Introduction

Congratulations for choosing Beat the House 2, the premier casino simulator. Beat the House 2 captures the true Casino Gaming experience, featuring the most realistic tables, cards, chips, dice, and slot machines you will find in any casino simulation - including some new games that you have never seen before! Up to four players can compete or cooperate and win big (virtual) bucks at Mini-Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Slots, Poker Challenge, or Video Poker.

Beyond its beautiful graphics and realistic game play, Beat the House 2 has another, more important feature. Unlike any other casino simulation ever produced, Beat the House 2 actually teaches you the skills of a professional casino gambler. By reading the Beat the House Companion Book, and practicing its strategies with the help of the Beat the House 2 genius tutor, you will learn professional money management tactics, how (and why) to count cards in Blackjack, which bets give you the best odds in Craps, and the best strategies for winning at Video Poker, Poker Challenge, Slots, and Roulette.

Now you can bring the excitement of casino gambling home. You and your friends can have fun playing your favorite games while learning how to Beat the House.

What's New

Installation

The Games

Front Desk

Mini Baccarat

Blackjack

Roulette

Craps

Slot Machines

Video Poker

Poker Challenge


What's New

Beat the House 2 has a number of improvements over previous Beat the House editions. The biggest ones are the addition of two new games: Mini-Baccarat and Sklansky’s Poker Challenge. There are also four new slot machines, bringing the total to six! Also, the graphics have been greatly improved in this new edition, new sound files have been added for your gaming pleasure, the user interface has been greatly improved (including SpeedBet™), and player statistics are now available.

To take advantage of the improved graphics in Beat the House 2, your system should be running in true-color (24-bit) or high-color (16-bit).


Installation

To install Beat the House, follow the directions on your QuickStart card.

The game works best on a system running in high-color (16-bit) or true-color (24-bit) mode, but it will also work on 256 color (8-bit) systems.  See Settings - Control Panel - Display - Settings to check your video mode.


Casino Lobby

After the Intro sequences, the game begins at the casino lobby screen. This screen that lets you choose which casino game you would like to play. As you move the mouse around, the names of the casino areas will appear. To enter an area, simply click the mouse on that area. Before you play any of the casino games, you must register one or more players at the front desk.

Front Desk

Mini Baccarat

Blackjack

Roulette

Craps

Slot Machines

Video Poker

Poker Challenge


Front Desk

When you get to the front desk, the registry book automatically opens. Several options are now available to you:

Adding Your Name to the Register

Selecting an Entry

Deleting an Entry

Accessing Your Line of Credit

Repaying Loans

Player Statistics

Number of Players


Adding Your Name to the Register

If your name isn’t already in the casino register, you should add it to the list by following these steps:

•	First, select an empty registration slot. Using the mouse, click on an empty slot and a pen will appear in the slot. If there are no empty slots left, you will have to delete an old entry from the register (see Deleting an Entry).

•	Next, type in your name. You will notice that an X appears in the box next to your name. This shows that you have been checked into the casino to gamble (see Selecting an Entry).


Selecting an Entry

You can select up to four names from the casino register to gamble at the same time. An X in the box to the left of the name indicates selected entries. Once you have selected all of the people who are going to play, you can try your luck in the casino. Here’s how to select an entry:

•	With the mouse, just click on the box to the left of a name. An X will appear in the box indicating that the entry has been selected to join the gambling party. To remove the X, just click in the box again. You cannot select more than four entries at the same time. If you select a fifth name, one of the previously selected names will be un-selected.

NOTE: You can return to the front desk at any time to change the people (or the number of people) that you have selected.


Deleting an Entry

Sometimes it is necessary to delete an entry from the casino register to make room for another name. If you wish to do this, follow the steps below, but remember, once deleted, the entry will be lost forever.

•	With the mouse, click on the name that you wish to delete from the registration book. Make sure that the pen points to the name that you want to delete!

•	Now just click on the DELETE button, and the name will be removed from the register. The empty name box will now have a cursor in it so that you can immediately type in a new name (see Adding Your Name to the Register).


Accessing Your Line of Credit

In addition to a “gift” of two thousand dollars in chips, each player begins the game with a line of credit of ten thousand dollars. This is money that the casino will lend you to gamble with. Here is how to borrow additional money:

•	Using your mouse, click on the name of the player who wants to get more cash.

•	Click on the CREDIT button.

•	Click on the BORROW tab.

•	Enter the amount you wish to borrow. The maximum amount you can borrow is shown in the dialog box.


Repaying Loans

If you hit a jackpot and want to pay back some of the money that you borrowed from your line of credit, just follow the steps below:

•	Using your mouse, click on at the name of the player who wants to pay back a loan.

•	Click on the CREDIT button.

•	Click on the REPAY tab.

•	Enter the amount you wish to pay back. The amount you owe is shown in the dialog box.


Player Statistics

You can view any player’s statistics by clicking on the “Statistics” button at the bottom of the screen. You can view the statistics for one game, or for all games for a single player.


Number of Players

You can store up to 9 players in the Beat the House 2 registry. Up to 4 players may be active at once.


MINI-BACCARAT

To select Mini-Baccarat from the main casino screen, either click on the Mini-Baccarat table, or select Mini-Baccarat from the Game menu.

Up to four players can play Mini-Baccarat in Beat the House 2. The first player plays on the far right side of the table (the dealer’s left). The last player plays on the far left side of the table.

There are only three bets that can be made. Players can either bet 1) on the player’s hand to win, or 2) the banker's hand to win, or 3) they can bet that both hands will tie. See Section II of this book for a more complete description of the rules of Mini-Baccarat.

The Player Window

Placing Bets

Keyboard Play

Changing Players

Deal

Preferences

Commission


The Player Window (Mini Baccarat)

Most games in Beat the House 2 have a floating window showing the players’ money and wagers. This box can be moved around freely and “rolled up” by clicking on the up arrow in the top-right corner. To roll the box back down, click on the down arrow in the top-right corner. The Player Window can also be rolled up and down by hitting Alt-P. The Player Window always shows the player that is currently active and how much money that player has. The window can be used to change players by clicking a tab within it bearing a different player’s name. There are also different options in the window depending on which game is being played.

In Mini-Baccarat, the Player Window shows which player is active, how much money that player has, and the bets the player currently has on the table. The Player Window also allows the player to change the amount of a wager. The amount displayed under “Bet Unit” is the amount of the bet that will be placed each time the player clicks to place a bet on the betting surface. To add more to the Bet Unit, click the left mouse button on any of the chips in the player window. The Bet Unit will go up by that amount, up to the table maximum. To decrease the amount of the Bet Unit, click the right mouse button on a chip button, and the Bet Unit will go down by the amount of that chip.


