
















                     +-----------------------------------------+
                     |                                         |
                     |               BlackJack!                |
                     |                                         |
                     |     Your Key To Winning Casino Play     |
                     |                                         |
                     +-----------------------------------------+























                                      Version 2.41D
                                  Copyright 1988 - 1993
                         Donald L. Granger  dba Glencoe Computing
                                   All rights reserved



                       T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S

                   BlackJack! License Provisions........i

                   Introduction........................ii

                   General Information..................1
                       System Requirements..............1
                       User Support.....................1
                       Description......................1
                       Backing Up BlackJack!............1
                       Installation.....................1
                       Running BlackJack!...............2

                   Blackjack Basics.....................3

                   The BlackJack! Main Menu.............5

                   At The Casino........................6
                       Casino Table Set-Up..............6
                       Automated Play...................7
                       Placing Bets.....................8
                       Playing The Hand.................8
                       Statistics......................10
                       History Statistics..............11

                   Editing The Casinos.................12

                   Setup BlackJack!....................13
                       Card Counting...................13
                       Strategy Tables.................14
                       Auto Players....................14
                       Betting Options.................14
                       Other Options...................16

                   Basic Strategy Practice.............17

                   Card Counting.......................19
                       Why Count?......................19
                       Counting Basics.................19
                       The 'True Count'................20

                   Card Counting Practice..............21

                   Betting & Money Management..........22

                   Tournament Play.....................24

                   Appendixes..........................25
                       Automated Betting...............25
                       Reshuffle Point.................25
                       Red-7 Card Counting.............27
                       Problems........................28
                       Strategy Tables.................29

                   BlackJack! Registration Form........31


                                       i


                       BlackJack! License Provisions

                   BlackJack! IS NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE
                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            BlackJack! is the copyrighted property of Donald L. Granger,
            Glencoe Computing.  You are granted a limited license to use
            BlackJack! for evaluation purposes, and to copy and
            distribute it, provided the following conditions are met:

            1. No fee may be charged for such copying and distribution
               other than a reasonable distribution fee.

            2. BlackJack! may ONLY be distributed in its original,
               unmodified state complete with data files and
               documentation.

            3. BlackJack! may be distributed as part of a package or
               group of programs provided it is properly labeled and
               marketed so as to retain its individual identity.

            4. You may not make any changes or modifications to this
               software.

            See the file VENDOR.DOC for complete information.

                                GLENCOE COMPUTING
                                DONALD L. GRANGER
                                1100 HIGHWAY C
                                GLENCOE, MISSOURI
                                         63038-1404

                       CompuServe EMAIL 72416,1362

                                   NOTICE
                                   ~~~~~~
            If you paid a shareware vendor for this program, you       
            paid for their service of copying and distribution, and not
            for the program itself.  None of these proceeds ever go to
            the author of this program.  You may evaluate this product,
            but if you make use of it, you should register your copy.

              +----------------------------------------------------+
              |       The benefits of registration include:        |
              |                                                    |
              | - The latest version of BlackJack!                 |
              | - User defined Basic & True Count strategy tables. |
              | - The ability to save and restart a casino session.|
              | - Full product support.                            |
              | - Printer formatted documentation.                 |
              |     (HP LaserJet, Epson-FX and Plain)              |
              | - Professionally printed manual (optional).        |
              | - An overall good feeling!                         |
              +----------------------------------------------------+


                                       ii

     The ShareWare Concept
            The ShareWare concept is an attempt to provide quality
          software at low cost.  The cost of offering a new product by
          conventional channels is staggering, and hence dissuades
          many independent authors and small companies from developing
          and promoting their ideas.  ShareWare is an attempt to de-
          velop a marketing channel where products can be introduced
          at low cost.

          If the ShareWare concept works, then everyone benefits.  The
          user will benefit by receiving quality products at low cost,
          and by being able to "test drive" software before purchasing
          it.  The author benefits by being able to enter the commer-
          cial software arena without first needing large sources of
          venture capital. But it can only work with your support.
          We're not just talking about BlackJack! here, but about all
          user supported software.  If you find that you are still us-
          ing a program after a couple of weeks, then pretty obviously
          it is worth something to you, and you should register.



            My thanks to The many users who have offered suggestions
          for features and enhancements,  whose support has encouraged
          me to  continue my work, and especially to Leslie Granger, a
          very special and very patient person.


                               Introduction
          The most popular casino game today, both for players and
          casino owners, is unquestionably Blackjack.  For the player
          the attraction is the simplicity of the rules (just about
          everyone knows how to play "21") and the friendly atmosphere
          of the table.  For the owners the popularity is due to the
          fact that the Blackjack tables have become the most
          profitable real estate in the casino.  It is the purpose of
          BlackJack! to do something about the latter!

          First, let's make sure that the object of the game is clear.
          You are not out to see who can get closest to 21 without
          going over... you are out to BEAT THE DEALER!  This concept
          is overlooked by many novice players, and it leads to fatter
          wallets for the casino bosses.  Although getting close to 21
          is often the best strategy, it's just as important to know
          when to sit back and let the dealer beat himself.


                                      iii

          With Blackjack you always know exactly how the dealer is
          going to play his hand.  This is the key feature that has
          allowed the development of Basic Strategy Tables, the most
          important tool at your disposal when at the tables.  The
          importance of learning the Basic Strategy Tables cannot be
          over stressed.  You cannot play blackjack by the seat of
          your pants and expect to win.  These tables are your key to
          winning!  By utilizing these strategies you can lower the
          house percentage (sometimes called vigorish) from around 6%
          to close to 0%!  Often in a session the money is made on the
          secondary bets (splitting and doubling down) while the
          regular play ends up in a push.  With a firm knowledge of
          the basic strategy you will know when to make these bets.
          The basic strategy tables are found at the end of this
          manual.  I recommend printing these tables for reference
          when using BlackJack!.

          In the early seventies card counting became quite a
          publicized subject, with many feature stories appearing on
          television and in magazines.  System sellers were quick to
          exploit this new awareness and a plethora of "sure win"
          systems were touted and sold.  Curiously during this period
          the casino profits began to rise at a disproportional rate
          to the increase in table activity.  Hmmmm, how could this
          be?  The answer is simple, too many casual players armed
          with too small bankrolls were attempting to apply extremely
          complex systems without the necessary long hours of
          preparation.  The only sure winners were the system sellers
          themselves and, of course, the casinos!

          Card counting, when properly utilized, can actually give the
          player up to a 1.5% edge over the house.  The biggest
          problem with most counting systems is that they are quite
          complex and far too difficult for the casual player to
          master.  Casinos also frown heavily on card counters and
          with certainty will ask a player suspected of counting to
          leave the tables (and maybe the casino).  This adds to the
          difficulty since the counter must go unnoticed.

          Of the numerous counting systems being touted and sold the
          simple "Plus / Minus" (+-) type is one of the best choices
          for the average player.  BlackJack! will concentrate
          primarily on the +- system of counting in this discussion
          (although program provisions exist for implementing a user
          defined counting system).  Counting systems are discussed
          under the Card Counting Practice heading of this manual.  In
          spite of the apparent simplicity, you should not even
          consider employing a counting system until you know the
          basic strategy tables inside out, being able to make the
          correct decision 100% of the time.

          I hope that you find BlackJack! a useful and fun to use tool
          in gaining the skill and confidence to be a winner.  The
          next time you return from the tables, I hope it takes a
          truck to carry home your winnings.
                                                     Donald L. Granger


                                       1

                             General Information

          System Requirements
            Due to BlackJack!'s very high resolution graphics, an EGA,
          VGA or Hercules compatible graphics adapter or equivalent is
          required.  BlackJack! will NOT run with the CGA or MDA display
          adapters.  A minimum of 256K display memory is required on EGA
          type adapters.

          BlackJack! requires 320K of available system memory.

          BlackJack! will run on any floppy based system as well as hard
          disk systems.

          User Support
          User support is free to registered users and is available by
          telephone evenings at (314) 458-2863, via Compuserve Mail
          (user ID# 72416,1362), or by mail.

