Index
Sage Concentration Help Index

Registration

Registration form

Rules of the game

Other Programs

Menu Items:

Game Menu Item

Dialog Boxes:

Deck Dialog Box

Options Dialog Box

Players Dialog Box

Score Dialog Box


Registration

This is the shareware version of Sage Concentration. Please register this program if you decide to keep it. Upon registering you will be sent the registered version. Please fill out the Registration form and send this form along with payment to:

Sage Software

PO Box 7223

Huntsville, AL 35807

Credit card orders are also accepted (please see the Registration form).

If your computer is equipped with a printer, you can print the registration form by selecting that help topic (position the mouse over Registration form and click the left button), then select the Print Topic entry under the File menu item. This registration form can also be found in the file ORDERFM.DOC.

The registered version of Sage Concentration has the registration reminder screen removed, 20 different card backs to choose from, and has four different playing levels to play against.

If you have additional questions about this programs or about registering, please call Sage Software at (205) 830-9364  9:00am - 5:00pm CST Monday - Friday. You can also E-mail us at: 102225.2363@compuserve.com

You are welcome to visit our WEB site at: http://www.best.com/~mcintyre/sage/ where you can download other great shareware games.


Registration_Form

Registration Form

Please register my version of Sage Concentration. (You will be sent the registered version upon receipt of the registration fee). Software cost = $5.00. Shipping and Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 if not in the U.S. or Canada).

Disk type:	___ 5.25	___3.5

Software Total 	$____________

Shipping & Handling 	$____________

Total	$____________

Send check or money order to:	Sage Software

PO Box 7223

Huntsville, AL 35807

------------------------------------------- Credit card orders -----------------------------------------------

We accept MasterCard and Visa

Card Number _____________________________

Card Member _____________________________

Expiration Date ____________________________

You can also call us at (205) 830-9364 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, Monday - Friday

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please print your name and address clearly to avoid delays.

Your Name: 	______________________________________

Address:	______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Shareware Survey: How did this product come to your attention?

___1. From a shareware vendor (name) 	_____________________________________

___2. From our WEB page.

___3. From a BBS (name) 	_____________________________________

___4. From a friend.

___5. Other (please specify)   	_____________________________________


Rules

Rules of the game

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent by selecting pairs of cards that match. There is some luck involved in this game, but in order to beat your opponent consistently you need to remember more of the cards that where turned up previously than he does.

How points are scored

Each time you select a pair of cards that match on your turn you are rewarded one point.

How to play

The first step to begin play is to select the opponent that you want to play against. You have the option of playing againt the computer set at one of two levels or you can play against another human player. The players can be set on the Players Dialog Box. You also have some controll over some of the parameters of the game such as the game speed and sound effects. These can be set on the Options Dialog Box. Once the players and the game options are set, start the game by selecting the Start entry under the Game menu item. You can also simply select the F2 key on your keyboard. Once this is done all 52 cards will be dealt and displayed face-down on the screen. The players name whose turn it is will be highlighted in red at the top of the screen. On your turn, select two cards which you think match (i.e. a pair of 7s, Queens, etc.) one at a time by positioning the mouse over the card and clicking the left button. If the cards that you chose match, you will be rewarded one point and it will remain your turn. If the cards do not match, your turn will be over and play continues with the other player. When it is the computers turn, an animated hand will appear and make its selections.

Game over

When all 52 cards have been matched, the game is over. The winner is the player who has scored the most points.


Other_Programs
Other Programs

Here is a list and a brief description of other programs offered by Sage Software. If you are interested in purchasing any of them, please fill out the Order form and send this form along with payment to:

Sage Software

PO Box 7223

Huntsville, AL 35807

If your computer is equipped with a printer, you can print the order form by selecting that help topic (position the mouse over Order form and click the left button), then select the Print Topic entry under the File menu item.

Or you can call us for credit card orders at: (205) 830-9364.

Sage Video Poker Simulator. This is a casino video poker simulator with great graphics and sound effects. The payout table is user definable and there are three different games to choose from: Draw Poker, Joker`s Wild, and Deuces Wild. Statistics of the different hands obtained during play are kept.

