Contents

Sales Pitch

Overview

Main Menu Options

Play

Players

Game

Display

Table

Bankroll

Common Terms


Overview

BlackJack for Windows Version 1.2 provides the following features:

Up to six players in a game

Each player can split hands six times

Table-minimum and starting bankroll selection

Six decks in the shoe

Double Exposure

Surrender

Insurance Bets

Double Down

For instructions on registering this game and getting access to Version 2.0 with strategy manipulation click the About button on the main menu.

See also:

Version 2.0 Features

Sales Pitch


Sales_Pitch
Sales Pitch

This is a prototype of our newest BlackJack simulator.  Version 1.2 is distributed as shareware.  Feel free to pass it along to your friends and neighbors, we know you will anyway.  If you enjoy the program and use it, you should register it.  Most people don't, but the thought is nice.  Anyway, here's why you might:

1	It's the right thing to do, you're a good person,  and you can feel good about it.

2	When we're featured in Fortune magazine, you can say "I knew'em back when, couldn't have made it without me."

3	It encourages me and other little people  to continue developing shareware products at fair prices.  Who knows, you might pick up something someday you really need.

Our primary objective is to develop educational software.  We are on the verge of a revolution in education.  You are already hearing how the BIG PHONE companies and BIG CABLE companies are gearing up to shoot 500 channels of nonsense at you, down the information supa-highway.  Sorry, we are not into that.  What we are into is the development of computer based training to replace, supplement, or augment traditional forms of academic education.  Educational requirements are continuously increasing.  Tuition costs are going through the roof.  If you have kids or grandkids, you may have a big balloon on the horizon.

Saving for their education is one hurdle.  Helping the little buggers achieve academic success is another. This is where we come in.  We are developing software to help students excel in school, not just pass.  We are planning to market it at reasonable prices.  Our only problem, right now is completing the development, that's where you come in.

If your only interest is the game, you say to yourself "Is this the BlackJack game for me."  Well we don't know.  It's good.  All of our Beta Testers liked it.  It's fun to play and it's quick.  It's easy to understand.  We provided plenty of help in this file on all of its options.

So why register this one?  Depending on the number of people who register, we will complete Version 2.0.  When completed, we are going to make Version 2.0 available to registered users.  It may not be distributed as shareware.  So, what's it got that's so great?  Version 2.0 will have full strategy simulation.  That sounds nice doesn't it, but what does it mean?  To find out click on Version 2.0 Feautres

For instructions on registering this game and getting access to Version 2.0 with strategy manipulation click the About button on the main-menu.


Version_2.0_Features
Version 2.0 Features

In Version 2.0 you designate automatic basic play strategies for any and all players.  You will determine the logic the players use when playing the game.  Do other games have this?  Some have similar capabilities.  However, we don't know of any that have the capabilities of Version 2.0.

Not only will you be able to program the player logic, but you will be able to do it in a manner of minutes.  Once you have used it a few times, we expect that you will be able to perform this amazing feat (for up to six players) in less than ten minutes, store it in a configuration file and retrieve it whenever you want to simulate those circumstances.

Why would you want to do this?  Because it makes the game more interesting and simulates casino conditions better than cute graphics of backgrounds and card tables.  You may have read books on BlackJack strategy that claim to increase your odds.  It could get pretty expensive to try these strategies out at the table.  Why do that, when you can try them out at home.  For instance, let's say that you are considering switching to a different basic play strategy.  You could set up a scenario, where you program another player to use the new strategy while you compete with your own.

Version 2.0 contains other features also.  Other games will tell you when you are violating their basic strategy.  Version 2.0 allow you to request feedback when you are violating your basic strategy.


Play

Select the Play option from the main-menu to start the game.  You also select it anytime you have stopped play on the Next Round Dialog Box.


Players

Select the Players Option on the Application Menu.  The drop-down menu will allow you to select up to six players to play at one time.

If you change the number of players in the middle of a game, it resets the game statistics.  This is equivalent to stopping the program and starting over, except that all your other options are retained.

See also:

Table

Bankroll


Game

The Game Dialog Box allows you to control table rules.  This option is provided to allow you to tailor the game to conditions that you are used to playing under.

Double Down Rules	You set rules for doubling your bet.

Splits First Pair Only

Pushing on the radio button limits the ability to split a hand to one time.  The default is five times.  You can request split five times and have six open hands.

Dealer Hits Soft 17

When you push the radio button it forces the dealer to draw when the dealer hand totals 17 counting an Ace as eleven.

Surrender

Pushing the radio button enables the surrender option on the choice Dialog box.  When surrender is enabled, you can throw in your cards at any time and lose 1/2 your bet.

Double Exposure

Push double exposure and both dealer cards will be dealt face-up.  If you play this game, the house wins all pushes ("ties") and when you hit BlackJack, it only pays even money.  (Not the usual 1 and 1/2 of the original bet.

Insurance

Insurance is always available, unless you select double exposure.  The insurance option will be enabled on the Choice Dialog Box when the dealer has one card face down and the up-card is an Ace.  Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a face card or ten in the hole.  If the hole card is an Ace, you win, otherwise you lose.  The insurance bet is always 1/2 of the current bet on your hand.


Double_Down_Rules
Double Down Rules

Only on Ten or Eleven

Selecting the radio button will allow you to double your bet only when you have a card count of ten or eleven in the first two cards dealt.

After Splits

Selecting the radio button will allow you to double down on spit hands.  The default is not to allow it.

On 3 or More Cards

This radio button allows you double down when you have three or more cards. (Basically anytime you want to.)


Display

The display option on the main menu lists the status for each player.  Hands won, hands lost and remaining bankroll.  Not really a great screen is it?  If you want to complain about it, write down what you would like to see on your registration form when you send your money in.


Table

The table option on the drop-down menu allows you to pick the table you want to play at.  The tables are listed by minimum bet.  If any player's bankroll drops below the table minimum, they are excused from the game.  If you switch tables in the middle of a game, any player that does not have enough money to play at the new table will be dropped.


Bankroll

The bankroll option let's you select the amount of money to start the game with.  Every player will have the same bankroll at the start of the game.  If you reset the bankroll, it resets all game statistics and sets every player's bankroll to the amount selected.


Common_Terms
Common Terms

Double-Down

An action initiated by the player that doubles the bet and draws one final card.

Face-Card

Jack, Queen or King.  These three cards have a rank value of 10 points.

Hole-Card

A card dealt face down.

Hard-Hand

The point value of the hand, when an Ace is counted as a one.  The Hard-Hand count will always be equal to or less than the soft-hand count.

Push

A tie.  Usually the bet is returned to player, but not always.  Depends on other game rules and the casino.

Soft-Hand

The point value of a hand when an Ace is counted as 11 points.

Split-Hand

When a hand is dealt, the player initially receives two cards.  If these cards have the same rank value (i.e. two 8's), the player has a split-hand.  The player can elect to split the two cards and receive two more.  This provides the player with two hands in the same game.

Surrender

Some casinos allow the player to elect to surrender their hand and only lose 1/2 their bet.  A player would do this when it is expected that the dealer has a hand that can't be beat.