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1994-03-20
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WELCOME to BEST BET U.S.A.
--------------------------
Welcome to BEST BET U.S.A., Test Drive. BEST BET U.S.A. is an advanced,
PC-based lottery information software package from LOTTO SOFTWARE, LTD.
The BEST BET "Test Drive" package is a 30-day trial package, providing
complete BEST BET U.S.A. features and functions for evaluation purposes.
The purpose of BEST BET's Test Drive version is to make BEST BET available
to as many lottery players as possible, enabling them to sample the full
functionality of the commercial BEST BET program in the form of a limited-
use Shareware version.
The enclosed Test Drive version of BEST BET U.S.A. will install and run on
any IBM-compatible PC under MSDOS 3.2 or later (including MSDOS 6.2). It
will run under Microsoft Windows 3.x in a DOS box session. BEST BET was
written to operate on any IBM-compatible, ranging from the original IBM
PC to the most modern Intel-based 486 and Pentium processors. BEST BET
supports color or monochrome monitors.
BEST BET's new SMART-FILTER(tm) features makes winning big in popular
lotteries even easier. And with BEST BET's unique SMART-WHEEL(tm), the
ability to 'wheel' numbers is vastly improved with SMART-FILTER. SMART-
FILTER provides an up to 20 to 1 reduction in the number of combinations
that are produced for a given set of wheel numbers. For example, if one
wheels 12 numbers, there are 924 possible combinations. Using SMART-WHEEL
with SMART-FILTER, the same wheel can be "statistically pruned" down to
about 50 "statistically reasonable" combinations. This means that those
who have lottery groups which routinely play 50 or more numbers can now
position themselves statistically to win more often and to win bigger. The
key to success with SMART-FILTER is to play regularly to beat the odds.
This release of BEST BET U.S.A. Test Drive has pre-configured support for
over 100 popular lotteries across North America. BEST BET U.S.A. can be
configured to support most any lottery game in the world. Using BEST BET,
one can simply describe the lottery games parameters, such as how many
balls are used, the range of numbers on the balls, the name of the lottery
and the name of a history file. BEST BET will then support the newly added
lottery game for you from then onward. It's really that easy!
BEST BET is an affordable tool for the serious lottery player. Priced at
$19.95 (including state sales tax and shipping costs), BEST BET is a very
reasonable investment. And Lotto Software offers its licensed BEST BET
customers a monthly 'subscription service', whereby each month you will
receive the latest version of the BEST BET program, along with any updates
which have been made to the data and program files.
To order your own licensed copy of BEST BET U.S.A., send check or money
order for $19.95 to:
BEST BET U.S.A.
c/o LOTTO SOFTWARE, LTD.
4606 FM 1960 West, Suite 400
Houston, TX 77069
(713) 937-0355
Sorry, no C.O.D. orders, please. If you prefer to order BEST BET electr-
onically via COMPUSERVE, then type "GO SWREG" on COMPUSERVE. At the time
of this writing, we are working to make BEST BET U.S.A. available via the
Prodigy service, too. Consult Prodigy to determine if BEST BET is available
yet via Prodigy. In the future, we hope to be able to accept Master Card
and Visa, but for now we can only process a check or money order. Sorry
for any inconvenience that may cause in the meantime, but we wanted to get
this Test Drive version in your hands as soon as possible.
Call us at (713) 937-0355 if we can be of service or answer any questions
about how to obtain your very own registered copy of the latest BEST BET
product. We hope you enjoy BEST BET U.S.A. And Good Luck with your
lottery drawings! And we do look forward to hearing from our BEST BET
millionaires, too!
*****************************************************************************
BEST BET U.S.A. Test Drive, QUICK START:
----------------------------------------
To get started with BEST BET quickly, the following procedure is recommended.
The example MSDOS commands are shown assuming the "C" disk drive is used.
After each command, press the 'Enter' key (shown below as < Enter > in the
example commands).
1. Create a directory named "BB".
C:> cd \ < Enter >
C:> mkdir BB < Enter >
C:> cd BB < Enter >
2. Copy the BBLOTTO2.ZIP file to the directory you created (assumes that
you have a diskette in drive A which contains the BEST BET Test Drive
zip file.
C:> copy A:BBLOTTO2.ZIP C:\BB /v < Enter >
3. Unzip the BEST BET test drive files using PKUNZIP utility.
C:> pkunzip A:BBLOTTO2 < Enter >
4. Run the BEST BET Setup utility, executable file named "SETUP".
C:> SETUP < Enter >
5. Run Best Bet U.S.A. Test Drive executable file named "BB".
C:> BB < Enter >
You are now running BEST BET Test Drive U.S.A. The test drive version of
BEST BET will operate at its full functionality level for 30 days or 30 uses,
whichever occurs first. After the first 30 days (or uses), BEST BET Test
Drive will reduce the level of available functionality to its "Shareware"
level. At the reduced Shareware level of functionality, advanced features
such as SMART-FILTER, SMART-WHEEL and the ability to enter new drawing
database information will become disabled.