Sage Video Poker. This is a more advanced version of the Simulator. It can do everything that the Simulator can do plus has functionality which can analyze the poker hands to find which are the best cards to discard for any poker hand (this analyzing functionality is available for the Draw Poker and Joker`s Wild games, not Deuces Wild). This analyzing functionality includes Advice, Tutor, Analyze Hands, and Analyze Game. The Advice button can be selected anytime during a game after the initial cards are dealt. This will tell you which the best cards to discard are for the current hand and what the expected winnings will be. It will also show the expected winnings for every possible discard combination. When the Tutor is turned on, it will notify you whenever you do not choose the proper cards to hold to yield maximum returns during a game. The Tutor will also keep a list of all the mistakes you made and will show you the percent advantage that you lost due to your errors. The Analyze Hands functionality displays the same information as the Advice button does but you can specify any poker hand to be analyzed. The Analyze Game functionality will analyze the current game you have specified. After analyzing a game, you will be shown what the player`s expected advantage is upon perfect play. Also you will be shown what percent of the time you can expect to get each of the payout hands upon perfect play. As a bonus, there is a Tournament Play mode in this program. This is a fast-paced exciting break from standard play mode. The object is to score as many points as you can in a 10 minute period. If you are good enough to score in the top 10, you get to place your name on the top 10 list (sorry, you don`t get a prize!). This program is for someone who wants to go beyond just playing the game. It allows you to find which video poker machines in a casino offers the best returns and it can help you learn the correct cards to hold in order to maximize your winnings.

Sage Blackjack Simulator. This is a casino blackjack simulator with outstanding animated graphics, sound effects, and background music. It can simulate the house rules of most casinos in the world. Up to seven players may play at the same time. Any seat can be unplayed, played by the user, or played by the computer according to a playing strategy which the user can define. From 1 to 8 deck games can be specified. Either a face-up or face-down game can be defined. Either a random or a casino shuffle can be defined. The speed of the graphics can be changed by the user to control the speed of the game. Various statistics such as current bankroll, largest bankroll, smallest bankroll, winnings, number of rounds played, and more are kept. With the casino shuffles and because all cards are collected and discarded in the same order as the casinos do, this program is one of the best casino blackjack simulators on the market at any price!

Sage Blackjack. This is the top of the line as far as blackjack programs go. This program was designed to teach the user winning blackjack strategies and can also be used to test and even create them. It has many teaching aids available for doing this. One teaching aid provided by this program is the Tutor. When the tutor is turned on, the computer will monitor each playing action the user makes while he plays and will notify him if he makes a mistake. The user can define any playing strategy to be tutored on, including playing strategies based on a true count. Another teaching aid is the Count Training functionality that can help teach the user how to count cards. Card counting is a method that experienced blackjack players use to gain an advantage over the casinos. It is no secret that a player who counts cards can gain an advantage over the casinos. Yet another training aid provided by this program is the Flash Cards. Any playing strategy that you define for a player can automatically be transferred to flash cards which you can scroll through to help you learn the proper playing actions to take under different situations. To test playing or betting strategies, this program has the ability to define most playing and betting strategies to each of the 7 seats. When the graphics are turned off and the game is started, the computer can deal more than 1,000,000 hands an hour (or closer to 6,000,000 when a 100mhz pentium or better is used). At this high rate, it is possible to evaluate different strategies by assigning them to different seats and comparing the statistics. The player`s advantage for each strategy will converge toward the actual value when a large number of hands are tested. Also this program has the Evaluation functionality that can be used to find the best playing action to take under different conditions. This functionality can be used to calculate the basic strategy for different house rules and can also be used to calculate count based strategies for different counting methods! The decks used in the game can also be modified. The players can be programmed to enter and leave the game under different conditions, such as based on the true count or based on money won or lost or the number of rounds played. This program offers a wealth of statistics including statistics based on the types of hands, the true count, count reversal, progression, sessions, previous hands, and more. The animated graphics, sound effects, and background music makes this a great blackjack program to play for the shear entertainment as well. This program comes packaged with a manual and can be found in a few selected stores.