          Description
          BlackJack! is a fun to use aid to learning Blackjack.  It is
          designed to be a totally accurate simulation of casino play.
          BlackJack! is capable, with your effort, to take you to any
          level of play, it IS NOT a sure-win scheme or quickie system
          for beating the casinos.  To become a proficient player you
          will have to spend many hours practicing basic strategy and if
          you desire, card counting.  If anyone tells you anything
          different, don't believe it.  These skills simply cannot be
          learned over night.  As with any skill, you must "use it or
          lose it".  Once you have reached your desired level of
          expertise you must periodically spend a few hours with
          BlackJack! to stay sharp.  If you currently are using a
          playing system, BlackJack! can easily be adapted to support
          it.  You can enter your own basic strategy tables, wagering
          system, true count tables(registered version) and counting
          system.

          Backing Up BlackJack!
          Make backup copies of your BlackJack! files.  Do this by
          placing your original BlackJack! diskette in drive A: and a
          blank formatted diskette in drive B: (for single floppy
          systems refer to the DOS manual for the correct procedure to
          make backups).  Enter the DOS command

            COPY  A:*.*  B: [Enter]   or  DISKCOPY  A:  B: [Enter]

          Always use the backup to run BlackJack!

          Installation
          BlackJack! does not require special installation procedures
          prior to use.  If you are using a floppy disk system all files
          must be on the same diskette and the program must be started
          from the default drive.


                                       2

          If you have a hard disk you can copy the program and data
          files onto the disk and run the program without the use of
          floppies.  The following is an example for setting up the
          program on a hard disk (assume drive C:):

               C>CD \         (switch to root directory)
               C>MD BJ        (create directory named BJ)
               C>CD \BJ        (switch to BJ directory)
               C>Copy A:*.* C:  (copy all files)

          It is important that all files be in the same directory and
          that directory be selected as the default.  For more
          information on hard disks and directories please see your DOS
          reference manual.

          BlackJack! uses the files CARDS16.IMG and SUITS16X.IMG with
          color systems and CARDSHGC.IMG and SUITSHGC.IMG with Hercules
          systems.  To save disk space you can delete the .IMG files not
          needed.

          Running BlackJack!
          From the DOS prompt simply type BJ and press [Enter].

          Startup Options - European / Australian Play
          BlackJack! has three start up options.
           /B  Prevents "B U S T" message from covering card images.
           /P  Prevents changes to video color palettes - useful to
               laptop and monochrome VGA users.
           /A  Australian style play.  The dealer is not dealt a
               second card until all players have finished their hands.

          Example: To invoke all of the above options type
            BJ /B /P /A [Enter]

          Prompt Lines
          Throughout this documentation, and while using BlackJack!
          Press and Enter have the following meanings:
            PRESS- just press the key corresponding to your response.
            ENTER- press the key(s) corresponding to your response
                   and then press the [Enter] key.

          When BlackJack! is waiting for input you will be prompted
          (usually across the bottom of the screen) for your response.
          The available choices are listed with their key letter
          enclosed in square braces [ ].  You make your selection by
          pressing the corresponding key.  Selections that require
          pressing a function key have the key represented as the letter
          F plus the key number.

          Example prompt lines:
            [H]it    [S]tandspli[T]  
            [F1] Help   [F2] Statistics
          To select split you would press [T]. To get help you would
          press function key [F1].  Note: [Ctrl] is represented in
          prompts by the '^' symbol. [Ctrl][S] is shown as [^S]


                                       3

                              Blackjack Basics
          In Blackjack players wager against the dealer's hand.  The
          object for the player is to have a hand value that exceeds the
          value of the dealer's cards without going over 21.  The object
          of the game for the dealer is essentially the same.  You win
          by either having the hand value closest to 21 or by having the
          dealer exceed 21 (bust).  Cards count face value with the
          King, Queen, and Jack valued as 10.  The Ace can count as 1 or
          11.

          Each player is dealt 2 cards, one at a time starting with the
          player to the dealer's left.  In most casinos each player is
          dealt face up and the player is prohibited from touching the
          cards.  A few still deal face down allowing the player to pick
          up the cards.  The dealer is dealt one card up and one face
          down.

          Each player, from dealer left to right, is given the chance to
          stand (draw no more cards), hit (draw additional cards in
          hopes of getting closer to 21), or take one of the other
          options described later.  You may hit until you have reached
          21 or gone over.  If you bust you lose regardless of the
          outcome of the dealer's hand.

          The dealer must play his hand according to strict rules.  He
          must always hit on a point total of 16 or less and must stand
          on a score of 17.  Some casinos allow the dealer to hit a
          "soft 17" (a score of 17 that includes an Ace valued at 11,
          for example Ace - 6).  This is not a common practice and is
          found mainly in the Tahoe - Reno area of Nevada.

          If the player is dealt blackjack (a 2 card score of 21) and
          the dealer does not also have blackjack, you are an automatic
          winner and are paid at odds of 3:2.  If both dealer and player
          have blackjack, it is a push (tie) and no chips change hands.
          If the dealer has blackjack and the player has a total of 21
          but with more than 2 cards, the dealer wins the hand.  This
          last situation can occur when, for security reasons, the
          casino only allows the dealer to check his hand for blackjack
          when his up card is an Ace.  In these cases when the dealer
          does have blackjack only the player's original bets are lost.
          Double down and split bets are not taken.

       Splitting Pairs:
          If your first two cards have the same value, you can split
          them into separate hands.  Note that any two cards with a 10
          value may be split.  If you elect to split a pair you must
          place an additional bet equal to your original bet on the
          second hand.  Play is completed on the first hand before any
          cards are dealt to the second hand.  If a pair of Aces are
          split most casinos do not allow additional cards to be drawn.
          Note that 2 card totals of 21 on split hands ARE NOT treated
          as a blackjack and pay only even money.  Some casinos allow
          for resplitting if the original split results in another pair.
          BlackJack! allows a maximum of one resplit.


                                       4

       Doubling Down:
          After you are dealt your first 2 cards you may elect to double
          down by making an additional wager up to the amount of your
          original wager and drawing only one additional card.  Note
          that BlackJack! only allows making the maximum wager on double
          downs.  Most all houses allow doubling down on split hands.
          Rules vary among casinos on what point totals you may double
          down, but the most common is any two cards.

       Insurance:
          If the dealer's face card is an Ace, you will be offered the
          opportunity to take insurance.  To do this you make an
          additional wager of 1/2 your original bet.  If the dealer has
          blackjack your insurance bet is paid at 2:1, but your original
          bet is lost, effectively amounting to a push (unless of course
          you have blackjack).  If the dealer has any score other than
          blackjack the insurance bet is collected and play continues.

       Surrender:
          Some casinos will allow the player to drop out of the hand by
          giving up (surrendering) 1/2 their original bet.  This can be
          an advantageous move when you hold what amounts to a hopeless
          hand.  For example, the dealer is showing an Ace and your hand
          count is 16.  You must indicate your desire to surrender prior
          to drawing any cards.  Very few casinos still offer this
          option, but at the ones that do it is an important part of the
          basic strategy.
       "Cute" Rules:
          Some casinos may offer special payoffs for situations such as
          having 6 cards under 21 or 3 sevens.  These are rare and are
          not addressed in BlackJack!.


                                       5

                            The BlackJack! Main Menu
                       +---------------------------------+
                       |  CASINOS                        |
                       |    1 - User Casino              |
                       |    2 - Bally's Park Place       |
                       |    3 - Caesar's Palace          |
                       |    4 - Peppermill Casino        |
                       |                                 |
                       |  Other Choices                  |
                       |    5 - View Casino Definitions  |
                       |    6 - Edit Casinos             |
                       |    7 - Card Counting Drill      |
                       |    8 - Basic Strategy Drill     |
                       |    9 - Setup BlackJack!         |
                       |    0 - History Statistics       |
                       |    * - Registration Form        |
                       +---------------------------------+

       - Load A Casino: [1] through [4]
          The top 4 menu choices represent the different casinos that
          BlackJack! is programmed to simulate.  To select a casino for
          play press the corresponding number.

       - Quick Load A Casino: [F1] through [F4]
          By pressing the function key [F#] that corresponds to the
          casino you bypass the Casino Table Setup screen and jump
          directly into casino play.  see Save Casino Setup, page 7

       - View Casino Definitions: [V] or [5]
          A screen showing the description and house rules of the avail-
          able casinos will appear.  To scroll the different descrip-
          tions press the arrow keys.  To play at the displayed casino
          press [Enter], to exit to the main menu press [Esc].