Placing Bets (Mini Baccarat)

Only the active player can place bets and the legal betting regions for the active player are always highlighted. To place a bet, simply click the left mouse button on a betting region. A bet will be placed for the amount of that player’s Bet Unit. If you want to double your bet, click the left mouse button again, and another Bet Unit will be added. You may repeat this as long as your money holds out, and as long as you stay within the table limits. To subtract Bet , click the right mouse button on the same region.


Keyboard Play (Mini Baccarat)

Many functions in Beat the House 2 can be performed by the keyboard, as well as by mouse. To place a bet on the Player, press P. To remove a Player bet, press ctrl-P. To bet on the Banker, press B, and to remove a Banker bet, press ctrl-B. To place a Tie bet, press T, and to remove a Tie bet, press ctrl-T. Press D to deal.


Changing Players (Mini Baccarat)

To change the active player, click on a different player’s tab in the player window, or click on an un-highlighted betting region for that player. The player’s positions are ordered from right to left, the opposite of the player’s tab in the player window. Alternatively, you can hit Alt-1 for player 1, Alt-2 for player 2, etc.


Deal (Mini Baccarat)

After all players are satisfied with their bets, left-click on the “Deal” button. The cards will be dealt according to the rules of Mini-Baccarat described in the second half of this book. After all of the cards have been dealt, the winning hand will be announced, losing bets will be collected, and winners will be paid.


Preferences (Mini Baccarat)

To change your preferences for playing Mini-Baccarat, select Preferences from the Options menu. There are several options that you can set here. You can turn the coaching on or off. You can turn the Scorecard and Rules displays on or off. And you can set the table betting limits. You cannot change the betting limits while there are bets on the table.


Commission

If a player bets on the bank and wins, a 5% commission must be paid. For simplicity, and to save time, in Las Vegas, these commissions are tracked by stacking chips and/or coins in the dealer’s commission region, above where the cards are dealt. Commissions must be paid each time the cards are shuffled, or when the commission reaches a certain level. The players will be informed of this when the cards are being shuffled. Commissions will also be collected if the player(s) decide to leave the table.


BLACKJACK

To select Blackjack from the main casino screen, either click on the Blackjack table, or select Blackjack from the Game menu.

After you select Blackjack from the main casino, you must choose at which Blackjack table to play. Each table has a different minimum and maximum bet. Choose the table that has the betting limits you desire.

At the Blackjack Table

The Player Window

Placing Bets

SpeedBet

Playing Your Hand

Hit

Stand

Double Down

Split

Insurance

Preferences

Keyboard Play


At the Blackjack Table

If you are playing Blackjack with less than four people, you can elect to fill in the empty stools with one or more computer players. You might want to add these computer players for two reasons. First, because you will rarely find a completely empty Blackjack table in a casino, and second, because the computer-run players are experts at Blackjack. They will offer you some strong competition and should help you learn more quickly.

Unfortunately, the computer players also slow the game down. If your computer isn’t one of the world’s fastest, you may have more fun playing without the computer players; experiment and see.


The Player Window (Blackjack)

Blackjack also has the floating Player Window described in the previous Mini-Baccarat section. The blackjack Player Window shows you how much money the active player has, allows you to change the active player, and allows you to change the Bet Unit for the active player.


Placing Bets (Blackjack)

In Blackjack, you must always bet before the hand is dealt. When the dealer says, “Bets Please,” it’s time to bet on the next hand. The minimum and maximum bets depend on the table you've selected to play at.

Only the active player can place bets at any given time. To place a bet, click on the appropriate player's betting region. A bet will be placed for the amount of that player’s Bet Unit. If you want to double your bet, click the left mouse button again, and another Bet Unit will be added. You may repeat this as long as your money holds out, and as long as you stay within the table limits. To subtract a Bet Unit , click the right mouse button on the same region.

When all players have finished placing their bets, click on the DEAL button. Play goes clockwise from the dealer's left, starting with Player 1 on the right side of the screen.


SpeedBet (Blackjack)

SpeedBet will automatically bet one betting unit for each player and then begin dealing the cards.


Playing Your Hand (Blackjack)

After all of the players have bet, the dealer distributes the cards, and players play their hands in turn. When your cards are highlighted, it is your turn to play. Depending on your cards, you will be able to hit, stand, double down, or split. Refer to the Blackjack strategy section in the second half of this book for a detailed discussion of how to best play your hand in Blackjack.


Hit

As a player, you can hit, add another card to any hand that has a total less than twenty-one. (Well, you can hit a "soft" 21, but don't.) If you are not sure if you should hit, ask the tutor for a recommendation by selecting Help - Recommendation (see Genius Tutor). To take a hit, click on HIT.


Stand

When you are satisfied with the value of your hand, you should stand, stop taking hits. To stand, click on the STAND button.


Double Down

You can only double down on the original two cards dealt to you before you take a hit. When you double down, your bet doubles and you receive one, and only one, additional card. To double down, click on DOUBLE.


Split

You can only split if the original two cards dealt to you are of equal value (i.e., a pair, including a pair of unmatched face cards). When you split, your two cards are separated into two hands, and an additional bet, equal to the first, is placed on the second hand. You then play the two hands, one at a time, independent of one another.

If, upon hitting one of the hands, you again make a pair, you will be given the option of splitting again, to make a total of three hands. To split, click on SPLIT.


Insurance

When the dealer’s face up card is an ace, all players are offered insurance. Insurance is a side bet, equal to half of your original bet, which will protect your money if the dealer has Blackjack. If the dealer doesn’t have Blackjack, you will lose your insurance bet, and the hand will continue normally.  To take insurance, the active player must click on the highlighted insurance bar.  The cards of the active player will be highlighted.  To make a player active, select their tab in the Player Window, or click on that player's cards.  To decline insurance, or after all players have taken insurance, click on the "Deal" button to deal the cards.


Preferences (Blackjack)

To change your blackjack preferences, select Preferences from the Options menu. You can turn the coaching on or off, select the number of decks and the number of computer players. You can also select the card counting strategy that you are using.


Keyboard Play (Blackjack)

You can also play blackjack with the keyboard. When it is your turn to bet, press B to place one Betting Unit. Press ctrl-B to remove one betting unit. You can change your betting unit by pressing U. When you are satisfied with your bet, hit D to deal the cards, or go on to the next player. Alternatively, you can hit S to SpeedBet. When it is your turn to play your hand, hit H to Hit, S to Stand, D to Double, or P to Split.


CRAPS

To select Craps from the main casino screen, either click on the Craps table or select Craps from the Game menu.

Craps is the most complicated of the major casino table games, and will take you a bit of time to master. This effort will be well rewarded, however, because if played correctly, craps will offer you the best odds that you will find at any game in any casino (except if you count cards in Blackjack).

After you select Craps from the main casino, you must choose which Craps table to play at. In Beat the House 2, the table limits are shown on the table selection screen. To choose a Craps table, click on the table corresponding to the table limits you wish to play.

