CD ROM Paradise Collection 4/CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso/games_d/bridge11.zip/README.1ST

Text File | 1995-03-13 | 9KB | 175 lines

               JTS TALKING BRIDGE BIDDING SYSTEM  - Ver. 1.1

Thank you for trying JTS Bridge Bidding.  This shareware program should help
you improve your bidding skills. Because it plays more like a real bridge
game, you should find it easier to practice on the computer and then switch
to a real game. The registered version of the program also includes a tutor
which will suggest a playing plan/strategy following the bidding, which
should also help you develop good playing habits, as every good player
should make a plan before playing out the cards.


                          INSTALLATION

To install the program, simply unzip all the files into a directory of
your choice.  If you want to create an icon in a program group in Windows,
then open the group you want under the Program Manager, then select New
under the Program Manager File menu, select Program Item, and click on OK.
Enter any title you want in the Description field, but we recommend using
JTS BRIDGE BIDDING. Then enter BIDSHARE.EXE preceeded by the directory of
your choice, in the Command line field. If you now select OK, Windows
will find the icon in the program and put it into the group you selected.
You can then run the program by clicking on the icon.



                        PROGRAM OPERATIONS

The thing that makes this bridge game unique is the fact that it is DATA
DRIVEN by text files.  This means that the text files can be changed,
and the program will bid differently with no changes needed to the program
itself, so program updates should not be necessary.

You don't have to amend these text files if you don't want to.  The
rule files provided will give you many hours of entertainment and practice,
and more rule files should be available in the future.

I'm hoping that someone will take on the challenge of designing bidding
rules for a number of bidding systems.  The bidding rules I have included
with this program use a natural bid system to the slam level and then
Blackwood convention.  This set of rules could also be improved.
I tested the rules against the first 20 hands in the 1995 Daily Bridge
Calendar (Published by Ashlar House Inc. and Copp Clark Longman Ltd.). The
program found the same bid or an acceptable alternative in approximately 18
out of the 20 deals. An improvement in the rules or maybe a slight change
in the point ranges used, may bring the success rate to to an even higher
level. I have included these deals as saved hands.

A rule is a line of text in a file with the extension *.OBR for opening bids
and *.RBR for responding bids. Complete instructions on how to create, edit
or delete rule files will be sent upon registration. THE LITTLE BUTTON ON
THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE SCREEN SHOWS WHICH RULE FILE IS CURRENTLY
LOADED FOR EACH BID AS IT IS MADE.

With proper design, the rules should provide for most bidding situations,
and an expert player should be able to design a set of rules that will
make this program bid as well as a good player.  It may never be possible
to design rules that would make the program bid as well as an expert player,
because intuition and player reading, play a role in how any good player
bids.

I have not included the tools to develop rules with this program, but
they will be provided when you register.

The rules for opening bids are contained in the file CURRENT.OBR. This file
also contains the points assigned for distribution of suits for any hand,
and the point ranges used to determine opening bids. High card points are
arbitrarily assigned by the program with Aces=4, Kings=3, Queens=3, and
Jacks=1.

The rules for responding to the Opener are contained in the files:
   RESPONS1.RBR, RESPONS2.RBR, and RESPONS3.RBR.

The rules for the Opener to respond to the Responder's bids are contained
in the files:    REBID2.RBR, and REBID3.RBR.

Currently the rules files are limited in size.  Opening bid rules
(CURRENT.OBR) are limited to 150 rules, and response rules (*.RBR) are
limited to 250 rules in each file.  These limits can be raised if anyone
sees a need for more rules.

The various point counts and ranges are contained in the file BRIDGE.CFG.
This text file also contains some default startup data for this shareware
program.

All of these files are plain text files and can be amended or expanded,
but because the program must parse each line, care must be exercized in
amending the files, as the spacing and length of lines must remain exactly
the same or unexpected results could happen, and the files could become
corrupted.

Complete directions on how to interpret each file and each rule will be
provided when you register.

I will entertain any ideas on how to improve the program and I will
consider any proposals by anyone interested in developing bidding rules.
If someone is prepared to put a lot of effort into developing comprehensive
rules, and wants to be paid for their efforts, I will consider that as well.
I'm hoping that eventually a number of people will accept the challenge
and develop various sets of rules that will be available on the Internet,
and over time, the rules will make this program bid a very good game of
bridge.

                        MANUALLY PLAYING HANDS

I was going to develop a playing engine, but the more I worked on it, the
more I realized that it may not be possible to write a computer program
that will play very well.  I also found that when I played the hands
manually while testing the bidding engine, I came to the conclusion that
I was learning more by playing all the hands than I would have if the
computer was playing two or three of the hands. I could practice
playing as Declarer or Defender, and I could see when finesses and leads
would work and why. I abandoned the playing engine but kept the playing
strategies, and opening leads as drills that will be included with the
registered version of this program. I believe that these drills and the
bidding engine will help you become a better bridge player.

You can manually play the hands any time that all four hands are displayed
on the screen.


                               REGISTRATION
Please register and I will send a disk with a customized program plus an
additional set of rules that will use a Five Card Major Opening system,
and the Gerber Convention for slam bidding.
As mentioned I will also send complete instructions on how to interpret,
build and amend rules. The registered version will also have its own speech
synthesizer, so it will not need Monologue and should run with any sound
card.

                           BENEFITS OF REGISTERING

If you register this program and pay for its use, you will receive the
following benefits:

1. The latest program with no registration reminders.
2. You will be legally using the product after 30 days.
3. You will have the option of using other sets of bidding rules.
4. You will be able to select more slam conventions than Blackwood.
5. Another set of rules using the Five Card Major opening and Gerber slam
   bidding will be included.
6. You will receive detailed instructions on how to amend and develop rules.
7. You will receive information on other data driven aspects of the program,
   including point determinations, finesse rules, opening lead rules,
   promoting suit rules, and others.
8. Various drills will be included to help you learn and practice point
   counting, leading, and play planning strategies.

If you have any questions, and have read the help file completely, you
may contact me by e-mail.  My address is: [e-mail]

Version 1.1 differs from version 1.0 in that a WAV file with the shuffling
cards sound was missed in bridge10.zip, and the menu item for talk
selections is disabled if you indicate that you don't have a soundcard and/
or Monologue.  The older version would crash if you selected no soundcard
then selected 'SOUNDS' from that menu. I also made the values for un-
protected honors modifyable.  They were hard coded in version 1.0.

I will provide product support only to people who register. The form to use
for registering is included in the on-line help file under "How To Register"


Good Luck!

Tom Slemko
JTS Micro Consulting Ltd.
10931 Lytton Road RR#4
Ladysmith, B.C.
V0R 2E0
Canada.