       - Edit Casinos: [E] or [6]
          Edit the configuration of the casinos.

       - Card Counting Practice: [C] or [7]
          Sharpen your card counting skills. See Card Counting, page 21

       - Basic Strategy Practice: [B] or [8]
          Practice Basic Strategy drills. See Basic Strategy, page 17

       - Setup BlackJack!: [S] or [9]
          Configure BlackJack! options. See Setup BlackJack!, page 13

       - History Statistics: [H] or [0]
          View cumulative statistics for the casino play.

       - Program Exit: [Q] or [Esc]
          To exit BlackJack! and return to DOS.

       - Quick Exit: [Ctrl][Q]
          Pressing [Ctrl][Q] at any time will quickly exit BlackJack! to
          DOS.  This can be handy should someone be practicing when one
          should be working.
  

                                       6

                                At The Casino
          BlackJack! allows for multiple players.  Although most likely
          you will be playing alone, it is possible to play more than
          one hand giving you the opportunity to try out different
          betting strategies at the same sitting.  Multiple players also
          offers a more realistic setting for practicing your card
          counting skills.

                             Casino Table Set-Up
          After selecting a casino you will need to provide the fol-
          lowing information for the table.  An input form will be
          displayed and you will be prompted for the following data.
          Note that items shown in () are only used as needed.

          [T]ournament / [N]ormal:
               Select style of play.
               Default:  Normal.
          (Number Of Players:)
               Enter the total number of players at the table.
               Default:  1.
          Number Of Auto Players:
               Enter the number of automatic players.
               Default:  1 less that total number of players.
          (Hands remaining in round):
               Enter number of hands remaining in the tournament when
               play begins.  See Tournament Play for more information.
               Default:  60.
          (Number Of Auto Hands):
               If the number of automatic players is the same as the
               total number of players you will be prompted to enter the
               number of fully automated hands to be played.
          Minimum Bet:
               Enter the minimum bet allowed for each hand.
               Default: $5
          Table Limit:
               Enter the maximum bet allowed for each hand.
               Default:  100 times minimum bet ($300 for tournament).
          Player's Stake:
               Enter the amount of money each player has.
               Default: 1/2 the table limit ($500 for tournament).
          (Status Box:)
               Press [Y]es or [N]o for the Status Box display.
               Default:  YES   (not used with full auto play)
          (Seating Arrangement):
               If the table contains a mix of human and automatic
               players you will prompted for the seat placements.  Seat
               #1 is to the dealers left (screen right).
               Default:  Always seats auto players first.
          [A]bandon  [R]edo  [^S]ave  [P]lay
               After completing the setup form you have the choice to
               abandon play and return to the main menu, re-enter the
               data, save the casino setup or play.  Default: Play.


                                       7

       Save Casino Setup:[Ctrl][S] / [S]
          BlackJack! allows you to save a default set of parameters for
          the casino setup.  This enables you to bypass the Casino Table
          Setup Screen and jump directly into casino play.  Pressing [S]
          will save the setup information and move you into the casino.
          Pressing [Ctrl][S] saves the setup without moving into the
          casino.  Once you have saved your favorite setup you can go
          directly to the casino by pressing the 'F' key that
          corresponds to the casino number from the Main Menu.  For
          example, to jump directly into casino number 3, you would
          press [F3] from the Main Menu.  If you want to make changes in
          the setup you can use the regular method of just pressing the
          casino number.  The default responses in the setup screen will
          be your saved setup data.

          BlackJack! keeps separate data for each of the four casinos.

                               Automated Play
          Any or all of the players can be made AUTO players making
          BlackJack! capable of fully automated play.  Simply specify
          the number of AUTO players desired from the Casino Table Setup
          screen.  This feature can make for a more accurate simulation
          and is particularly useful when practicing tournament style
          play.  If in normal casino mode (not tournament) the AUTO
          players will use the currently selected wagering style.
          Tournament AUTO players play a style unique to that form of
          Blackjack.

       Full Auto Play:
          When you set the number of AUTO players equal to the total
          players everything will be automated. Play will proceed un-
          attended for the number of hands specified.  Full automated
          play can be interrupted by pressing any key between hands.

       Accelerated Full Auto Play:
          Accelerated full automatic play is implemented by setting the
          automatic playing speed to INSTANT and designating all players
          as AUTO players.  Set the number of hands to play at the
          Casino Table Setup.  There will be no card display and hands
          will be played at a rate of approximately 2000 per minute.**
          To interrupt accelerated automatic play Press and HOLD any
          key, release the key as soon as play has halted.

          For fully automated tournament play, set the hands remaining
          in round to 0 during Casino Table Setup.

          See the SETUP BlackJack! section, page 13, for more informa-
          tion on configuring automatic players.
          See TOURNAMENT PLAY, page 24, for more information on
          tournaments.




     ____________________
          ** Speed on 10mhz AT type computer, 386 & 486 will be
          significantly faster


                                       8

                                Placing Bets
       The Wager Box:
          The Wager Box shows the amount in your bankroll and an input
          field for your wager.  The default value on the opening hand
          is the minimum table bet.  On subsequent hands the default is
          your previous wager or the remaining balance of your funds,
          which ever is lower.  You can enter any amount (provided you
          have the funds) between the table limit and the minimum wager.

          You can sit out a hand by placing a bet of $0.  You will not
          be dealt any cards but any AUTO players will continue play.
          Pressing [F1] will give advice based on the wagering system
          you have specified under Setup BlackJack!.

       Drop Out of Game: [Ctrl][D]
          You can quit while in the Wager Box by pressing [Ctrl][D].  If
          there are multiple players only the current player is dropped
          and play continues.  AUTO players cannot drop out.

                              Playing The Hand
          After all players have placed their bets the hands are dealt,
          one card at a time from the dealer's left to right.  After all
          players have received their cards the hands are played in the
          same order.  The following are the possible actions available
          to the player:

          [H]it          Draw another card.
          [S]tand        Stand on the cards you have.
          [D]ouble down  Double your bet and draw one card.
          Spli[T]        Split a pair into two separate hands.
                         This requires an additional wager that
                         is equal to the original.
          Sur[R]ender    Drop out of the hand by yielding 1/2
                         your original bet.
          [I]insurance   If the dealer's up card is an Ace, each
                         player will be offered the chance to
                         make an insurance bet.  If the dealer
                         does have blackjack the insurance is
                         paid and the original bets are collected
                         (effectively amounting to a "push").
                         Otherwise the insurance bets are
                         collected and play continues.

          After all players have finished the dealer plays his hand and
          the bets are settled.

       Advice Help: [F1]
          Advice is available by pressing [F1].  When playing a hand you
          are advised of the correct action to take based on the Basic
          Strategy Table for the casino rules under which you are
          playing.  When making a wager you are advised on the type of
          bet to make based on the active card counting system.


                                       9

       The Status Box: [F2]
          The Status Box is located in the upper left corner of the
          screen.  It shows pertinent information to the game in
          progress.  Included in the Status Box are the casino name, the
          size of the shoe in decks, number of hands played, length of
          each players current streak, number of cards played from the
          current deck, the number of aces played, and the current
          plus/minus and true count card count value.  You can toggle
          the display of the Status Box at any time by pressing the [F2]
          key.

       Borrowing Funds: [F3]
          Players automatically have a line of credit established for
          them at 1/2 their original stake.  For example, if you begin a
          session with a stake of $500, you will have $250 available for
          borrowing.  Players are not allowed to borrow past this
          amount.  If a player has exhausted both his original stake and
          his line of credit they will be asked to leave the table.

          At the beginning of each hand you are given the opportunity to
          borrow money from the house.  To obtain a loan press [F3]
          prior to placing your bet.  A window will open showing the
          money you have available for borrowing and you will be
          prompted to enter the amount you desire.  The default response
          is the maximum loan.  If at any time your current funds fall
          below the minimum bet the loan window will open automatically.
          Advances are not allowed during play so plan ahead to have
          enough funds for splits and double downs.

       Display Hand Values: [F4]
          BlackJack! normally displays the value of each hand.  If you
          wish to add up your own hands this feature can be disabled by
          pressing [F4].