At the Craps Table

How to Bet

Rolling the Dice

Bets Won and Lost

Preferences

Keyboard Play


At the Craps Table

Although learning the intricacies of Craps takes time, the mechanics of the game are quite simple. To begin, you need only know how to place bets and roll dice.


How to Bet (Craps)

Craps offers you a wide variety of bets, many of which are not even labeled on the table’s layout. Unfortunately (and, no doubt, coincidentally), most of the table’s obvious bets are “sucker bets,” while the best bets are not labeled and are easily overlooked by a novice.

The Beat the House 2 Craps betting interface is simple and should make it easier for you to learn all of the bets available to you at any time during the game.

Here’s how to bet:

In a multi-player game, select your name in the Player Window.

•	Build a stack of chips to bet with by clicking on the chips displayed in the Player Window. Use the left mouse button to increase your bet, and the right mouse button to decrease your bet. You can clear the bet stack at any time by clicking on “$0.”

•	As you move the mouse cursor, the status area at the top left of the screen will describe the bet that the cursor is over. If the bet is not presently legal, a “No” symbol will replace the cursor. To place a bet, click the left mouse button. To add another bet unit to the bet (i.e., double that bet), click the left mouse button again. To subtract the bet amount from your bet, click the right mouse button. To remove all bets from the Craps table for a particular player, click on “Clear.”

•	Following the same procedure, you can make as many bets as you wish. Each of the players should bet in this manner before each roll of the dice.


Rolling the Dice

After all players have made their bets, roll the dice by clicking ROLL.


Bets Won and Lost (Craps)

After the dice land and the results are displayed, the bets affected by the roll will be collected or paid out by the house. In Beat the House 2, before a bet is taken, paid, or returned to the bettor, a sign appears above it telling what is being done with the money.


Craps Preferences

You can set your Craps preferences by selecting Options - Preferences while playing Craps. This menu lets you choose the table odds, the minimum and maximum bets, or alter the speed of the game by selecting a different choice in the "Delay" section. You can also turn the coaching on or off, and you can turn the dice animation on or off. This is also where you choose whether you are betting with the dice, or against the dice, as well as whether you are using the aggressive or conservative strategy. (Most of these options are important factors for the Beat the House 2 coaching.)


Keyboard Play (Craps)

You can also play Craps using the keyboard instead of the mouse. To move the cursor around the betting area, use the arrow keys. To place a bet, hit Enter or the spacebar. To remove a bet, hit Delete. To change your betting unit, hit U. To change the active player, hit Alt-1, or Alt- and the number of the player you want to make active. To clear all bets, hit C. To roll the dice, hit R.


ROULETTE

Roulette is a simple game featuring a huge variety of bets with payoffs as large as thirty-five to one. Although it is far more popular in Europe, at least one Roulette table can be found in every major American casino. To select Roulette from the main casino screen, click on the Roulette table.

Choosing a Chip Value

At the Roulette Table

Placing Bets

Spinning the Wheel

Bets Won and Lost

Keyboard Play


Choosing a Chip Value (Roulette)

In Roulette, each player decides how much he wants each of his chips to be worth (up to the table limit), and then bets with single color chips representing this value. This value is set under Chip Value by each player under their tab in the Player Window. It can be changed later, but only if the player has no active bets.

Beat the House 2 allows you to set your Chip Value to any amount, but typically the big casinos in Las Vegas will require you to set the value of the chips to an amount like 25 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar, 5 dollars, etc. Casinos in Las Vegas also typically require you to purchase chips in stacks of 20.

If you click the left mouse button on a chip (in the Player Window), that chip will be added to the amount of your Chip Value. A right-click will subtract that amount. To clear your Chip Value to 0, click on the “$0” button. The current Chip Value is displayed at the bottom of the Player Window. Also, the color of the currently active player’s chips is displayed there. You cannot change the Chip Value while you have active bets.


At the Roulette Table

Although there are hundreds of possible bets in Roulette, these can be broken down into a few simple categories. Refer to the Roulette strategy section in the second half of this book for a more detailed analysis of Roulette, or just dive in. The mechanics of Roulette are quite simple. To begin playing, you only need to know how to place bets and spin the wheel.


Placing Bets (Roulette)

As you move the mouse around the betting area, information about the betting on that location will be displayed below the betting area. The Beat the House 2 Roulette betting interface is very simple, and should make it easy for you to learn all of the bets available to you. Here’s how to bet:

•	In a multi-player game, click on the desired player’s tab in the Player Window.

•	Point the mouse cursor to a bet on the layout and click the left mouse button. A single chip (worth whatever your Chip Value is set to) will be placed there.

•	To remove a bet from the layout, position the bet pointer over the bet and right-click the mouse.

•	Following the same procedure, you can make as many bets as you wish. Each of the players should bet in this manner before the Roulette wheel is spun.

•	To increase the size of a bet, just bet again at the same spot on the table. The two bets will be added together and become one bet. The greatest number of chips you can have on the table at one time is 200. The largest total bet you can place depends on the table limit.


Spinning the Wheel

After all players have made their bets, spin the wheel by clicking on the SPIN button. The wheel spin animation will show you where the ball landed. To skip the wheel spin animation, simply click on the wheel while the ball is spinning. The dealer will announce the winning number.


Bets Won and Lost (Roulette)

After the ball lands in a basket and the result is displayed, all bets will be collected or paid out by the house. You can change the speed with which this happens with the slider under Options - Preferences.


Keyboard Play (Roulette)

You can also play Roulette using the keyboard instead of the mouse. To move the cursor around the betting area, use the arrow keys. To place a bet, hit Enter or the spacebar. To remove a bet, hit Delete. To change your betting unit, hit U. To change the active player, hit Alt-1, or Alt and the number of the player you want to make active. To clear all bets, hit C. To spin the wheel, hit S.


THE SLOT MACHINES

Slot Machines have been around since the late 1800’s, and are now such huge money-makers that some casinos survive on Slots alone. Early Slot Machines were mechanical, and could be manipulated by a skilled player into paying out more money than was put in. Today’s electronic Slots do not have this flaw. The only skill now is in choosing which Slot Machine to play, and how many coins to bet. Most Slot Machines pay out between 80% and 90% as much money as is put into them.

To select Slots from the main casino screen, click on the bank of Slot Machines, or choose Slot Machines from the Game menu.

Choosing a Slot Machine

Classic Bars

Classic Progressive

King's Ransom

Pot o' Gold

4th of July

Gridiron Gold

Selecting a Slots Player

Putting Coins into the Slot Machine

Betting with Credit

Spinning the Reels

Winning and Losing

Cashing Out

Keyboard Play


Choosing a Slot Machine

Beat the House 2 has six different Slot Machine types to choose from; “ Classic Bars,” “Classic Progressive,” “Pot o’ Gold,” “King's Ransom,” “4th of July,” and “Gridiron Gold.” The Slot Machine selection screen shows each of the six machines. Click on a machine to play that machine. This screen also lets you choose the denomination of the machine. The denomination can be changed from a low of five cents to a high of one hundred dollars. The current denomination is shown on the sign. Click the right arrow to increase the denomination, click on the left arrow to decrease it.


