If you fancy a game of Whist and can't find three other people with the same inclinations then this program is for you. The program plays all three other hands, including your partner, and keeps a running score of tricks and hands. The graphical representation of the playing cars is as good as any that I have seen and the program's standard of card play seems quite reasonable (with the occasional blunder to maintain one's faith in the superiority of human intelligence!)

If you press ? before it's your turn to play the program will advise you on a card to play. The same key on any other player's move will induce him or her to reveal all their cards - something which human players may be reluctant to do. Another feature which is useful for practice is that you can replay a hand as often as you wish until you get it right.

A Whist program is rather simple compared with Bridge, Chess or Go and this one fits into Mode 1 with the program written entirely in Basic. Nevertheless, this program provides some entertainment and useful practice in the basics of card play.

Jonathan Evans