Barraging Barriers. This is a challenging multi-level maze game. The object is to score as many points as you can by collecting bonuses as you advance to higher and higher levels, trying not to let the barraging barriers barricade you.

Ditto. The object of this game is to score as many points as you can by repeating the button sequence that is shown to you. There are four different game types to choose from: a 3 button configuration, a 4 button configuration, a 6 button configuration, and a progressive game where you can advance to higher levels. The animated graphics and sound effects makes this an entertaining game to pass the time. A good short-term memory is the only requirement for scoring big on this game.


Order_Form
Order Form

___ I would like to order Sage Video Poker Simulator. Software cost = $10.00. Shipping & Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

___ I would like to order Sage Video Poker. Software cost = $25.00. Shipping & Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

___ I would like to order Sage Blackjack Simulator. Software cost = $10.00. Shipping & Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

___ I would like to order Sage Blackjack. Software cost = $35.00. Shipping & Handling = $2.00 ($4.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

___ I would like to order Barraging Barriers. Software cost = $5.00. Shipping & Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

___ I would like to order Ditto. Software cost = $5.00. Shipping & Handling = $1.00 ($2.00 outside the U.S. and Canada).

Disk type:	___ 5.25	___3.5

Software Total 	$____________

Shipping & Handling 	$____________

Total	$____________

Send check or money order to:	Sage Software

PO Box 7223

Huntsville, AL 35807

------------------------------------------- Credit card orders -----------------------------------------------

We accept MasterCard and Visa

Card Number _____________________________

Card Member _____________________________

Expiration Date ____________________________

You can also call us at (205) 830-9364 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, Monday - Friday

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please print your name and address clearly to avoid delays.

Your Name: 	______________________________________

Address:	______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________


Game_Menu_Item
Game Menu Item

The Game menu provides some options for controlling the game.

The Start item entry will start the game. The F2 key on your keyboard performs the same function. If you select this while a game is currently being played, the current game will stop and a new game will start.

The Stop item entry will stop the current game.

The Players item entry displays the Players Dialog Box where the players of the game can be defined. If you want to change the players in a game and there is a game currently running, it must be stopped first.

The Options item entry displays the Options Dialog Box where parameters controlling the game can be specified.

The Deck item entry displays the Deck Dialog Box where the picture displayed on the backs of the cards can be defined.

The Score item entry displays the Score Dialog Box which displays the number of games won by each player.

The Exit item entry will terminate the program.


Deck_Dialog_Box

Deck Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when the Deck item entry under the Game menu item is selected.

This dialog box allows you to select the picture to be displayed on the backs of the cards. There are 5 different pictures to choose from.

To select one of the card backs, select the button directly below it. This will cause a Selected indicator to display above the picture.


Options_Dialog_Box

Options Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when the Options item entry under the Game menu item is selected.

This dialog box allows you to controll different aspects of the game.

The Sound effects check box allows you to turn on and off sound effects during the game. This check box will be disabled if your computer is not equiped with a sound card. If the Comments check box is selected, in addition to the standard sound effects heard in the game, you will hear comments made every time two cards are flipped face-up.

If the Automatic redeal after game check box is selected, after the game is over the cards will automatically be dealt again to start a new game.

The First turn radio buttons define which player will have the first turn. If the Alternate radio button is selected, the first turn will alternate between the players after each game.

The Game speed radio buttons define how fast the game is played. The speed at which the cards are dealt, flipped, moved, and the time that the cards are shown are all affected by these radio buttons.


Players_Dialog_Box

Players Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when the Players item entry under the Game menu item is selected.

This dialog box allows you to define the players of the game. It is possible for you to play against the computer at two different levels (The Expert and Advanced levels will be disabled. They are enabled in the registered program) or another human player. You can even have the computer play against itself.

The Player 1 radio buttons allow you to define who the first player is. If it is a human, enter the name of the player in the Name field. If it is the computer, select the level at which you want the computer to play at. The levels are listed in decreasing order where Expert represents the hardest level and Novice the easiest.

The Player 2 radio buttons define the second player.


Score_Dialog_Box

Score Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when the Score item entry under the Game menu item is selected.

This dialog box displays the number of wins and ties each player got. Every time a player is changed these statistics automatically reset to 0.