Classic Bars

The three-reel Classic Bars Slot Machine is typical of many of the machines you'll find in the casinos these days. Between every two symbols on each reel is a blank spot. The reel will stop on these blank spots just as often as on the symbols; of course, those blanks won’t pay you any money.

On this machine, you can play up to three coins on each spin. Each coin played activates another pay-out line on the machine.

The first coin played will cause the machine to pay you for a winning combination on the middle line. If you play two coins, you will also be paid for a winning combination on the top pay-out line. The third coin enables the bottom line. You will notice that the more coins you play, the bigger the payoffs get. This is typical of Slot Machines, because the casinos want you to play a lot of coins even if it is to your advantage to do so. Ultimately, the casinos make more money this way.


Classic Progressive

A progressive slot machine is one that takes a small percentage of the money that goes into it and adds it to a jackpot that typically starts at one million coins. Several Slot Machines in the same casino (and sometimes several casinos) may be feeding the same jackpot simultaneously. The lure of the big jackpot is what causes these machines to be among the most popular.

Beat the House 2’s four-reel progressive machine takes up to three coins, and will not pay out the big jackpot unless three coins are played. Unlike the three-reel machine, this machine only pays on the center line, but the payoffs are multiplied by the number of coins bet.


King's Ransom

The King's Ransom machine is a three-reel slot machine with one pay line. This machine features chess pieces as reel items. This machine has a spin again feature. If two of the three lines show kings, and the third line stops at a non-king, the unmatched reel will spin again, giving you a second chance to match. Mate!

To win the big jackpot, you have to bet thee coins.  But don't worry.  The smaller jackpots are all multiplied by the number of coins you bet.


Pot o' Gold

This machine has an Irish/St. Patrick’s Day theme. It is a four-reel progressive machine, and it takes up to five coins. There is only one pay line. A player wins the amount displayed on the award card multiplied by the number of coins wagered. Leprechauns are wild cards. Four Leprechauns wins the progressive jackpot. This machine also has a nudge feature. Many of the leprechauns also have an up-arrow, or a down-arrow on them. If an up-arrow leprechaun stops below the pay line, it will move up to the pay line. Similarly, if a down-arrow leprechaun stops above the pay line, it will drop down to the pay line. Pretty neat, huh?


4th of July

This machine has an American Independence Day theme. It is a three-reel machine with three pay lines. The firecrackers are "wild cards." They will explode and become a matching symbol if that will give you a winning payout.


Gridiron Gold

The Gridiron machine is not a typical slot machine. It looks like a typical 4-reel machine. Most of the reel symbols are yardage markers. If you get a certain amount of yardage, you are awarded a certain number of coins as shown below:

First Down (10 to 24 yards)	2 coins
25 to 49 yards	25 coins
50 to 99 yards	50 coins
Touchdown (100 or more yards)	100 coins

There are also awards for getting four trophies, four footballs, four helmets, or four goalposts.

You have to play 5 coins to win the big jackpot.  If you hit any smaller jackpot, your payout is multiplied by the number of coins you bet.


Selecting a Slots Player (two or more players):

In a multi-player game, it is necessary to select which player will play, as only one can play at a time. To change players, click on the desired player’s tab in the Player Window. You can not change players while there is money in the machine, so click “Cash Out” to retrieve your coins from the machine.


Putting Coins into the Slot Machine

To put coins into the Slot machine, click on the coin slot with your mouse once for each coin that you want to add. Alternatively, you can insert many coins at once by selecting Add Coins from the Player Window and then playing from the credits you just "purchased."


Betting with Credit (Slots)

After you have built up (or bought) some credits in the Slot machine, you may want to bet with these credits instead of adding more coins. There are two buttons on a Slot machine for this purpose:

•	Clicking on the BET ONE button will bet one coin from your credits (if you have credit in the machine).

•	Clicking on the BET MAX button will bet as many coins as necessary from your credits to increase the size of your bet to the maximum allowed on that machine. Once the maximum bet is reached, the reels will spin automatically. If you don’t have enough credits to reach the maximum amount, all of your credit will be bet.


Spinning the Reels

After you have placed your bet, pull the Slot machine’s handle by clicking on it. The reels of the Slot machine will spin, and then stop one at a time. Many Slot machines are now equipped with a SPIN button to make playing more effortless. Click on the SPIN button to spin the reels without pulling the handle.


Winning and Losing (Slots)

If the reels stop on a winning combination, you will be awarded credit according to the value of the combination. Some of the machines give you a second chance to win, after the reels stop. Some machines also have wild card items on the reels. You can use this credit to bet with, or you can cash out at any time.


Cashing Out (Slots)

If you still have credit left in the Slot machine when you are done playing, you should click on the CASH OUT button. This will cause the machine to pay out all of your credit.


Keyboard Play (Slots)

You can also play the slot machines with the keyboard. To add coins to the machine, select Add coins from the options menu. To bet one coin, hit O. To bet the maximum number of coins, hit M. To spin the reels, hit S. To cash out, hit C.


VIDEO POKER

Unlike Slots, Video Poker is not just luck, but requires the player to make decisions and therefore is a game of skill. If played correctly, Video Poker will offer you a payoff far more favorable than any slot machine. To select Video Poker from the main casino screen, click on the bank of Video Poker machines in the lobby, or select Video Poker from the Game menu.

Choosing a Video Poker Machine

Selecting a Video Poker Player

Putting Coins into the Video Poker Machine

Betting with Credit

Dealing the Cards

Drawing Zero to Five Cards

Winning and Losing

Changing Denomination

Cashing Out

Keyboard Play


Choosing a Video Poker Machine

Beat the House has four different Video Poker machines to choose from: Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, Joker's Wild, and Deuces Wild. These machines were selected because they are the most common Video Poker machines in the world and can be found in many bars and restaurants (where gambling is legal), as well as in every casino. This screen also lets you choose the denomination of the machine. The denomination can be changed from a low of five cents to a high of one hundred dollars. The current denomination is shown on the sign. Click the right arrow to increase the denomination, click on the left arrow to decrease it.

To select a Video Poker machine, click on it with the mouse.


Selecting a Video Poker Player (two or more players)

In a multi-player game, it is necessary to select which of the players will play the game, as only one can play at a time. To change players, click on the desired player’s tab in the Player Window. You can not change players in the middle of a hand, or when there are any credits in the machine. Click “Cash Out” to retrieve your coins from the machine.