       Discard Pile Graph: [F5]
          A bar graph is displayed in the upper right corner of the
          casino screen.  It shows the percentage of the deck or shoe
          that has been played.  This feature is offered as an aid in
          estimating the number of cards remaining to be played.  For
          shoe games (more than two decks) yellow lines are shown
          indicating each deck.  A red line is shown to indicate the re-
          shuffle marker.
          The graph can be toggled on and off by pressing [F5] during
          casino play.  The default condition is ON.

       Strategy Deviation Error (Play Watch): [F6]
          A short beep will sound whenever a player deviates from basic
          strategy,  including true count variations when Use True Count
          is active.  The correct action is briefly displayed above the
          hand.  The warning can be toggled on and off by pressing [F6]
          during casino play.  A tone will sound to confirm activation
          of this feature.
          The default condition is OFF


                                       10

       Reshuffle: [Ctrl][R]
          You can force a reshuffle between hands by pressing [Ctrl][R].

       Fast Shuffle: [Ctrl][F]
          You can eliminate the sound (and delay) of deck shuffling by
          pressing [Ctrl][F] during casino play.  Each press toggles
          Fast Shuffle on or off.  A short beep confirms the keypress.

          The default condition is normal (with sound) shuffling.

                                 Statistics

          At the end of each session the following statistical infor-
          mation is provided on different screens.  You also can jump to
          the statistics screens from casino play by pressing
          [Ctrl][V]iew between hands.  The arrow keys will scroll among
          the screens, and [Esc] will return you to the casino, or to
          the main menu if the session has ended.

       Finances:
          How much was won or lost.

       Peaks & Valleys:
          Highest & lowest balance and the hand on which they occurred.

       Game Statistics:
          The number of hands played, wins, losses, pushes, splits,
          doubles, surrenders, blackjacks, and a report on the accuracy
          of your strategy play.

       Streak Stats:
          BlackJack!'s streak tracking keeps count of how many streaks
          of each length occur.  Streak lengths of 2 through 11 are
          distinctly tracked.  The following is an example report:

          Len    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11   12+
              123   45   23   26   16    0    4    0    1    0    0
              101   52   21   19   28    3    0    0    0    1    1

         Wins are listed first in GREEN.  Losses are second in RED.

          The longest winning & losing streaks are also shown.  Streaks
          are counted using the following system:

                Win   Zero the loss count & increment win count.
               Loss   Zero the win count & increment the loss count.
               Push   No effect.
          Surrender   No effect.
              Split   The net result of the split used.  For example,
                      a split that results in one win and one loss will
                      have no effect.  Two winning hands from the split
                     will advance a win streak by one
             Double   Treated as a regular hand.


                                       11

       Advantages:
          In all casino games there is a "house advantage".  This is
          usually expressed as a percentage.  It represents the dif-
          ference between the actual odds of the game and the odds that
          the house pays.  In blackjack the advantage cannot be
          calculated in this manner since the player has the ability to
          control the outcome of the game.  In spite of all the
          discussion in books regarding house or player advantages in
          blackjack, I have never seen an actual formula published.

          BlackJack! keeps two running totals, gross wagers and gross
          winnings.  Pushes are not counted.  A result of 50% should
          indicate an even game, above 50% an advantage for the player
          and lower than 50% an advantage for the house.  BlackJack!
          very accuratly shows the play advantage.  This number,
          expressed as a percentage, indicates the rate of return you
          can expect from your level of play.  For example, if the
          advantage is +1.35% you can expect to win $1.35 for every $100
          wagered.  Play advantage is very helpful when evaluating new
          strategy or betting systems.

       Error Tracking:
          As you play at the casinos BlackJack! keeps track of the
          strategy errors that you make.  The error tracking screen
          reports these errors in the following manner.

                   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A
                  ---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  Errors
             A-7   S   D   D   D   D   S   S   H   H   H     3
                   _               _
          The errant plays are highlighted in the grid.  The number at
          the right indicates how many errors were made in this line of
          the strategy table.  Error tracking works with both standard
          and true count strategy tables.

                               History Statistics
            BlackJack! keeps track of all statistics between play
          sessions.  The statistics are accumulated only for "human"
          players.  In the event of more than one human player in a
          session the first human player is used for the history
          statistics. Tournament play is never counted regardless of
          player type.  In the event of playing a saved game, only the
          new plays are added to the history file and the number of
          sessions played is not incremented.

            The History Statistics are viewed by pressing either [H] or
          [0] from the Main Menu.  History Statistics are separately
          kept for each of the four casinos plus a grand total
          reflecting cumulative totals of play at all casinos. The
          History Statistics are also included as part of the suite of
          statistical screens accessible after a casino session, or by
          pressing [Ctrl][V] between casino play hands.  When accessed
          via [Ctrl][V] only the active casino is shown and the values
          DO NOT reflect the current session's play.


                                       12

                             Editing The Casinos
             +-------------------------------------------------+
             |                                                 |
             |  Casino name            Glencoe's Golden Palace |
             |    Location              User Defined Casino    |
             |    Number of decks                  6           |
             |  Splitting rules                                |
             |    Resplitting allowed             YES          |
             |    Double down on splits           YES          |
             |  Double down rules                              |
             |    Double down on                  Any 2        |
             |    DD more than two cards          YES          |
             |  Miscellaneous                                  |
             |    Insurance offered               YES          |
             |    Surrender allowed               YES          |
             |    Dealer hits soft 17             YES          |
             |    Dealer peeks                    YES          |
             |    Depth of deal                   Random       |
             |                                                 |
             +-------------------------------------------------+

          After selecting Edit Casinos from the Main Menu you will be
          able to  scroll through the Casino Definition screens.  To
          select the casino for editing press [Enter].  You will be
          presented an editing window allowing you to define the name,
          location, and house rules for the casino as you wish.  Answer
          each prompt with the indicated type of response.  To retain
          the current value of an item simply press [Enter].  Here are a
          couple of examples:
              Number of decks
              Surrender allowed?
          For Number of decks press a number between 1-8.
          For Surrender allowed? press either [Y] or [N].

       Early Surrender:
          BlackJack! allows for early surrender.  This rule allows a
          player's surrender to be valid even if the dealer has
          blackjack.

       Dealer Peeks / Doesn't Peek:
          If the dealer doesn't peek all hands are played out prior to
          his checking his down card for blackjack.  Any splits or
          doubles are ignored if the dealer does have blackjack.

       Depth of Deal:
          Controls how deep into the deck or shoe the deal goes.  Can be
          set to Deep, Medium, Shallow or Random.


                                       13

                              Setup BlackJack!
          This selection pops up the Setup Menu.  The illustration below
          shows the menu layout.  The currently active settings of
          choices 1, 4, 7 and 9 are shown to the right under the heading
          CURRENT.

                  +---------------------------------------+
                  |  CARD COUNTING                CURRENT |
                  |   1 - Active System            [User] |
                  |   2 - Edit User System                |
                  |   3 - View Active System              |
                  |                                       |
                  |  STRATEGY TABLES                      |
                  |   4 - Incorporate True Count    [Yes] |
                  |                                       |
                  |  AUTO PLAYER                          |
                  |   5 - Play Speed                [Med] |
                  |   6 - Wagering Style      [Cnt Based] |
                  |   7 - Progressive Wagers...           |
                  |   8 - Edit Count Based Wagers         |
                  |                                       |
                  |  OTHER                                |
                  |   / - BlackJack! Colors               |
                  |   + - Mode Of Play           [Normal] |
                  |   * - Configuration Save              |
                  |                                       |
                  +---------------------------------------+

     Card Counting
      - Active Count System: [A] or [1]
          Selects which counting system is active.  Each press toggles
          between USER and +/-, and RED 7.  The active selecting is dis-
          played under the CURRENT heading.  The active system will be
          used for all BlackJack! features that involve card counting.

      - View Active System: [V] or [2]
          To review the card values and breakpoints for the active count
          system press [2] or [V]iew.  A window will display all of the
          current settings.

      - Edit User System: [E] or [3]
          Define your own counting system.  For help press [F1].

         Card Values
          A window will open and you will be prompted to enter the count
          value for each of the 10 card values in the deck.  The current
          value of each card will be shown blinking.  To retain the same
          value simply press [Enter].  A running total is shown
          indicating the total count value of single deck.

         Beginning Count Value
          Enter the beginning count value for your system.  This value
          will normally be zero.


