<p><a name="WHAT_IS_BJM"></a><b>What is Blackjack Mentor?</b><br>
<ul></ul><p>Blackjack Mentor is an instructional program designed to help you become a more proficient Blackjack player. It is not a game: it is a teaching aide to help you learn perfect Blackjack Strategy.
<ul></ul><p>The program comes with four easy-to-use modes that teach you the Basic Strategy tables quickly. <a href="bjcchelp.htm#DRILL_MODE">Drill mode</a> tests you on the 300 challenging hand combinations, remembers your mistakes, and stresses the plays that you fail frequently. You can view the complete strategy matrix in <a href"bjcchelp.htm#TABLE_MODE">Table mode</a>. <a href="bjcchelp.htm#MEMORIZE_MODE">Memorize mode</a> lets you walk through the strategy table and respond with the correct plays. And <a href="bjcchelp.htm#ACTION_MODE">Action mode</a> lets you select or program your favorite play tables.
<ul></ul><p>Blackjack Mentor comes programmed with many popular strategy tables for different casino rules and numbers of decks. You can select from any of the default Action tables, or you can create and save your own!
<ul></ul><p>Blackjack Mentor is the best way to hone your Blackjack skills. Practice your skills no matter where you are with our WInCE and Palm versions, or use our Windows version to practice at home.
<p><a name="USING_GUIDE"></a><b>Using this Guide</b><br>
<ul></ul><p>This guide does not require you to be a Blackjack expert,
but you should be familiar with the game and the rules. Even if you
have never heard of or used Basic Strategy, you will still be able
to utilize this software and improve your game. If you already are
familiar with advanced Blackjack concepts, then this software will
help you hone and practice your skills, no matter
what level you have attained.
<ul></ul><p>This online help guide is a small subset of our complete manual. Our complete manual, available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format for Windows, can be downloaded for free from our web site: <a href="http://www.deepnettech.com/bjdocs.pdf">www.deepnettech.com/bjdocs.pdf</a>.
<p><a name="REGISTRATION"></a><b>Registration and purchasing</b><br>
<ul></ul><p>To purchase this program, please visit our web site: <a href="http://www.deepnettech.com">http://www.deepnettech.com</a>. Use our secure servers to complete your purchase online, and receive an immediate registration code!
<ul></ul><p>Our products are 'registration shareware'; there is only one program to download that is both the free demo and purchased version. You may copy and distribute the shareware version as much as you like, as long as you do not modify it. While unregistered, the software will occasionally remind you to register the product, and reset the program. Purchasing the product provides you with a registration code to enter into the program and disable all shareware 'nags'.
<ul></ul><p><I>Temporary Registration Code</I>
<ul></ul><p>When you purchase any of our software, you are immediately issued a temporary registration code that will last for two weeks. Later, DeepNet Technologies will e-mail you a unique permanent code that you should re-enter when you receive it. Simply select 'Register' from the Help menu and enter the new code.
<ul></ul><p><b>Note</b>: make sure you provide a valid e-mail address when you purchase our software! This is where your permanent registration code is sent.
<ul></ul><p><i>Permanent Registration Code</i>
<ul></ul><p>Unique permanent registration codes are generated for each purchaser of our software. These codes are for your personal use and may not be shared with any one else. The permanent registration codes will only work if you enter the same e-mail address that you provided when you purchased the program.
<ul></ul><p>Blackjack Mentor has four main modes that you use: <a href="bjcchelp.htm#DRILL_MODE">Drill</a>, <a href="bjcchelp.htm#TABLE_MODE">Table</a>, <a href="bjcchelp.htm#MEMORIZE_MODE">Memorize</a> and <a href="bjcchelp.htm#ACTION_MODE">Action</a>. These modes are accessed from the View menu.
<ul></ul><p>You can get help in any dialog by tapping on the <b>Help</b> button if available, or selecting the <b>Help</b> item from the Start menu (tap on BJMentor in the upper left to open the Start menu). You can also select the <b>Help topics</b> item from the Help menu if you are in a main mode.
<ul></ul><p>Each help dialog that comes up will be customized for the operation or mode you are completing (context sensitive help).
<ul></ul><p>Drill mode is used to test you with random hand combinations. The screen displays two dealt cards for the player in the lower half, and one card for the dealer. Buttons are displayed along the bottom of the screen for the play choices available to you; click on the correct action for this hand combination.
<ul></ul><p>You may switch to another mode and return if you wish. If you want to display another hand without specifying the action for this play combination, click on the 'Skip' button.
<ul></ul><p>The more you guess incorrectly for a play combination, the more you will be asked about it. You can turn off specific tests in <a href="bjcchelp.htm#TABLE_MODE">Table mode</a>.
<ul></ul><p>When you guess incorrectly, a dialog is displayed showing you the correct action. The complete table line for this player combination is displayed to help you memorize the correct action.
<ul></ul><p><b>Player Statistics</b>
<ul></ul><p>The table along the bottom of the screen displays the player statistics.
<ul></ul><p>The 'Total' column shows the total number of correct and incorrect plays made for all hand combinations. This is remembered even when you close Blackjack Mentor and reopen it.
<ul></ul><p>The 'Session' column shows how many incorrect and correct guesses you have made for this run session. This column is reset when you close and reopen Blackjack Mentor.
<ul></ul><p>The 'Hand' column shows how many correct and incorrect guesses you have made for this specific play combination.
<ul></ul><p>Table mode displays the strategy entries for each play combination. The three buttons below the grid control which part of the play table is displayed: hard hands, soft hands, and pairs. The hard hand pane displays hands with a count from 8 to 16, the soft hands are Ace-two to Ace-nine, and the pairs pane lists Ace-Ace to Ten-Ten.