Putting Coins into the Video Poker Machine

To put coins into the Video Poker machine, click on the coin slot with your mouse. The first one to five coins added go towards your bet, and the rest will go into credit on the machine. If you bet five coins, the cards will automatically be dealt. This proves to be a little confusing at times, but this is how real Video Poker machines work (and it is better to learn here where your mistakes won’t cost you real money). You can insert many coins at once (i.e., "buy credits") by hitting the Add Coins button in the Player’s Window.


Betting with Credit (Video Poker)

After you have built up (or "bought") some credits in the Video Poker machine, you may want to bet with these credits instead of adding more coins. There are two buttons on a Video Poker machine for this purpose:

•	Clicking on the BET ONE button will bet one coin from your credit (if you have credit in the machine).

•	Clicking on the BET MAX button will bet as many coins as necessary from your credits to increase the size of your bet to five coins. If you don’t have enough credits for your bet to reach five coins, all of your credits will be bet.


Dealing the Cards (Video Poker)

After you have placed your bet, click on the DEAL/DRAW button and the computer will deal you a five card poker hand. If you bet five coins, the maximum bet, the cards will be automatically dealt to you, and clicking on the DEAL/DRAW button will cause you to trade in all five of your cards in the draw.

Once again, we programmed the game this way to show you how the real machines work. It will be less expensive for you to learn at home than in Vegas.


Drawing Zero to Five Cards

In Video Poker, you are allowed to trade in any, all, or none of your cards for new ones during the one "draw" per hand that you are allowed. Here’s how to select which cards you want to keep, while drawing new ones to replace the others:

•	There are five HOLD buttons at the bottom of your screen. Each one corresponds to one of the five cards (the leftmost button to the leftmost card, etc.). If you click on one of the buttons, the word HOLD will appear above the card that corresponds to the button you pressed. If you click on the same button again, the word HOLD will disappear. You can also click directly on the card.

•	When the word HOLD is above all of the cards that you want to keep, click on the DEAL/DRAW button and all of the cards that you didn’t hold will be replaced by new ones from the deck. You are only allowed to draw once, so after you do so, you will be looking at your final hand.


Winning and Losing (Video Poker)

If you have a winning hand after the draw, you will be awarded credit according to the value of your hand. The value of your hand and the payout you have received will be highlighted on the payout chart at the top of your screen. You can use this credit to bet with, or you can cash out after any hand.


Changing Denomination (Video Poker)

Beat the House 2 allows you to play video poker for any amount from a nickel to a $100 token. To change the denomination of the machine, select Preferences from the Options menu. You can not change the denomination of the machine in the middle of a hand, or while there are credits in the machine.


Cashing Out (Video Poker)

If you still have credit left in the Video Poker machine when you are done playing, you should click on the CASH OUT button. This will cause the machine to pay out all of your credit.


Keyboard Play (Video Poker)

You can also play Video Poker with the keyboard. To add coins to the machine, select Add coins from the options menu. To bet one coin, hit O. To bet the maximum number of coins, hit M. To deal the cards, hit D. To hold cards, hit the numbers 1 to 5, representing the cards from left to right. To deal the new cards, hit D. To cash out, hit C.


SKLANSKY'S POKER CHALLENGE

Sklansky’s Poker Challenge is a new type of Video Poker machine that we expect will be in Casinos world wide. To play Poker Challenge, click on the bank of video poker machines in the lobby, or select Poker Challenge from the Game menu.

Choosing a Poker Challenge Machine

Selecting a Player

Putting Coins into the Poker Challenge Machine

Betting With Credit

Dealing the Cards

Choosing a Hand

Additional Cards

Evaluating the Hands

Ranking of Hands

Winning and Losing

Cashing Out

Changing Denomination

Keyboard Play


Choosing a Poker Challenge Machine

There are four variations of Sklansky’s Poker Challenge to choose from. Choose a machine from the selection screen to begin play. The different machines are: Hold ‘Em Challenge, Double Hold ‘Em Challenge, Stud Challenge, and Double Stud Challenge. To select a Poker Challenge machine, click on it with the mouse. This screen also lets you choose the denomination of the machine. The denomination can be changed from a low of five cents to a high of one hundred dollars. The current denomination is shown on the sign. Click the right arrow to increase the denomination, click on the left arrow to decrease it.


Selecting a Poker Challenge Player (two or more players)

In a multi-player game, it is necessary to select which of the players will play the game, as only one can play at a time. You can change players by clicking on the tab for a different player in the player window. You cannot change players in the middle of a hand, or any time there are credits in the machine.


Putting Coins into the Poker Challenge Video Poker Machine
Putting Coins into the Poker Challenge Machine

To put coins into the machine, click on the coin slot with your mouse. The first one to five coins added go towards your bet, and the rest will go into credit on the machine. After you bet five coins, the cards will automatically be dealt. You can insert many coins at once with the “Add Coins” button in the player window, or by selecting Add Coins from the Options menu and "buying credits."


Betting with Credit (Poker Challenge)

After you have built up (or "bought") some credits in the Poker Challenge machine, you can bet with these credits instead of adding more coins. There are two buttons on the machine for this purpose:

•	Clicking on the “Bet One” button will bet one coin from your credits (if you have credit in the machine).

•	Clicking on the “Bet Max” button will bet as many coins as necessary from your credits to increase the size of your bet to five coins. If you don’t have enough credits for your bet to reach five credits, all of your credits will be bet. If you bet the maximum number of coins, the hands will automatically be dealt.


Dealing the Cards (Poker Challenge)

After you have placed your bet, click on the deal/draw button and the computer will deal the first set of cards. If you bet five coins, the maximum bet, the cards will be automatically dealt. The number of cards dealt depends on which game is being played, but the games all follow the same basic structure.


Choosing a Hand (Poker Challenge)

After the first cards are dealt, you must select which hand you will play. (You're playing against the other hands.) Use the “Select Hand” buttons to choose the hand you desire. After you click on the "Select Hand" button, the cards will slide into position with your hand moving to the bottom of the screen.

If the "Deal on Select" option is "off" in the Options - Preferences menu, you will be able to change your hand after you hit the select button. To change your selection, hit a different “Select Hand” button. After you are satisfied with your selection, click on Deal/Draw to receive the next round of cards. Remember, you can only change your selection if "Deal on Select" is turned off under Options - Preferences. If it is turned on, then the next round of cards is automatically dealt when you hit the "Select Hand" button.

You can always consult the Genius Tutor for advice on which hand is best. To have the next group of cards dealt, click on the “Deal/Draw” button.


Additional Cards (Poker Challenge)

After you choose your hand, the next group of cards is dealt.

In the Hold ‘Em games, five cards are dealt in the middle of the screen; these are "common cards" and are shared by all the hands in play.

In the "Double" variations, you will have a chance to double your bet after each player has received five cards (that is "on 5th Street," in the poker vernacular). If you are not sure if this is a good idea, consult the Beat the House 2 tutor by using Help - Recommendation. For a more thorough description of the rules and odds of the game, refer to the strategy section in the second half of this book.