NEW IN RELEASE 2.0 of BEST BET:
-----------------------------------
Release 2.0 of BEST BET contains the following major changes or additions:
2.1 Multi-state Lottery Support
--------------------------------
BEST BET was originally developed for the Texas Pick 6 Lotto only. This
release of BEST BET supports over 100 popular state lottery games across
North America. It also provides a game definition feature which enables
new lottery games to be added to BEST BET if not already included in the
standard supported lotteries. BEST BET will support lotteries with the
following range of criteria:
* 2 to 6 balls are selected in a lottery drawing
* Numbers are in the range of 0 to 100
* Numbers can be drawn multiple times or only once per drawing
If BEST BET does not already support your favorite lottery, then you can
add support for it easily, making BEST BET capable of supporting most any
lottery in the world!
Also, for our existing Texas customers, BEST BET now supports the Pick 3.
2.2 SMART-FILTER Statistical Filter
------------------------------------
A new feature known as SMART-FILTER(tm) was added to control the range and
characteristics of the numbers which BEST BET selects. Use of the filter
is totally optional. In addition to wheeling numbers and BEST BET's other
number picking systems, SMART-FILTER can now be used to control the range
of number combinations that BEST BET will pick for you.
For example, in a Pick 6 lottery it is uncommon to see an unbalanced odd/
even ratio selected (for example, 6 odd and 0 even numbers). SMART-FILTER
can be used to "tune out" statistically bogus combinations such as these!
SMART-FILTER provides you with six tunable parameters which can be used
to control the sequences of numbers BEST BET will provide.
A typical wheel of 12 numbers for the Texas Pick 6 produces 924 different
combinations (and costs $924 to cover all the combinations!). This is not
feasible for most of us to play. Using SMART-FILTER's ability to tune out
statistically undesirable combinations, the same 12 number wheel can now
be "filtered" statistically to produce from 10 to 50 combinations! Of
course, the amount of filtering that occurs depends upon how you select
the tuning parameters. BEST BET will default the tuning parameters based
upon selected recent drawings, simplifying setting up the tuning values.
By using SMART-FILTER with the random-number picking systems, BEST BET
is now better than just another random-number picker (we think that
our number-generating scheme was always better to begin with, as proven
by the many BEST BET customers that have already won using BEST BET).
By combining BEST BET's SMART-FILTER with the random picking scheme,
BEST BET now allows you to control the "statistical ranges" of
combinations that will be selected.
2.2 Improved Statistical Analysis Information
----------------------------------------------
Additional statistical analysis information is provided for each drawing:
* AVG GAP: the average "gap", or distance, between each number.
* CUM AVG: a 10-drawing, running average of the sum's of the last 10
lottery drawings.
These additional parameters are now available as SMART-FILTER parameters.
2.3 Out of order history data now sorted automatically
--------------------------------------------------------
In the first release, if you missed several lottery drawings, then entered
a recent drawing, then later entered the drawings that were missed earlier,
BEST BET did not reorder the out-of-order drawings. This release of BEST
BET always sorts all history information by drawing date when it is saved
to the disk file.
2.4 History Filename changed
------------------------------
The history file name of BASEDATA.TX for Texas Pick 6 was changed to
TEXAS6.HIS for consistency with the other lotteries supported. Each
history file name is selectable, but typically begins with the state
and the number of balls selected in the lottery, with a file suffix of
".HIS". For example, the California Pick 5 history file is "CAPICK5.HIS".
About TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
------------------------
BEST BET is sold through retailers. The retail store operators and sales
people DO NOT support BEST BET. If you experience a problem with BEST
BET, please DO NOT CONTACT THE RETAIL STORE where you purchased BEST BET.
They are not equipped to support you. Instead, you should contact LOTTO
SOFTWARE after reading this README.TXT file and attempting to resolve the
problem according to the instructions shown below.
If you have tried the suggestions below and you are unable resolve a
given problem with BEST BET, please feel free to contact LOTTO SOFTWARE
for more assistance. Please try reinstalling BEST BET BEFORE calling
LOTTO SOFTWARE. Thank you.
LOTTO SOFTWARE, LTD.
(713) 937-0355
About 3.5" MICRO and 5.25" FLOPPY DISKS:
----------------------------------------
BEST BET is distributed on either 3.5" and 5.25" media. If you want to use
BEST BET on media other than that you purchased, simply copy all files from
the purchased BEST BET diskette onto a formatted diskette of the desired
type and format.