                                       14

         Activation Point
          Running count systems generally are not effective in the early
          stages of a deck.  Enter the percentage of the deck that needs
          to be played before your counting system becomes active.  For
          example, if your system is reliable after 2/3 of the cards
          have been dealt you would enter 66.  By its nature, the true
          count does not require an activation point. If you intend to
          only use the true count you can enter any activation values
          since they will be ignored.

         True Count Insurance
          True count systems often provide a count value for taking
          insurance.  Enter the value at or above which insurance should
          be taken.  If you don't want to take insurance enter a high
          number such as 9.

     Strategy Tables
      - Incorporate True Count: [I] or [4]
          Toggles between [Yes] and [No].  When set to [Yes] the true
          count variations will be used for casino play help and by the
          automated players.    Deactivated when Red-7 count is active.

     Auto Players
      - Play Speed: [P] or [5]
          To adjust the speed of the automatic players press [6] or
          [P]lay Speed.  The CURRENT heading will toggle among the four
          speeds available for automatic players.

          Instant: This is the fastest setting, there are no delays.

          Fast:    Slight delays between cards and betting.

          Medium:  Default setting, play is brisk but easy to follow.

          Slow:    Plenty of time allowed to watch each play.

     Betting Options
     - Wagering Style: [W] or [6]
            Toggles among the four available wagering systems.  These
          styles are used for Auto Players and for betting advice in the
          casino.  The active style is shown in the CURRENT column.

          Flat:        Only the minimum wager is ever made.

          Progressive:  The Progressive Wager Table is used.

          Count Based:  The Count Based Wager Table is used.

          Count & Progr: Both the Count & Progressive tables are used.
                         The progressive is wager is first determined
                         and then any count based wager adjustment is
                         added to it.

          Betting advice in the casino is given based on the selected
          wagering style.


                                       15

     - Progressive Wagers...: [P] or [7]
          Brings up the following submenu.

                     Edit Progressive WagersĿ
                                                     
                       1 - Winning                   
                       2 - Losing                    
                       3 - Progression Type  [Both]  
                                                     
                     

          Press [1] or [W] to edit the Winning Progression, [2] or [L]
          to edit the Losing Progression and [3] or [P] to change the
          active progression.

          You can define the betting progressions used by the AUTO
          players and you can also establish a "stop loss point".  A
          betting progression increases the amount wagered based on the
          number of consecutive wins or losses you have had.  For
          example you may want to increase your bet by 1 unit after 2
          consecutive wins. The values you enter are the amount wagered,
          not an amount added to the opening bet.

          The first entry is the opening bet.  This is the first wager
          made in the progression.  BlackJack! does not directly support
          fractional bets in the wagering tables.  If your progression
          calls for fractional increases you can modify the opening bet
          to accommodate this.  For example, if you want to increase the
          wager by 1/2 you can set the opening bet to 2 units and the
          next bet to 3.  You are able to enter up to 10 levels of the
          progression.  If your system does not require this many levels
          simply repeat the same amount for the final entries.

          The next entry on the screen is the stop loss, or drop out
          point.  For example, if your betting system dictates quitting
          after 6 consecutive losses you would enter 6 as the stop loss
          point.  Once an AUTO player has dropped out, they cannot
          rejoin the game.  The stop loss point is monitored using the
          method described for Streak Stats.  It is possible that the
          stop loss point can be exceeded by one hand.  This occurs when
          a player splits a hand and loses both when consecutive losses
          are one less than the stop loss point.

          Progression Type toggles among WIN, LOSS, and BOTH.

          The progression table data is saved with CONFIGURATION SAVE.


                                       16

     - Edit Count Based Wagers: [C] or [8]
          Count based wagers are amounts added to the opening bet, based
          on the card count value.  Count based wagering works with both
          running and true counts.  You are able to enter 10 count
          values and their corresponding bet increase amounts.  The
          following example is a segment of the table:

                    Card Count      Add To Bet
                      -1            0
                       1            1
                       3            2
                       4            3

          The card count values do not need to be consecutive, but they
          must be in ascending order.  Any value below the first entry
          is treated the same as the first, any value above the last
          entry is treated the same as the last.  The rest of the wagers
          are determined by the following formula:

          if current_count >= table_position and < next_table_position
            use table_position wager.

          In the above example, a count of 2 would result in a wager
          increase of 1 unit, a count of 3.7 would result in a wager
          increase of 2 units.

          When used with Red-7 count the "Card Count" value is relative
          to the pivot point. In the above example a count of pivot
          point + 3 would result in a bet increase of 2 units.

     Other Options
      - BlackJack! Colors: [J] or [/]
          You can customize the color palettes used in BlackJack!.  When
          saved, these palettes will be used whenever you run
          BlackJack!.  There are two phases to this option, selection of
          the graphics mode palette and selection of the text mode
          palette.  You can assign any of the 64 available EGA/VGA
          colors to any of the 16 palette colors.  For example, you can
          assign a shade of dark green (EGA/VGA #16) to the BLACK
          palette register which is the one used as the background
          color.  This will give the appearance of the green felt used
          in casinos.  A side effect in this example is that spades and
          clubs will also have their spots this same shade of green
          (although it is barely noticeable).  Sample screens are shown
          so that you can immediately see the effects of your changes.
          The editors offer the option of resetting the user values to
          the BlackJack! defaults, so you can experiment without fear.

          Keyboard instructions are provided on screen.

          Your selections will become active upon exiting the palette
          editor and will remain in effect throughout the current play
          session.  To make these choices permanent for future play you
          MUST do a CONFIGURATION SAVE prior to exiting BlackJack! to
          DOS.
          The color editor will not activate on Hercules Mono systems


                                       17


       Mode Of Play: [M] or [+]
          BlackJack! provided two modes of play, NORMAL and REALISTIC.

          Realistic Mode more accurately simulates the flow of play in
          an actual casino setting.  Player's cards are retrieved, and
          bets settled in the order of play.  Bust and surrendered hands
          are immediately removed from the table before play progresses
          to the next player.  All cards are cleared prior to the Press
          Any Key To Continue message.  Realistic Mode is provided to
          better simulate the amount of time that card counters have to
          asses the values of cards on the table.

          Normal Mode settles bets after all play has been completed and
          leaves all cards on the table until you begin the next hand.
          Normal Mode is significantly faster than Realistic.


          You toggle between Normal and Realistic play by pressing
          either [M] or [+] ([=] works too) while in the Setup Menu.
          The currently active mode of play is displayed in brackets to
          the right.

          The speed of Realistic Mode corresponds to the AUTO PLAYER -
          SPEED setting.  You may need to experiment to find a speed
          that you like, but for most the NORMAL setting should be good.
          As with all play options, the play mode is saved with
          Configuration Save.

      - Configuration Save: [C] or [*]
          The settings for the auto players, count system selections,
          and color palettes are saved to disk.  When BlackJack! is
          started these values are read become active.

                           Basic Strategy Practice
          This is the biggie!  You should know basic strategy inside-out
          before ever considering sitting down in a casino.

          Extensive research and work was done by Dr. Edward Thorp and
          Julian N. Braun in the early 1960s to develop these tables.
          They represent, based on millions of computer simulated hands,
          the optimum method of play.  When followed they yield the best
          decisions for all of the blackjack options.

          As you will note from the tables there are subtle differences
          depending on the number of decks used.  For the casual player
          it recommended that you concentrate on the multi-deck table.
          The slight difference in performance when using multi-deck
          strategy in a single deck game (about 0.05%) is worthwhile
          considering the confusion that can result from using multiple
          strategies.  The multi-deck strategies are also more
          conservative with fewer splits and double downs.


                                       18

          On the subject of the insurance bet, there is one simple
          rule... NEVER BUY INSURANCE!  As with any rule there is an
          exception: When counting cards insurance can be a profitable
          wager.  See The 'True Count' below for more information.
          Select the Basic Strategy Drill by either pressing [7] or [B]
          from the Main Menu.  The drill works much the same way as
          actual Blackjack play.  You and the dealer will be dealt
          hands.  Press the key corresponding to the action you believe
          should be taken.  If you make a wrong play you will hear a
          short beep and the correct action will be displayed above your
          hand.