Evaluating the Hands (Poker Challenge)

Once the final cards have been dealt, each player will have a total of seven cards to play from, from which the best five-card poker hand is evaluated for each player.


Ranking of Hands (Poker Challenge)

Poker Hands are ranked as follows, from highest to lowest:

Royal Flush	10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit

Straight Flush	a sequence of five cards of the same suit

4 of a Kind	4 matching cards

Full House	3 matching cards plus 2 other matching cards

Flush	5 non-sequential cards of the same suit

Straight	a sequence of 5 cards, not of the same suit

3 of a Kind	3 matching cards

2 Pair	2 pairs of 2 matching cards

1 Pair	2 matching cards

No Pair	No matching cards


Winning and Losing (Poker Challenge)

If you have the highest ranking hand after all cards have been dealt, you win! Most hands pay even money (meaning, you get your bet back, and win an equal amount). Certain "Bonus Hands" pay out even more as listed below. When you're playing with five coins, these Bonus Hands payouts are all doubled!

Bad Beat*	500-1

Royal Flush	50-1

Straight Flush	5-1

*A "Bad Beat" is when you have a 4 of a Kind or better and lose to a higher 4 of a Kind or better hand. Note that in the Hold 'Em Challenge games, if the winners are sharing the same 4 of a Kind (which is possible because all of the hands play off of the common cards), the "Bad Beat" Bonus is not awarded.

You can use newly won credits to bet with, or you can cash out after any hand.


Cashing Out (Poker Challenge)

If you still have credit left in the machine when you are done playing, you should click on the cash out button. This will cause the machine to pay out all of your credit.


Changing Denomination (Poker Challenge)

To change the denomination of the machine, select Options–Preferences. The denomination can be set to anything from five cents to one hundred dollars. You can also turn coaching on or off here.


Keyboard Play (Poker Challenge)

You can also play Poker Challenge with the keyboard. To add coins to the machine, select Add coins from the options menu. To bet one coin, hit O. To bet the maximum number of coins, hit M. To select a hand, hit the numbers 1 to 4, representing the hands from left to right. To deal the cards, hit D. To double, hit 2. To cash out, hit C.


BEAT THE HOUSE'S GENIUS TUTOR

Recommendation

Coaching


Recommendation

You can select Help - Recommendation at any time to get advice on what you should do next. If the Coaching feature is on (located in the Preferences box for each game), the tutor will alert you when you do something wrong.

You can also hit Alt-R for a recommendation.


Coaching

Beat the House’s Coach is a powerful tutoring aid to help you learn the professional gambling strategies more quickly. If you enable the Coach, you will be informed each time you make an unwise decision in the game that you are playing. Enabling the coach in one game will not enable it in the others.

To turn the coach on or off for a particular game, click the check box in the Preferences box for that game.


Beat the House Options

Beat the House Chips

Back Button

Preferences

Tips for Playing Faster


Beat the House Chips

Beat the House has many chips representing various denominations from $1 to $1,000,000.  The chips are shown below:

Also, Mini Baccarat uses regular coins (nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars to mark dealer commissions.


"Back" Button

The Back button will take you back to the screen you were previously at. This can also be accomplished by hitting the escape key.


Preferences

You can set your general preferences for Beat the House 2 by selecting Options - Preferences, and then selecting the “General” tab. You can turn sound effects on or off, you can turn ambient sounds on or off, and you can select your statistics preferences. Sound effects are only possible with a properly installed sound card.

There are also three additional settings on this screen:

Skip Intro Sequence - if checked, the game will start in the casino lobby.

Prompt for CD if not found - if checked, the game will ask you to insert the Beat the House 2 CD if it is not found when you start the game.

CD Drive allows you to change the location of the CD, if your system settings change.


Tips for Playing Faster

If you have a slower machine, or if you just want to play as quickly as possible, here are some tips to help you speed up play of each of the games:

Mini Baccarat

Turn coaching off.

Turn the Scorecard off.

Turn the Rule card off.

Blackjack

Turn coaching off.

Use 0 computer players.

Use 6 decks.

Turn Show Seating Dialog off

Turn Shuffle Deck off

Craps

Turn Coaching off.

Turn Dice Animation off.

Set Payout Delay to None.

Roulette

Turn the Wheel/Ball animation off.

Set the payout delay to minimum.

Turn coaching off.

Poker Challenge

Turn coaching off.

Turn card animations off.

Turn Deal on Select on.

Slot Machines

Turn coaching off.

Use the Bet Max button to wager and spin.

Video Poker

Turn coaching off.

Use the Bet Max button to wager and deal.

Though it will speed the game up, turning the coaching off in any of the games could decrease your skill in the games.


Player Window

The Player Window is the brown movable window that lists each player, and their current cash balance.  Use the Player Window to change players, to change your bet, and to change your Bet Unit.


Bet Unit

In many Beat the House 2 games, a Bet Unit is defined in the Player Window.  This is the amount that will be bet, each time you click the mouse.


BEAT THE HOUSE 2's CUSTOMER SUPPORT

If you have any questions about this, or any other Interplay product, you can reach our Customer Service/Technical Support Group at: Interplay Productions, 16815 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92606 Attn: Customer Service. Customer Service is available 24 hours a day through our Automated Customer Service system, with a Customer Service representative available during normal business hours at (714) 553-6678.

Please have your system information available, or better yet, try to be at your computer. The more detailed information you can provide our support personnel, the better service we can provide you.

If you have a modem, you can reach us at the following:

Internet

Interplay BBS

America Online

Compuserve


Internet

You can reach Interplay by sending Internet E-mail to "support@interplay.com". Many Interplay demos and patches are available at Internet FTP sites. To visit our World Wide Web site, point your browser to: "http://www.interplay.com" or you may ftp to ftp.interplay.com.


The Interplay BBS

We have a 24-hour, 7-day a week multiline BBS available for customer questions, support and fixes. The number is 714-252-2822. Modem settings are 300-28.8k Baud, V.32bis, V.42bis, 8-N-1. You also may contact our BBS over the Internet. Telnet to bbs.interplay.com. This is a free service. (Excluding toll charges.)


America Online

You may E-mail Interplay Customer Support at IPTECH.


Compuserve

We are available for IBM and compatible on-line support. We are located in the Game Publishers B Forum, type GO GAMBPUB at any "!" prompt. Then select "Section 4" for Interplay Productions. You can leave technical support questions there. You can also download fixes and demos from Library 4 in GAMBPUB. The best place for game play hints about our games is in the GAMERS forum. If you are not already a CompuServe member, you can call CompuServe toll-free at 1-800-524-3388 and ask Representative #354 for a free introductory membership and a $15 usage credit. For game play hints look in the Gamer's Forum (GO GAMERS). Besides technical support for Interplay products, CompuServe offers many other services, including communications, reference libraries, hardware and software support, travel, games and much more.


