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POKER.DOC
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Wrap
Text File
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1989-01-09
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8KB
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159 lines
DRAW POKER
by
Robert Gellman
(C) Copyright Robert Gellman 1987-1989
POKER.EXE plays five card draw poker head-to-head. The program
provides a challenge for the serious poker player and helps weaker
players sharpen their skills.
To start the program, just enter POKER at the DOS prompt. If
the file is on a floppy disk, enter A:POKER if appropriate. The first
few screens will explain how the program's mechanics work. Try a few
hands and you will catch on very quickly.
If you want to start playing, go ahead. Nothing in this short DOC
file is crucial. I recommend that you read it once, but the
documentation is not worth printing. If you want to load this file into
your word processor to print, set the margins at 10 and 78.
The program attempts to play winning poker. It has a sophisticated
style of playing and betting that is intended to win more money than it
loses. The program doesn't get tired or lazy, and it doesn't call bets
just because it is curious. Can you play winning poker against a tough,
disciplined opponent? That is the challenge of this game.
The program assumes that you know how to play poker and requires
no manual. There are several introductory screens with explanations of
the program's rules. Two help screens are available during play at the
touch of a button. Now you can play even if you can't remember whether a
flush beats a straight (it does!).
NOTES
First, the program is totally honest. The computer does not know
what is in your hand unless there is a showdown. Nor does the computer
know what cards are in the deck waiting to be drawn.
Second, there is one minor, otherwise undocumented, feature
whereby the program actually "cheats" in your favor. After cards are
drawn, the program will "remind" you of how many cards the computer
drew by displaying one period (.) for each card the computer drew.
Given the fast pace of the game (once you get the hang of it),
it's easy to miss the message showing the number of cards drawn by
the computer. After the draw is complete, the periods appear at the
top of the display following "AFTER THE DRAW". On the showdown
screen, the periods appear after the word "pot".
Third, the computer has different patterns of betting. Some of
its betting is random, and it won't always bet the same way with the
same hand. The program also observes your play and modifies its
behavior in response to your betting methods.
The computer is also able to bluff in several ways. The
computer will sometimes make large bets with bad hands and no bets
with good hands. Like any good poker player, every move the computer
makes has at least two possible interpretations.
Fourth, a run of very good or very bad hands is just a
coincidence. The randomness of the program has been tested in
simulations involving over half a million hands. The results mirror
those expected in normal poker playing. If you are losing, just keep
playing, and your luck may improve. If all else fails, try playing
better poker!
Fifth, as you play, you will be offered the chance to increase the
stakes. The maximum bet (or raise) starts at $10, and it can be doubled
twice until it reaches $40. This is high enough for a game where each
player starts with $200.
Sixth, head-to-head poker results in a high percentage of hands
being folded by one player or the other. This is quite normal.
Conservative players will fold when they don't think they can win. There
will be occasional spectacular showdowns when both players have good
hands. But the key to winning poker in the long run is discipline. Play
your cards and learn how to exploit small advantages.
The program allows you to play dozens of hands in a few minutes.
You can acquire a lifetime of experience in two hours. Despite the
limitations of head-to-head poker, you can still acquire a good sense of
draw poker odds. Remember the challenge: Can you beat the computer?
Seventh, the program is freeware. Please use the program and give
copies to others. No shareware or registration fee is owed to the
author. However, both the program and this documentation are copyrighted
by Robert Gellman. No one is authorized to make changes to either.
Also, no one is authorized to sell the program. The program may be
distributed by software clubs or libraries at a standard distribution
charge that recovers distribution costs. The maximum charge permitted
without specific permission from the author is $6.00.
Lastly, a word about the program itself. The first version
was written in FORTRAN in 1969-70 on an IBM 360 Mod 65. The current
version was written and compiled in Microsoft's QuickBASIC under DOS 3.1,
but it should run under DOS 2.0 or better. The program requires less
than 200 K and is compatible with color and monochrome monitors. A
graphics card is not needed.
Version 5.60 was a major improvement over previously released
versions. The card displays and messages were completely rewritten, and
the betting routines were sharpened. Most of the visual improvements are
the result of PROBAS, a library of BASIC programming routines from
Hammerly Computer Services. Later versions were more evolutionary.
The source program, which has not been released, is over 1200 lines.
A serious programmer/poker player may be able to convince me to provide a
copy of the source code. However, you will not be able to use the source
code without significant modification unless you have PROBAS.
FEEDBACK
HELP!!! If you find any errors, please let me know exactly when and
how they arose. The program has been very extensively tested, but I
cannot guarantee that it is bug-free. My address is on the second screen
(hit ENTER at the first screen).
User feedback is hard to get. I welcome comments about the program,
its mechanics, or poker strategy in general. Any suggestions for changes
or improvements will be considered. I know that thousands of copies of
this program are in circulation, but I have had very little response from
users. If you like the program, tell me. If you hate it, tell me what's
wrong. This is how you support freeware!
HELP AGAIN!!! If you develop a betting strategy that enables you
to win consistently, please let me know so I can make changes. The
program does not play perfect poker, but I would like to eliminate
any gaping holes in the betting algorithm.
Finally, my thanks to the Study Group for poker lessons and to
B.C., D.B., and S.A.C. for helping me refine the betting algorithm
and the general look of the program.
Good luck to the rest of you. You may need it.
Robert Gellman
Washington, DC
February 4, 1988
HISTORY SUBSEQUENT TO VERSION 5.60
Version 5.61 - Fixed overflow for bets over 32768 (!!??)
(4/28/88) Revised rules screen; insult frequency reduced
Minor betting algorithm change (top secret!)
Version 5.62 - Modified the frequency of chances to raise the stakes
(7/31/88) Fiddled with frequency and content of insults
Eliminated extra keystroke in sandbagging situations
Recompiled in QB 4.0b - size reduced by 10 percent
Version 5.63 - Revised the rules screen and added a new screen showing
(1/10/89) the order of poker hands. Made both screens available at
a keystroke. Revised the main screen display. Changed
the sound screen and the opening sounds. Small changes
to the betting algorithm made the computer a slightly
more aggressive bettor. Cutesy card cutting display
added. Recompiled in QB 4.5.