For example, you purchased 5.25" double-density media and wish to use
3.5" high-density media. If drive A is your 3.5" drive and drive B is
your 5.25" drive, the following MSDOS command will handle the copy:
COPY B:\*.* A:\*.*
Once all files are copied to the 3.5" media, you may proceed to install
and use BEST BET as usual.
If you want different media or have difficulties, LOTTO SOFTWARE can
provide BEST BET on 3.5" or 5.25" media upon special request. Just clip
out the "bar-code" located on the back package cover and send $2.00 along
with your proof of purchase (to cover media, handling, shipping and tax)
to LOTTO SOFTWARE. We will ship you BEST BET on the specified diskette
media type and format. Be sure to be specific as to the desired media
type and format. Thank you.
INSTALLATION:
-------------
Installing BEST BET is easy. The INSTALL.BAT batch command file is useful
for installing it on the hard disk. To install BEST BET on drive C, for
example, enter the following commands:
C:> A:
C:> INSTALL C:
The above commands change the current drive to drive A (where the BEST BET
installation diskette should be inserted). Next, the "INSTALL C:" command
tells the BEST BET installation command to place BEST BET on the hard disk
drive C. BEST BET installs into a directory named "\BB". The installation
procedure copies all necessary disk files on the hard drive.
BEST BET personalizes itself to a computer when it is installed. If you
plan to run BEST BET from a diskette drive, you should first make a copy
of the original diskette. When you run BEST BET, it examines the computer
hardware upon which it is running and personalizes itself for that machine
only. If you change to another machine, you will want to make a copy of
the original BEST BET diskette. Therefore, DO NOT RUN BEST BET FROM THE
ORIGINAL DISKETTE; keep the original diskette in a safe place.
BEST BET installs into a directory named "BB" by default. If you do
not plan to install BEST BET into its default directory named "BB",
then you can copy the BEST BET files onto a hard disk directory of
your choice. Then, run the "setup" program. You may then run the
BEST BET program as described below from your particular directory.
Note: Version 2.0 of BEST BET comes compressed in a self-extracting
executable file named BB20.EXE. BB20.EXE contains most of the
BEST BET files used during installation.
RUNNING BEST BET 2.0 from a Floppy Diskette:
---------------------------------------------
Because BEST BET does not fit completely on a 360Kb 5.25" floppy,
it is advised that you install and run BEST BET from your hard
disk drive, if possible. If you prefer to run BEST BET from a
floppy, then the following is for you.
If you want to run BEST BET from a floppy, you should first copy
all of the files from the original floppy to a floppy with at
least 720 Kb of free space. Then, run the file named BB20.EXE
while your current drive is set to the floppy drive. Example:
( starts with BEST BET diskette in drive B )
C:> A:
A:> COPY B:*.* A: ( copy all files to drive A: )
A:> BB20 ( extracts BEST BET files to A: )
A:> SETUP ( run the SETUP program on A: )
A:> BB ( run BEST BET on A: )
SETUP Program:
--------------
After the installation batch file copies the BEST BET files, it runs a
program named SETUP.EXE. SETUP asks whether you have a color monitor or
not. Answer 'y' if you want color (and you have a color monitor; no, we
can't make monochrome monitors do color!).
Setup then examines your system, determines the types of devices attached,
such as CRT monitor, ANSI.SYS settings, etc. and then exits. At this
point, you are ready to run BEST BET. In Version 2.0 or later, SETUP
prompts you for which lottery you want to run most of the time. You can
change the default lottery selection at any time.
RUNNING BEST BET:
----------------
To run BEST BET, enter the following commands (assuming it's installed on
the C: drive):
C:> cd \bb
C:> bb
BEST BET contains on-line help information. Just press "?" or "h" at most
any menu for on-line help screens. If you are not sure what to do, just
experiment until you get some experience with the program. Remember, you
can create a hardcopy of any or all of the program at any time by using
the MSDOS print-screen (Shift-PrtScr) keys or by turning MSDOS printer
logging on via Ctrl-P. You can also print the online help files from
MSDOS. For example, to print the main menu help file, enter the following
MSDOS commands:
C:> cd \bb
C:> print main.hlp
RUNNING BEST BET FROM MICROSOFT WINDOWS:
----------------------------------------
BEST BET has been tested and is compatible with Microsoft Windows. Of
course, since BEST BET is actually an MSDOS executable, it must be run
within a "DOS Box" under Windows. BEST BET installs a file named "bb.pif".
This "bb.pif" file contains the necessary program profile information for
BEST BET to be operated from within Microsoft Windows. To use BEST BET
from Windows, you must first create a program icon. The following steps
can be taken to create the BEST BET icon in Windows:
1) Click the mouse on the "group" of icons that you want BEST BET to be
placed into (double-click, if necessary, to open the group of icons
up and show the icons on the program manager's window). This is the
group of icons where BEST BET will be placed.