BEAT THE HOUSE 2 CREDITS

Created and Developed by:	Cetasoft

Published and Distributed by:	Interplay Productions

Technical/Creative Director:	Jack L. Thornton

Interplay Producer:	Alan Emrich

Cetasoft Producer:	Nick Doran

Line Producer:	Amy Mitchell

Beat the House User's Manual:	Tenzing Kernan, Nick Doran

Beat the House Gaming Guide:	Avery Cardoza, (Poker Challenge: David Sklansky)

Beat the House Gaming Strategies:	Avery Cardoza, (Poker Challenge: David Sklansky)

Mathematician/Analyst:	William K. Bertram, PhD.

Programming:	Jack Thornton, Joshua Scholar, Mike Enright, Scott Virtes, Nick Doran

Interplay Art Director:	Scott Bieser

Art:	Mitch Boyer, Rob Kopp, Zoe Somebody, Chad Spaulding, Jack Thornton, Fritz Cassell, Mike Harris, Scott Virtes

Video Editing:	Troy Lyndon

Sound:	Charles Deenen (Effects Director), Chris Borders (Voice Over Director)

Quality Assurance:	Chad Allison (Director of QA), Steve Victory (QA Manager), Cory Nelson (Lead Tester), Donnie Cornwell, Mike Wood, Mark McCarty, Steve Bokkes, Mark Holtzclaw (Testers), Frank Pimentel (QA IS Manager), Bill Delk, Chris Peak (QA IS Technicians)

Special Thanks to Brian Fargo, Chuck Camps, Trish Wright, Ali Atabek, Lisa Latham, Debbie Brajevich-Howell, and Christine Nagata of Interplay Productions who went beyond the pale in making this game possible; to Bill Bertram who introduced us to David Sklansky and Danny Jones; to The Gamblers General Store in Las Vegas;  and to Mike Knox and Park Place Productions for their original (©1992, 1995) versions of Beat the House, from which this edition has evolved.


Check this box to enable the Player Window to float outside the main Beat The House 2 window


Turns coaching on for the current game


Sets current strategy


Sets current strategy


Sets current strategy


Sets statistics mode to "Summary."


Sets statistics mode to "Verbose."


Turns Statistics on.


Turns ambient sounds on.


Turns sound effects on.


Sets animation.


Sets animation.


Turns roulette wheel animation off.


Sets coin value to 5 cents.


Sets coin value to 10 cents.


Sets coin value to 25 cents.


Sets coin value to 50 cents.


Sets coin value to 1 dollar.


Sets coin value to 5 dollars.


Sets coin value to 25 dollars.


Sets coin value to 100 dollars.


Skips introductory sequences when Beat the House 2 is started.


Prompts for the Beat the House 2 CD if it is not in the CD drive when the game is started.


Sets craps delay to "Long."


Sets craps delay to "None."


Sets craps delay to "Keypress / Mouse click."


Sets craps delay to "Timed."


Sets the path to your CD drive.


Displays mini baccarat score card between hands.


Displays mini baccarat rule card during play of hands.


Shows Win/Loss for each bet placed.


Slides to set delay for roulette payouts.


Sets minimum and maximum bets.


Sets minimum and maximum bets.


Sets minimum and maximum bets.


Sets minimum and maximum bets.


Sets blackjack to 1 deck


Sets blackjack to 2 decks.


Sets blackjack to 4 decks.


Sets blackjack to 6 decks.


Sets number of computer blackjack players to 0.


Sets number of computer blackjack players to 1.


Sets number of computer blackjack players to 2.


Sets number of computer blackjack players to 3.


Sets craps table odds to 1x.


Sets craps table odds to 2x.


Sets craps table odds to 5x.


Sets craps table odds to 10x.


Sets player to "Right Bettor" (with dice).


Sets player to "Wrong Bettor" (against dice).


Turns craps dice animation on.


Adjusts odds bets upwards slightly to maximize winnings.


Specifies that the deal should proceed as soon as the player selects a hand.


Turns on cross fades between scenes.


Sets table minimum and maximum bets.


Sets table minimum and maximum bets.


Shows table selection screens when you select a game.


Sets length of roulette wheel animation.


Shows seating dialog each time a session is started.


Shuffles the cards each time a session is started.


Poker Challenge_Payout
Poker Challenge

All Poker Challenge machines have the same payout:

Hand	1-4 coins	5 coins

Straight Flush	5 to 1	10 to 1

Royal Flush	50 to 1	100 to 1

Bad Beat	500 to 1	1000 to 1

You can play 1 to 5 coins on any of the Poker Challenge machines.  You win by beating all of the other hands.  A win pays 1 to 1.  If you are tied for the best hand, you will get your bet back.

Double Hold 'Em Challenge and Double Stud Challenge give you the option of doubling your bet after 5 cards.  To double your bet, click on the "Double" button.  To just deal the last cards without doubling, click on the "Deal" button.

A "Bad Beat" hand is when you have 4 of a Kind or better, and lose to a higher 4 of a Kind or better hand.  Note that in the Hold 'Em Challenge games, if the winners are sharing the same 4 of a Kind, the "Bad Beat" jackpot is not awarded.


Jacks or Better_Payout
Jacks or Better

Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins

Royal Flush	250	500	750	1000	4000

Straight Flush	50	100	150	200	250

Four of a Kind	25	50	75	100	125

Full House	9	18	27	36	45

Flush	6	12	18	24	30

Straight	4	8	12	16	20

Three of a Kind	3	6	9	12	15

Two Pair	2	4	6	8	10

Jacks or Better	1	2	3	4	5

All of the Video Poker machines are played with 1 to 5 coins.


Deuces Wild_Payout
Deuces Wild

Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins

Royal Flush	250	500	750	1000	4000

4 Deuces	200	400	600	800	1000

Five of a Kind	25	50	75	100	125

Royal Flush Wild	15	30	45	60	75

Straight Flush	9	18	27	36	45

Four of a Kind	5	10	15	20	25

Full House	3	6	9	12	15

Flush	2	4	6	8	10

Straight	2	4	6	8	10

Three of a Kind	1	2	3	4	5

All of the Video Poker machines are played with 1 to 5 coins.


Jokers Wild_Payout
Jokers Wild

Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins

Royal Flush	250	500	750	1000	4000

Five of a Kind	100	200	300	400	500

Royal Flush Wild	50	100	150	200	250

Straight Flush	50	100	150	200	250

Four of a Kind	20	40	60	80	100

Full House	8	16	24	32	40

Flush	7	14	21	28	35

Straight	5	10	15	20	25

Three of a Kind	2	4	6	8	10

Two Pair	1	2	3	4	5

All of the Video Poker machines are played with 1 to 5 coins.