                                       19

       Drill Definition
          The drill definition box is displayed in the upper right of
          the screen.  You can change the configuration (and therefor
          the strategy needed) by pressing the indicated [F] keys.
          Definition selections become effective with the next hand.
           [F1] - Number of decks...       [Single or Multi(4 deck)]
           [F2] - Double down on...        [Any 2, 10-11, 9-10-11]
           [F3] - Double down on splits... [Yes, No]
           [F4] - Surrender allowed...     [Yes, No]
           [F5] - Counting...              [True, Red 7, None]
           [F6] - Focus on...
                   All - all types of hands
                SPLITS - only pairs are dealt
                  SOFT - all hands are ace combinations
              UNDER 17 - only hands valued 16 or less are dealt

          When "Counting" is set to [True] a count value is displayed
          above the players hand.  Your play decision should be based on
          the true count variations strategy table.  When set to [Red 7]
          a count value relative to the pivot point is shown.

          Pressing [P] will toggle the Performance Box display which
          shows the number of hands dealt, the number of correct plays
          made, and your accuracy as a percentage.  These totals can be
          reset by pressing [F7].

       Save Strategy Drill Setup:
          Pressing [Ctrl][S] while in the Basic Strategy Drill saves all
          of the options to disk.  These will be the settings used the
          next time you run the drill.

                                Card Counting
                                 Why Count?
          Accurate card counting allows you to have a picture of what
          cards remain in the deck, and therefor an idea of the like-
          lihood of the occurrence of certain hands.  Note that I said
          likelihood, it will NOT allow you to predict actual hands,
          only the probability of hands.  What good is this?  If it is
          known the remaining cards in the shoe are rich in tens and
          Aces we know that more blackjacks and good standing hands such
          as 19 or 20 will be dealt.  Of course this holds true for the
          dealer, but the dealer is not paid 3:2 for blackjack, he
          cannot split pairs, and he must always hit his "stiff" hands
          (12-16) with an increased probability of breaking.

                               Counting Basics
          We will use the tried and true Plus/Minus counting system
          first developed by Harvey Dubner in 1963.  This system is easy
          to learn and one of the most effective.

          Each card in the deck is given one of 3 count values; either -
          1, 0, or 1. Count values are assigned as follows:

                         Low Cards     2,3,4,5,6      +1
                         Middle Cards  7,8,9           0
                         High Cards    10,J,Q,K,Ace   -1


                                       20

          Since the middle cards are valued 0, we only need concern
          ourselves with the low and high ends of the deck.  As each
          card is played you add the count value to the running total
          for that deck.  When the running count total is high it means
          that more low cards have been played than high.  Note that for
          counting to be effective you must be near the end of the deck.
          In a 6 deck shoe a high count total after only 30 of 312 cards
          have been played is not a good indicator since there are still
          too many cards remaining for accurate prediction.  You want to
          deploy your card count betting strategy late in the shoe.

          Simply put, the higher the card count, the bolder your betting
          should be.  This is also a time when bending the basic
          strategy rules is allowed.  For example, the card count is 10
          late in the shoe and you are dealt a pair of Jacks with the
          dealer showing a 6.  Basic strategy dictates always standing
          on 20, but since we know there are many 10s and Aces remaining
          it becomes our advantage to split this pair.

          Another popular system, Hi-Opt I***, is as follows:

                         3,4,5,6         +1
                         Ace,2,7,8,9      0
                         10,J,Q,K        -1

                              The 'True Count'
          As an adjunct to the running count described above many count
          systems employ what is known as a "true count".  The true
          count takes into account and makes allowances for the number
          of cards remaining to be played.  To obtain the true count the
          running count is divided by the number of decks remaining to
          be played.  For example, in a 4 deck game a running count of 9
          occurs after 1 deck has been played.  The true count for this
          instance is only 3 (running count / decks remaining,  9 / 3 =
          3).  When using the true count it is not necessary to restrict
          betting and play adjustments to late in the deck.

          The primary advantage of using the true count is the basic
          strategy variations.  With an accurate true count the basic
          strategy can be finely tuned to give the player the optimum
          decision for all play situations based on the cards remaining
          in the deck.  Standard basic strategy is based on the
          assumption that all hands are played from a complete deck.

          Insurance becomes a viable bet when keeping a true count.
          When the true count indicates a deck rich in 10s (a non-10s to
          10s ration less than 2) insurance is a good bet.
          Finally, don't even consider using card counting until you can
          perfectly complete the Card Counting Drill at a rate of about
          30 seconds per 52 card deck.


     ____________________
          ***The Hi-Opt I system is one of the simplest and most
          powerful of the advanced methods.  A full description is found
          in "The World's Greatest Blackjack Book" by Lance Humble and
          Carl Cooper, published by Doubleday (c)1987.


                                       21

                           Card Counting Practice
          Sharpen your card counting ability.  The drill will involve
          all the cards in the shoe being displayed for a short period
          of time.  You should keep a running total of the count.

          Card Counting Practice uses the currently active counting
          system as selected from the Setup BlackJack! menu (see ACTIVE
          SYSTEM for more details).  The active counting system is shown
          in the lower portion of the screen.

       Count Drill setup:
          Number of decks:
               Press a number between 1 and 8 to set the number of decks
               per shoe.

          Auto or Manual Deal: [A] or [M]
               If you wish to control the pace of the drill manually it
               can be done.  Press any key to view the next card in the
               deck.  Pressing a toggle key will activate the toggle and
               advance the cards.
               The default response is Auto.

          Number of Cards Displayed: [1-5] or [R]andom
               Pressing 1 through 5 results in that number of cards
               being displayed with each deal.  Random results in
               varying displays of 1 to 5 cards.
               The default response is Single.

          Drill Speed
               To increase the speed of the drill press the [+] key, to
               slow the drill press the [-] key.  A speed bar shows the
               relative drill speed.  The speed indicator will turn
               green (color) or black (monochrome) when you have
               selected a rate of approximately 30 seconds per deck or
               faster.

       Count Drill Options:
          The following options act as toggles when their key is
          pressed.

          [H]elp:       As an aid you can have the count value of
                        the current card displayed.

          [S]tatus Box: Shows the current running and true count and
                        the number of cards that have been displayed.

          [P]ause:      The drill can be paused at any time.  The
                        Status Box will be displayed during the pause.

          [M]ute:       Controls the card dealing sound.

          [Q]uit:       Terminates the drill.


                                       22

          Note that when using the Plus / Minus system the card count at
          the end of the shoe will always be 0 since the 20 high cards
          cancel out the 20 low cards.  Other counting systems may yield
          different results.  See Counting Basics for more information.

          The drill ends with the following options

                   [R]epeat  [O]ptions  [Q]uit

          Pressing [R] will restart the drill using the same options,
          [O] will return you to the setup screen, [Q] of course returns
          to the Main Menu.

                         Betting & Money Management
          Along with mastering the strategies of Blackjack you also need
          to have a money management plan.  Nothing is worse than losing
          your entire bankroll on the first day of a three day junket.
          Your money management program should contain the following
          important considerations.

               Only play with money that you can afford to lose.  Losses
               should be considered a cost of entertainment.

               Allocate a portion of your total stake for each day of
               your stay.  Do not borrow from tomorrow's funds and do
               not add todays winnings or surpluses to tomorrow's stake.

               Establish a minimum and maximum bet size designed to
               stretch your bankroll over the length of each playing
               session.

          There are many different betting strategies and schemes with
          varying levels of complexity.  The best are those based on
          card counting.  In lieu of a sophisticated system the method
          covered here is my personal favorite.  This is by no means the
          only system available.

          It is based on a system know as Anti-Martingale and is de-
          signed to take advantage of "hot" streaks and minimize losses
          when faced with an unfriendly deck.  It can be considered
          quite conservative.
          This first decision that needs to be made is how much risk
          capital you want to put into play for a particular session at
          a table.  Once an amount has been decided upon DO NOT make any
          increases.  This amount will be referred to as your "opening
          stake".  Your opening stake will influence your table
          selection at the casino.  The minimum bet allowed will vary
          from table to table, if you have decided on an opening stake
          of $100 you should seek out a table with a low minimum bet
          such as $2 or $5.  The obvious reason being that you will be
          able to stay in the game longer than at a $25 table.


