News From the Dragon's Lair August 2007
Back to School

Welcome Back!

Time to hit those books again now that we've reached the end of summer. If you're like me, you're ready to get back into the swing of things after a (hopefully) relaxing summer!

We hope you enjoyed your vacations this summer! As for us, you'll see we've been working hard with our new All-Star Expansion Pack and 100% Free Card and Board games update! Also be sure to check out our exclusive buy 1 get 1 free offer this month as we jump back into school!


IN THIS ISSUE:

Jump Back Into School Savings
All-Stars 7.08 Update
All-Stars Giveaway Extended
100% Free Card & Board Games
Cribbage: Tips For Your Game
Answers to Last Month's Contest
Back to School Trivia
Meet a DQ All-Star


Jump Back Into School Savings

From now until September 7th, get a Free Championship Checkers game with every Championship Mahjongg Solitaire purchase!

Championship Mahjongg Solitaire features a myriad of options including several different tile sets, game layouts, backgrounds and more. You can even design and play with your own tile layout!

Championship Mahjongg MenuChampionship Mahjongg Options
Click to Enlarge!

Championship Mahjongg Solitaire includes:

  • 20 different tile sets
  • High quality music selections
  • Choose from over 50 backbrounds
  • Windows Vista ready
  • Over 100 game layouts

Purchase your copy of Championship Mahjongg Solitaire at $19.99 and get Championship Checkers Pro with All-Stars Expansion Pack absolutely free!

Learn more at http://dqsoft.com/offer/mahjongg

Hurry! Offer ends September 7th.

Last Month's Contest - Time To Get Grilled Trivia

Question: Which city, located in our very own USA, is known as the Barbecue Capital of the World?

Answer:

  1. Denver, Colorado
  2. Phoenix, Arizona
  3. Lexington, North Carolina
  4. Cleveland, Ohio
Contest Winners:

  • Laurie Hogan
  • Chuck Dotson
  • Tom Thompson

Congratulations and thanks for playing.


All-Stars Expansion Pack 7.08 Update

All-Star Expansion Pack

Get your hands on the latest 7.08 update of the popular All-Stars Expansion Pack! The newest All-Star Expansion Pack includes a graphical update, better support for online play, and is available for the newest Windows Vista platform for PC.

The All-Stars Expansion Pack features 24 newly redesigned characters, colorful menus, and the addition of the coveted DreamCoach(TM), a personal playing coach that tells players the "why" behind a game hint. The is an addition for DreamQuest's Championship Pro, known for extensive player options and multiple game variations, including: Cutthroat, Kaluki, Spots, Modern, and more.

Download your 7.08 All-Stars Expansion Pack at http://dqsoft.com/download.html


All-Stars Giveaway Extended until August 17th!

All-Stars Giveaway

In celebration of our latest 7.08 release of the All-Star Expansion Pack, we decided to extend the All-Stars Giveaway sale!

All-Star Expansion Pack includes:

  • 24 newly redesigned menus
  • Colorful menus, card and decks
  • Personal DreamCoach
  • Hint and Undo buttons easily accessible right on the game screen
  • Windows Vista ready

Share your 2nd game with friends or family and play with each other online! Add one All-Star Expansion Pack to your Championship Pro game for only $9.99, or get 3 or more for only $24.99.

Download your 7.07 All-Stars Expansion Pack at http://dqsoft.com/download.html

Buy It!

This special offer lasts until July 16th!


100% Free Card and Board Games 7.08 Update

Try out the newest 100% Free Card and Board Games on your PC!

The update includes an overall graphical enchancement, addressed online bugs, and added support for the new Windows Vista platform.

Each game features 6 different game variations including: Cutthroat, Suicide, British, Modern, Kaluki, and more. Players can play these variations on their own, or join online games and tournaments at DQzone.com.

100% Free Spades

The 100% Free Card and Board Games have always been a favorite on popular download sites CNet and Tucows due to their list of features and player appeal.