Tens or Better_Payout
Tens or Better

Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins

Royal Flush	250	500	750	1000	4000

Straight Flush	50	100	150	200	250

Four of a Kind	25	50	75	100	125

Full House	6	12	18	24	30

Flush	5	10	15	20	25

Straight	4	8	12	16	20

Three of a Kind	3	6	9	12	15

Two Pair	2	4	6	8	10

Tens or Better	1	2	3	4	5

All of the Video Poker machines are played with 1 to 5 coins.


Classic Bars_Payout
Classic Bars

Result	Pay line	Payout

Wild-Wild-Wild	1	800 Coins

Wild-Wild-Wild	2	1,000 Coins

Wild-Wild-Wild	3	1,200 Coins

7-7-7	Any	100 Coins

3 Bar - 3 Bar - 3 Bar	Any	80 Coins

2 Bar - 2 Bar - 2 Bar	Any	40 Coins

1 Bar - 1 Bar - 1 Bar	Any	20 Coins

Any 2 Wild	Any	5 Coins

Any Bar - Any Bar - Any Bar	Any	4 Coins

Any 1 Wild	Any	2 Coins

The Classic Bars machine has 3 reels, and 3 horizontal pay lines.  You can play 1 to 3 coins.  The first coin activates the center pay line.  The second coin activates the top pay line.  The third coin activates the bottom pay line.  If there are winning combinations on multiple pay lines, the jackpots are added together.  You can only win the largest jackpot on the 3rd pay line.

The "Wild" symbol is a wildcard, and will substitute for any other symbol to give you the largest jackpot.


Classic Progressive_Payout
Classic Progressive

Result	Coins	Payout

Wild-Wild-Wild-Wild	3	Progressive Jackpot

Wild-Wild-Wild-Wild	2	10,000 Coins

Wild-Wild-Wild-Wild	1	5,000 Coins

7-7-7-7	3	5,000 Coins

7-7-7-7	2	2,000 Coins

7-7-7-7	1	1,000 Coins

Wild-Wild-Wild-Any	200 x Coins

Any-Wild-Wild-Wild	200 x Coins

3 Bar - 3 Bar - 3 Bar	50 x Coins

Cherry-Cherry-Cherry-Cherry	40 x Coins

2 Bar - 2 Bar - 2 Bar	20 x Coins

Cherry-Cherry-Cherry-Any	10 x Coins

Any-Cherry-Cherry-Cherry	10 x Coins

$-$-$-$	10 x Coins

1 Bar - 1 Bar - 1 Bar	10 x Coins

Cherry-Cherry-Any-Any	5 x Coins

Any-Any-Cherry-Cherry	5 x Coins

Cherry-Any-Any-Any	2 x Coins

Any-Any-Any-Cherry	2 x Coins

The Classic Progressive machine has 4 reels, and only one pay line, the center.  You can play 1 to 3 coins.  Playing additional coins gives you a chance to win the progressive jackpot, and, if you play more coins, your jackpot is multiplied by the number of coins you bet.

The "Wild" symbol is a wildcard, and will substitute for any other symbol to give you the largest jackpot.


Pot o' Gold_Payout
Pot o' Gold

Result	Payout ( x number of coins)

Lepr-Lepr-Lepr-Lepr	1000 (progressive on 5 coins)

PoG-PoG-PoG-PoG	500

Sham-Sham-Sham-Sham	250

3 Bar - 3 Bar - 3 Bar - 3 Bar	30

2 Bar - 2 Bar - 2 Bar - 2 Bar	20

1 Bar - 1 Bar - 1 Bar - 1 Bar	10

Any Bar - Any Bar - Any Bar	3

The Pot o' Gold machine has 4 reels, and one pay line.  You can play 1 to 5 coins.  You can only win the progressive jackpot with the maximum number of coins bet.  Your jackpot is multiplied by the number of coins you bet.

The leprechaun is a wildcard and will substitute for any other symbol to give you the largest jackpot.

There are also leprechaun's with green arrows next to them.  If a leprechaun with a down arrow stops above the pay line, it will "nudge" down to the pay line to help you win.  The same is true with a leprechaun with an up arrow.  He will "nudge" up if he stops below the pay line.


4th of July_Payout
4th of July

Result	1 coin	2 coins	3 coins

Firecracker-Firecracker-Firecracker	1000	2000	5000

Uncle Sam - Uncle Sam - Uncle Sam	200	200	200

Red Map-White Map-Blue Map	100	100	100

Any Map-Any Map-Any Map	40	40	40

Liberty Bell -Liberty Bell -Liberty Bell	20	20	20

Flag-Flag-Flag	10	10	10

George - George - George	10	10	10

Any 2 George Washington	5	5	5

Any George Washington	2	2	2

The 4th of July machine has 3 reels and 3 pay lines.  You can play 1 to 3 coins.  The largest jackpot is only available if you play 3 coins.

The firecracker is a wild card and will substitute for any other symbol to give you the largest jackpot.


King's Ransom_Payout
King's Ransom

Result	Payout ( x number of coins)

King-King-King (matching)	2500 (10,000 for 3 coins)

King-King-King (non-matching)	500

Queen-Queen-Queen	200

Rook-Rook-Rook	100

Knight-Knight-Knight	25

Bishop-Bishop-Bishop	25

Pawn-Pawn-Pawn	10

Pawn-Pawn-Any	5

Any-Pawn-Pawn	5

Any-Any-Pawn	1

Pawn-Any-Any	1

The King's Ransom machine has 3 reels and one pay line.  You can play 1 to 3 coins.  The largest jackpot is only available if you play 3 coins.

Matching Kings pays the largest jackpot, but unmatched Kings pay well too.  No other chess piece needs to match in color to pay.

If two of the three reels stop showing Kings, but the third reel does not match up, then the unmatched reel will spin again, giving you a second chance at the big jackpot.


Gridiron Gold_Payout
Gridiron Gold

Result	result (x number of coins)

Trophy-Trophy-Trophy-Trophy	1000 (5 coins wins 10,000)

Football-Football-Football-Football	250

Touchdown (100 yards)	100

Helmet-Helmet-Helmet-Helmet	100

50 Yards	50

25 Yards	25

Goalpost-Goalpost-Goalpost-Goalpost	20

Any 3 Helmets	5

First Down (ten yards)	2

The Gridiron Gold machine has 4 reels and one pay line.  You can play 1 to 5 coins.  The largest jackpot is only available if you bet 5 coins.

In some ways, Gridiron Gold functions as a normal slot machine, if you get 4 footballs, you are awarded 250 coins per coin you bet.  However, if you get any combination of yardage markers totaling between 10 and 24 yards, you are awarded double your coins back.  If you get yardage markers totaling between 25 and 49 yards, you get 25 times your bet back.  If you get yardage markers totaling between 50 and 99 yards, you get back 50 times your bet.  And if you score a touchdown (100 or more yards), you get 100 times your bet back.  Watch out for the referee with the penalty flag.  He will blow his whistle and subtract 5 yards from your total yardage.