2) From Windows, select "File", then "New". A dialog box appears with the
title "New Program Object". Select the item labelled "Program Item"
by pressing 'Enter' or selecting the "OK" button.
3) The dialog titled "Program Item Properties" appears. This dialog box
contains the information necessary to run a program from a Windows icon.
Enter the Description, Command Line and Working Directory, as follows:
Description: BEST BET
Command Line: bb.pif
Working Directory: C:\BB
The above entries tell Windows to run the program described by "bb.pif"
and to use the "C:\BB" directory.
4) You can optionally choose an icon for the BEST BET program by selecting
the button labelled "Change Icon" (Note: you will have to choose from
among the default icons provided by Windows).
From this point onward, you may run BEST BET from within Windows by
simply double-clicking on the BEST BET icon just like you would any
Windows-based program.
Note: To change the BEST BET program between "full screen" and "windowed"
display modes (that is, from a full screen MSDOS program view to a window
view in Windows), simply hold the "Alt" key while pressing the "Enter"
key. This "Alt-Enter" key combination will switch BEST BET between
the two display modes. To permanently change the display mode, use the
Windows "PIF Editor", select the "bb.pif" file and change the display
mode to your preference.
PRINTING WITH BEST BET:
-----------------------
There are two ways to get your printer to operate with BEST BET:
1) Print log of what shows on the screen to the printer.
To turn printer logging On, hold the "Ctrl" key while pressing the "P" key
once. All program actions from that point onward will be directed to the
printer. Note that if your printer hangs up for some reason (such as out
of paper or off-line), using this option could slow or stop the program.
To turn printer logging Off, hold the "Ctrl" key while pressing the "P" key
once. All program printer logging should now stop.
You may use Ctrl-P to turn printer logging On/Off as many times as you
wish and at any point in the program.
2) Print the current screen contents to the printer.
To print the current screen image to your printer, hold the "Shift" key
down while at the same time pressing the key marked "Print Screen" (also
marked "PrtScr" or something similar on some keyboards). The screen contents
will now be printed.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE USING CERTAIN LASER-JET PRINTERS, YOU MAY HAVE TO CAUSE
A PAGE-EJECT IN ORDER TO GET SHORT PRINTOUTS (LESS THAN ONE PAGE)
TO BE PRINTED. This is because laser jet printers print one page
at a time and do not actually print the page until they receive a
page eject or enough lines of print to fill up a page.
COLOR PROBLEMS:
---------------
BEST BET works correctly with or without ANSI.SYS. BEST BET has been
tested and is known to operate with monochrome, CGA, EGA, VGA and SVGA
displays. You must run the SETUP program and answer 'Y' when prompted
about whether you are using a color monitor (SETUP runs automatically
when you first install BEST BET).
BEST BET determines whether or not you are using an ANSI-compatible display
driver and makes the appropriate configuration changes.
If you experience color problems, try running SETUP again (from the BB
directory). Refer to the above section entitled "SETUP" for more
information on running SETUP.
PROBLEMS WITH BEST BET NOT RUNNING:
-----------------------------------
First. Please DO NOT contact your retailer for technical support. The
store personnel are not responsible for supporting BEST BET and are not
equipped to do so. If you cannot resolve a problem with BEST BET, you
should contact LOTTO SOFTWARE. Again, do not contact the retail store
for support. Instead, contact LOTTO SOFTWARE at (713) 937-0355 if you
cannot resolve the problem using this information.
If you experience a problem with BEST BET and see the following message:
"This copy of BEST BET has either expired, your computer's date is set wrong,
or you need to reinstall BEST BET from the original diskette."
The above message is most likely caused by:
1) You have changed your system hardware configuration, -or-
2) You ran BEST BET from the original diskette and it personalized itself
to the machine on which you first ran it.
If you see the above message, then the following steps are recommended:
1) Check your system date (use the MSDOS "date" command). Make sure your
computer is set to the correct date. BEST BET uses the date in its
calculations, so it needs to be correct.
2) You may have changed your hardware configuration; for example, you added
or subtracted serial ports, parallel ports, changed the type of CRT
monitor you are using, or some other configuration change occurred.
You may reinstall BEST BET from the original diskette and it should
operate correctly again.
If you should experience the above problem, the first and best cure is to
reinstall BEST BET from the original diskette. If you do not have the
original diskette, chances are you did not purchase your own BEST BET
license and should therefore obtain your very own licensed copy
(BEST BET's really not that expensive, so please purchase a legitimate
copy from a BEST BET retailer near you). Contact LOTTO SOFTWARE for the
latest list of retailers.