<ul></ul><p>You can select any cell in the play table. A small 'x' is displayed in the top right of a cell to indicate that you have guessed that play combination incorrectly. Selecting the cell will display the number of correct and incorrect guesses along the middle-bottom of the screen.
<ul></ul><p>The 'Test' checkbox can be used to turn off or on any individual play combination in Drill mode. When unchecked, the play will never be displayed in Drill mode. You can clear or set all of the Test checkboxes from the Preferences dialog.
<ul></ul><p>The strategy plays displayed depend on the 'Use action table' option in the <a href="bjcchelp.htm#PREFERENCES">Preferences</a> dialog. If this option is unchecked, then the built-in matrix is displayed. Otherwise, the plays from the currently select Action table are displayed.
<ul></ul><p>Memorize mode lets you walk through the strategy table in sequence and tests your memory of the correct actions. Click on a cell, then click on the correct action button along the bottom of the screen. Once you specify an action, you are moved to the next cell to the right or down. Select the play pane with the buttons below the grid (Hard, Soft or Pairs).
<ul></ul><p>If you guess incorrectly, a dialog is displayed indicating the correct play. An 'x' is displayed in the right side of a cell if you guessed incorrectly.
<ul></ul><p>To restart the memorization test, switch away from this mode and return. The table will be cleared and you can begin again.
<ul></ul><p>Basic strategy for Blackjack varies depending on the number of decks and the rule variants in play. The default strategy table that Blackjack Mentor starts with is for 8 decks, double on splits allowed (DAS), dealer hits soft 17 (H17). In the <a href="bjcchelp.htm#PREFERENCES">Preferences</a> dialog, you can specify noDAS, and Allow surrender.
<ul></ul><p>You can use different strategy matrices beyond the hard coded built-in table. The Action mode lets you select from different tables, or create your own.
<ul></ul><p>You can change the plays for the currently selected strategy matrix in Action mode. Start by selecting the play pane below the grid. Click on a cell, then click on the intended action button along the bottom of the screen.
<ul></ul><p><b>Remember</b>: the Action table is not used by default in Drill mode! You have to turn on the 'Use action table' option in the <a href="bjcchelp.htm#PREFERENCES">Preferences</a> dialog or in the <a href="bjcchelp.htm#SEL_ACTION_TABLE">Select Action Table</a> dialog. Otherwise, the built-in multi-deck strategy is used instead.
<ul></ul><p>To select a different strategy table, click on the 'Table' button in the Action mode screen. From this dialog you can select a different table or start a new table.
<ul></ul><p>Notice that the 'Use action table in Drill mode' checkbox is off by default. This means that Drill mode will only use the built-in action table, and that the action table will be ignored. You must check this option if you want to use the selected action table.
<ul></ul><p>Blackjack Mentor comes preprogrammed with many popular strategy tables. Simple click on the drop-down list of names and select the action table of your choice.
<ul></ul><p>To create your own strategy matrix, click on the 'New table' button. A new table is created based on the currently selected table. You should rename it with the 'Rename table' button.
<ul></ul><p>Use the 'Delete' button to delete any table (including the default tables). If you accidentally delete a table, just click on the cancel button for this dialog and your changes and deletions will be discarded. click 'OK' to return to Action mode and accept all changes.
<ul></ul><p>Use the 'Reset table' button to restore an action table to an original default configuration. The default tables that initially come with Blackjack Mentor are permanently available. This is useful if you accidentally change one of the default tables and want to restore it. Or, if you delete the built-in tables to save memory and later want to build a new strategy matrix based one of these default tables.
<ul></ul><p>To change the options for Blackjack Mentor, select 'Preferences' from the 'File' menu.
<ul></ul><p>Uncheck 'Allow double after split' to switch the default built-in table to noDAS strategy. This turns some of the splitting recommendations for twos, threes and fours into 'hits'. This option has no effect if the 'Use action table' option is checked.
<ul></ul><p>Check the 'Allow surrender' option if the casino permits the late surrender option. Few casinos allow this option anymore, so it is unlikely you will need it. Basic strategy only recommends surrender on a few hard 15 and 16 hands. This option has no effect if the 'Use action table' option is checked.
<ul></ul><p>Check 'Use action table' if you want to use the selected strategy matrix in Action mode instead of the built-in table. This option must be checked before the Action table matrix is used in <a href="bjcchelp.htm#DRILL_MODE">Drill</a>, <a href="bjcchelp.htm#TABLE_MODE">Table</a>, or <a href="bjcchelp.htm#MEMORIZE_MODE">Memorize mode</a>.
<ul></ul><p>Click on 'Reset Actions' to copy the default built-in strategy matrix into the currently selected Action table. It is unlikely that you will need to do this, since you can use the 'Reset table' option in the Edit dialog of Action mode.
<ul></ul><p>By default, all mistakes are displayed with an 'x' in Table mode. The last option in the Preferences dialog lets you change the number of mistakes at which errors are displayed.
<ul></ul><p>Click on the <a href="bjcchelp.htm#STATS_TESTS">'Stats/Tests'</a> button to bring up the preferences related to which entries are tested in <a href="bjcchelp.htm#DRILL_MODE">Drill</a> mode.
<ul></ul><p>Use this dialog to reset the statistics and Test options. In <a href="bjcchelp.htm#TABLE_MODE">Table</a> mode, you can specify which plays you want to be tested on. You can turn them all on or off, so that it is easier to configure them the way you want. You may also set the Test checkboxes so that you are drilled only on hard hands, soft hands, or pairs.
