2 points would be listed on the line for the 10 of diamonds and not included in the line for ‘builds’. (i.e. don’t count it twice)
COMPUTER WILL BLOCK ILLEGAL PLAYS
Note: The computer must recognize if a player is trying to make an illegal play. If so, then the computer should not let him place that card on the table. The computer will display an error message. Example: A player clicks and drags his 3 to be on top of a 4 (to build a 7) but he doesn’t have a 7. The computer will not let him do that. However, if he’s also got a 2 and a 9 available, then the computer will allow it. The player always has to have the final top card in his hand. You can’t use the highest number card from the table. It has to be in your hand.
WHAT IS THE 'QUIT' BUTTON?
Click on 'Quit' to forfeit the game and exit to the home screen.
THE KING OF SPADES WILD CARD
The king of spades is a wild card which can be used as a king or you can designate it to be any number from 3 to 9. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
When you want to play the king of spades as a build, build same, subtract, or capture a number card, you will be prompted to enter a number value for it from a pop-up screen. If the king of spades is already on the table, click the pencil icon above it to generate the pop-up box to choose it's value.
So it's possible but rare to capture five 3's or five 9's. That would score 2 points. If you play the king of spades onto the table by itself, no number value is assigned yet.

OTHER POINT CARDS

4 of a kind adds 1 point to what you'd normally get.

Points
4 sevens, or 4 sixes, etc
1

Point

4 twos
2

because the 2 of spades is a point.

4K or 4Q or 4J
2

because 3 kings is 1 point.

Points
4 tens
3

because 10 of diamonds is 2 points.

4 aces
5

because 4 aces are 4 points.

5 of a kind (using the king of spades as a wild card from 3 to 9) gets 2 points.