                                       23

          For the sake of this discussion we will use the term "betting
          unit" to refer to the minimum amount you will wager.  Each
          session will begin by wagering one betting unit.  If that hand
          wins the bet remains at one unit.  After a second consecutive
          win increase to two betting units.
          This is the only time that the bet will be doubled.  All
          subsequent increases will be in an amount equal to 1/2 the
          amount just won.

          In cases where a fraction of a betting unit would be involved
          you should round down to the nearest whole unit.  As soon as a
          bet is lost return to betting one unit.  Here is an example
          session showing six consecutive winning hands and the amount
          of winnings withheld from the previous hand.

               Hand      Bet     Withheld
                1         1         0
                2         1         1
                3         2         0
                4         4         1
                5         6         2
                6         9         3
                7        13         5

          A loss at the seventh hand results in a net gain of 12 betting
          units.  Amounts won as a result of splits or doubles should
          NOT be included in the increased bet.

          If you reach your personal maximum bet, stop there and con-
          tinue play at that level until a loss.

          There are many variations that can be derived from this sys-
          tem.  For example you can increase each bet by a fixed amount
          rather than a percentage of the winnings.

          Finally, you should only keep an amount equal to your original
          stake on the table.  In the above example, any funds above
          $100 should be taken out of play.  Any time that the original
          stake has been lost play should be discontinued... No matter
          how much of the casino's money you have won.  Disciplined play
          is a secret to success.


                                       24

                               Tournament Play
          BlackJack! is capable of simulating tournament style play.
          Tournaments are becoming a popular form of Blackjack play.  A
          large jackpot, generally based on a percentage of the entry
          fees collected, is awarded the winner along with any winnings
          accumulated during play.  Tournaments are played in rounds,
          with one or two players from each table advancing to the next
          round.  There are usually four rounds per tournament.  Rounds
          are played for either a fixed length of time, or for a preset
          number of hands, usually 60.  It is important to note that
          players compete against each other and not the casino.  The
          winner of a round is the player with the most money, even if
          it represents a loss from the opening stake.  All players 'buy
          in' to the tournament for a preset amount, wins and losses do
          not carry over from round to round.  This gives all partici-
          pants an equal chance at the start of each round.  Some
          tournaments offer eliminated players the option of re-entry on
          the first round.

          The 'buy in' for each round is typically $500 - $600 with a
          minimum bet of $5 - $10 and a maximum allowed bet of $300.  To
          eliminate seat location advantages betting and play rotate
          clockwise.  Example:  Hand #1, player 1 is the first to bet,
          and the first to play.  Hand #2, player 2 becomes the first to
          bet and play, and player #1 becomes the last.

          Tournament play often deviates from Basic Strategy.  For
          example when a player has a substantial lead it is prudent not
          to split or double down no matter what the hand so as to
          minimize the funds at risk.  On the other hand a player may be
          behind late in the game making it worth the risk to make
          splits or doubles that are contrary to Basic Strategy.

          A detailed description of tournament strategy and play is
          beyond the scope of these instructions.  For more information
          consult the casino running the tournament and any of the
          excellent books available on the subject.

          To play tournament style press [T]ournament as the first item
          during Casino Table Setup.  BlackJack! supports automated
          opponents.  Rounds consist of 60 hands. You can either play a
          full 60 hand round or enter 'mid stream'.  Specify the number
          of hands remaining in the round during Casino Table Setup.
          The skipped over hands will be automatically played placing
          you in a realistic game situation.  Example: You wish to
          practice your play for the final 10 hands of the round (often
          the most crucial).  From the Casino Table Setup you enter 10
          for number of hands remaining.  The computer will
          automatically play 50 hands using a tournament style of
          betting and play.  At this point normal play will begin and
          all current game statistics will be displayed. Prior to
          placing bets all players' funds and relative funds (current
          lead or deficit) are displayed along the bottom of the screen
          as follows...
                $475.00      $610.00      $535.00  <- current funds
               -$135.00       $75.00      -$75.00  <- relative funds


                                       25

                                 Appendixes
       Automated Betting
          The following describes the logic and procedures used by
          BlackJack! to make automated wagers.  Which method is used is
          determined by the Wagering Style setting selected from the
          Setup BlackJack! menu.

       Flat betting:
          The automated player always bets the table minimum.

       Progressive Wagering:
          Wagers are increased based on the number of consecutive wins
          or losses.  The minimun bet made is the value for Opening Bet
          in the table.  This method is designed to take advantage of
          winning streaks while minimizing losses during losing streaks.
          The Progressive Wager tables are used to make decisions.

          When Progression Type is set to either WIN or LOSS the Opening
          Bet is used as long as you are not on a streak of the selected
          type, as soon as a streak begins the progressive wagers follow
          the table.  When the streak ends your bet returns to the
          Opening Bet amount.

          When Progression Type is set to BOTH, both tables are active.
          Since you will always be either on a winning or losing streak
          the Opening Bet amount is only used for the first wager of the
          session.  Any other time the streak length will be at least 1.

       Count Based Wagering:
          The amount wagered is determined by adding the amount
          indicated by the Count Based Wager table to the table minimum.
          The additional amount is determined by looking up the current
          card count on the table and using the corresponding value.
          This method is employed with both true and running count
          system.

       Count and Progressive:
          This is a combination of the above two systems.  First the
          progressive wager is determined and then the count based
          amount is added.


                                Reshuffle Point
          Examples: 1 Player, 4 Deck Shoe
                Cards Remaining
          RANDOM   10 - 100
          SHALLOW  84 - 100
          MEDIUM   48 -  84
          DEEP     10 -  24

            2 Player, 2 Deck Shoe
                Cards remaining when shuffle
          RANDOM   15 -  50
          SHALLOW  42 -  50
          MEDIUM   24 -  42
          DEEP     15 -  24



                                       26

                              Red-7 Card Counting

       Description:
          The Red-7 Count can be described as a "semi-advanced" counting
          system.  Rather than rely on complicated true count calcula-
          tions, Red-7 uses an unbalanced running count.  The unbalance
          comes from counting only red 7s.  To utilize this imbalance,
          Red-7 has the "pivot point".  The pivot point is always equal
          to 2 times the number of decks in play.  Any time the running
          count is above the pivot point you have a favorable deck, the
          greater the amount the more favorable the deck.  This becomes
          a good indicator for increasing wagers.

          The Red-7 Count also provides for adjustments to normal basic
          strategy, again using the pivot point.  The changes to basic
          strategy are:

          Pivot point or higher:
            Stand on  16 vs 10
            Stand on  12 vs  3
            Take insurance in 1 and 2 deck games
          Pivot point + 2 or higher
            Stand on  12 vs  2
            Stand on  15 vs 10
            Double on 10 vs 10
            Take insurance with any number of decks

          That's all there is to it.  A very simple and very effective
          system.

          The Red-7 Count was developed by Arnold Snyder and is fully
          described in his book "Blackbelt in Blackjack".  The book
          covers other systems as well as betting strategies and other
          blackjack advice.  A catalog with this and other blackjack
          materials is available from:
                                  RGE Publishing
                              414 Santa Clara Avenue
                                Oakland, CA  94610


                                       27



       Problems
          Every attempt has been made to eliminate programming errors
          (bugs), and to assure that the information presented is
          accurate and correct.  If you encounter ANY problems or
          inaccuracies please contact Glencoe Computing and provide a
          thorough description of the problem.  My goal is your
          satisfaction.