Download your 100% Free Card and Board games at http://dqfree.com


 

Cribbage: Logic, A Five-letter Word for Thinking!

Learn strategies from two expert Cribbage players: highest rated tournament player, Cribbage Champion Delynn Colver.

After playing several hundred games of cribbage, standard plays become apparent. You will be able to develop "X-ray" vision, a la Superman, if you work at it! This is especially true when playing accomplished players like old Jake, the "snake" (your imaginary expert opponent). Beginning players make too many mistakes to allow full play of logic but, of course, it works to some degree on all players.

A winning cribbage player must be able to read his opponent's hand rapidly. This ability is acquired through study, practice and critical observation of your opponent's habits and style of play. Surprisingly, the better the player, the easier it is to apply logic to read his game, his cards.

Beginners play hunches, make unorthodox plays and will surprise you with a poor play. These hunches and unorthodox plays, though confusing to the good player, will lead to defeat for the beginner. And despite being able to read the good player's hand by applying logic, the good player will be tougher to defeat. The good player's game is based upon playing the odds, applying his analysis of your game and his hard, cold logic -- a very tough combination to beat. Without applying logic of your own, the consistent logical play from the good player will beat you. But, by applying good, sound logic you will, at worst, play to a stalemate and, at best, come out victorious.

Let's have an example of how to apply logic. Your analysis of Jake's board position indicates he will be playing defensively. As the non-dealer he leads a Q. Immediately, you may deduce he does not have the small five combinations (1-4 or 2-3) or any 2s, 3s or 4s, nor does he have a K (unless he has two or more Q). Why? A defensive play would be to lead a 2-3-4 (a 57% less chance of your opponent scoring on a small card lead -- three losers vs. seven losers if a lone Q is led). Jake may have a lone A, 5s or he may have led a "sleeper" Q to his basic 6-7-8 combinations. But his lead, by logic, almost certainly ruled out any 2-3-4 cards remaining in his hand.

You play a 5 on the Q lead for a 15-2. Jake plays a J for 25. You now deduce that J has all "ten" cards remaining, probably another Q and a 10, with a lone A or K a possibility. Why? If he had two J, he would not dump one here, but would dump a lone J or "ten" card (the most likely lone "ten" card to be dumped is the J). If Jake does have two Js, then he also has two Q (with the Q being the first play...the safer defensive play). And since Jake did not pair your 5, his chances of having a 5 have dimmed (unless he is playing desperation defense and pairs royal would surely beat him). After seeing Jake's first two cards, logic decrees that the remaining two cards are, in order of probability, Q, 10, K, J and A. Since the Q play was followed by a J, the Q was not a "sleeper", but part of a basic "ten" card combination.

You play a 6 for 31. Jake begins a new sequence with another Q. Now logic tells you the odds are that the remaining card is most likely a 10 or a K, the next most likely card would be a J, then the A, and then any "sleeper" cards (6-7-8-9) or a third Q. You would then play a card that Jake would not logically have in his hand -- a 2, 3 or 4. You hold a 3 and a 4. You play the 3 for 13 (remember, logic decrees Jake may have an A -- if you played the 4 for 14, Jake may play an A for 15-2).

Jake does have an A for 14. You complete play with your 4 for 18 and a go.


Back to School Trivia

Question: Which institution of higher learning was the first coeducational school, with an enrollment class of 78 male and 36 female students, in the United States?

Answer:

  1. Oberlin College
  2. Stanford University
  3. Harvard University
  4. Franklin and Marshall College

3 correct entries chosen at random will receive a deck of official DreamQuest playing cards!

Submit entries to contest@dqsoft.com by September 7th.


Meet a Featured DQ Allstar

Blue10

This month’s DQ All-Star is Scarrlett. Scarrlett is always friendly and upbeat during online games and in the forums. She always gives us great feedback, both about things she likes and dislikes, and she has always been very supportive of our company.

We’d like to thank Scarrlett for her input and kindness.

DreamQuest Software Copyright © 2007
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