       ASP Ombudsman
          This program is produced by a member of the Association of
          Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that
          the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
          resolve a shareware related problem with an ASP member by
          contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help.  The
          ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with
          an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for
          members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman, 545
          Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a Compuserve message
          via easyplex - ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536


                                      28

                                Strategy Tables




                                   TABLE ONE


            Multi-Deck, Double After Split, Double On Any Two Cards

            Player's Hand     Strategy For Dealer Up-Card

            Simple Hands
              5...8                   Always Hit
              9               Double on 3 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             10               Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             11               Double on 2 -10, Otherwise Hit
             12               Stand  on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             13...16          Stand  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             17...21                  Always Stand

            Ace Combinations
             A-2, A-3         Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-4, A-5         Double on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-6              Double on 3 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-7              Double on 3 - 6, Hit 9, 10, Ace
                                Stand 2, 7, 8
             A-8...A-10               Always Stand

            Pairs
             A-A                      Always Split
             2-2, 3-3         Split  on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             4-4              Split  on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             5-5              Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             6-6              Split  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             7-7              Split  on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             8-8                      Always Split
             9-9              Split  on 2 - 6, 8, 9
                                Stand on 7, 10, Ace
            10-10                     Always Stand


                                   TABLE TWO


                     Single-Deck,  Double On 10 Or 11 Only

            Player's Hand    Strategy For Dealer Up-Card

            Simple Hands
              5...9                 Always Hit
             10               Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             11                     Always Double
             12               Stand  on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             13...16          Stand  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             17...21                Always Stand

            Ace Combinations
             A-2...A-6              Always Hit
             A-7              Stand  on 2 - 8, Otherwise Hit
             A-8...A-10             Always Stand

            Pairs
             A-A                    Always Split
             2-2              Split  on 3 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             3-3              Split  on 4 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             4-4                     Always Hit
             5-5              Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             6-6              Split  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             7-7              Split  on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             8-8                    Always Split
             9-9              Split  on 2-6,8,9  Stand on 7,10,Ace
            10-10                   Always Stand



                                  TABLE THREE


           Single-Deck, Double After Split, Double On Any Two Cards

            Player's Hand    Strategy For Dealer Up-Card

            Simple Hands
              5...8(6-2)            Always Hit
              8               Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
              9               Double on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             10               Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             11                    Always Double
             12               Stand  on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             13, 14, 15, 16   Stand  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             17...21               Always Stand

            Ace Combinations
             A-2...A-5        Double on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-6              Double on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-7              Double on 3 - 6, Hit 9,10
                                Stand 2,7,8, Ace
             A-8              Double on 6, Otherwise Hit
             A-9, A-10             Always Stand

            Pairs
             A-A                   Always Split
             2-2              Split  on 3 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             3-3              Split  on 4 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             4-4              Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             5-5              Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
             6-6              Split  on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
             7-7              Split  on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
             8-8                  Always Split
             9-9              Split  on 2-6,8,9  Stand on 7,10,Ace
            10-10                 Always Stand




                                   TABLE FOUR
                      General Purpose Basic Strategy Table

              Dealer ->  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

               5...8     H   H   H   H   H   H   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
               8(5-3)    H   H   H   B   B   H   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
     S         9         B   D   D   D   D   H   H   H   H   H
     I        -------------------------------------------------
     M        10         D   D   D   D   D   D   D   D   H   H
     P        -------------------------------------------------
     L        11         D   D   D   D   D   D   D   D   D   B
     E        -------------------------------------------------
              12         H   H   S   S   S   H   H   H   H   H
     H        -------------------------------------------------
     A        13, 14     S   S   S   S   S   H   H   H   H   H
     N        -------------------------------------------------
     D        15         S   S   S   S   S   H   H   H   R   H
     S        -------------------------------------------------
              16         S   S   S   S   S   H   H   H   R   R
              -------------------------------------------------
              17 & up    S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S

                         2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

              A-2        H   H   B   D   D   H   H   H   H   H
     A        -------------------------------------------------
     C        A-3        H   H   B   D   D   H   H   H   H   H
     E        -------------------------------------------------
              A-4, A-5   H   H   D   D   D   H   H   H   H   H
     C        -------------------------------------------------
     O        A-6        B   D   D   D   D   H   H   H   H   H
     M        -------------------------------------------------
     B        A-7        S   N   N   N   N   S   S   H   H   H
     O        -------------------------------------------------
     S        A-8        S   S   S   S   B   S   S   S   S   S
              -------------------------------------------------
              A-9, A-10  S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S

                         2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

              A-A, 8-8   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T
              -------------------------------------------------
              2-2, 3-3   P   P   T   T   T   T   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              4-4        H   H   H   L   L   H   H   H   H   H
     P        -------------------------------------------------
     A        5-5        D   D   D   D   D   D   D   D   H   H
     I        -------------------------------------------------
     R        6-6        T*  T   T   T   T   H   H   H   H   H
     S        -------------------------------------------------
              7-7        T   T   T   T   T   T   H   H   R   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              9-9        T   T   T   T   T   S   T   T   S   S
              -------------------------------------------------
             10-10       S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S


                                   TABLE FIVE
               True Count Variations To Basic Strategy Table

              Dealer ->  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

     S         8         H   H   5   3   2   H   H   H   H   H   D
     I        -------------------------------------------------  B
     M         9         1   0  -2  -4  -4   3   H   H   H   H   L
     P        -------------------------------------------------
     L        10         B   D   D   D   D  -6  -4  -1   5   4   D
     E        -------------------------------------------------  W
              11         D   D   D   D   D   D  -5  -4  -3   1   N

     Double if the true count is greater than or equal to the table value,
     otherwise hit.



              12         2   1   0  -1  -1   H   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              13        -1  -2  -3  -4  -4   H   H   H   H   H
     H        -------------------------------------------------  S
     A        14        -3  -4  -5   S  -6   H   H   H   H   H   T
     N        -------------------------------------------------  A
     D        15        -5  -6   S   S   S   H   H   6   3   H   N
     S        -------------------------------------------------  D
              16         S   S   S   S   S   H   6   4   0   R
              -------------------------------------------------
              17         S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S  -6

     Stand if true count greater than or equal to the table value, otherwise hit



                         2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

              A-2        H   6   2  -1  -2   H   H   H   H   H
     A        -------------------------------------------------
     C        A-3        H   5   1  -2  -4   H   H   H   H   H   D
     E        -------------------------------------------------  B
              A-4        H   5  -1  -4   D   H   H   H   H   H   L
     C        -------------------------------------------------
     O        A-5        H   3  -1  -5   D   H   H   H   H   H   D
     M        -------------------------------------------------  W
     B        A-6        1  -2  -5   D   D   H   H   H   H   H   N
     O        -------------------------------------------------
     S        A-7        1  -1  -5   S   B   S   S   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              A-8        6   4   3   1   1   S   S   S   S   S
              -------------------------------------------------
              A-9        S   S   6   5   5   S   S   S   S   S

     Double if true count is greater than or equal to the table value, otherwise
     use Basic Strategy substituting Hit for Double Down where appropriate



                                  TABLE FIVE (cont)
     (Without DD after split)

              Dealer ->  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

              A-A        T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T  -4
              -------------------------------------------------
              2-2,       6   1  -3  -6   T   T   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              3-3        H   4   0  -2   T   T   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              4-4        H   H   H   L   L   H   H   H   H   H
     P        -------------------------------------------------  S
     A        5-5        USE VALES FOR 10 IN SIMPLE HANDS        P
     I        -------------------------------------------------  L
     R        6-6        2   0  -1  -4  -5   H   H   H   H   H   I
     S        -------------------------------------------------  T
              7-7        T   T   T   T   T   T   H   H   R   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              8-8        T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T
              -------------------------------------------------
              9-9       -1  -2  -3  -5  -3   6   T   T   S   S
              -------------------------------------------------
             10-10       S   S   6   4   4   S   S   S   S   S


     (With DD after split)

              Dealer ->  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10   A

              A-A        T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T  -4
              -------------------------------------------------
              2-2,      -4  -5   T   T   T   T   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              3-3       -2  -6   T   T   T   T   H   H   H   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              4-4        H   H   3   1   0   H   H   H   H   H
     P        -------------------------------------------------  S
     A        5-5         USE VALES FOR 10 IN SIMPLE HANDS       P
     I        -------------------------------------------------  L
     R        6-6       -1  -3  -4  -6   T   H   H   H   H   H   I
     S        -------------------------------------------------  T
              7-7        T   T   T   T   T   T   1   H   R   H
              -------------------------------------------------
              8-8        T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T   T
              -------------------------------------------------
              9-9       -2  -3  -5  -6  -5   3   T   T   S   4
              -------------------------------------------------
             10-10       S   S   6   4   4   S   S   S   S   S

     Split if true count greater than or equal table value, otherwise do not
     split and follow standard basic strategy for non pairs of same hand value.


                                    Matrix Codes:

          H  Hit
          S  Stand
          T  Split
          D  Double if allowed, otherwise hit
          N Double if allowed, otherwise stand
          B  Double if allowed & single deck, otherwise hit
          R  Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
          P  Split if DD after split is allowed, otherwise hit
          L  Split if DD after split, double if single deck,
             otherwise hit
          *  Hit if no DD after split

          OK, admittedly these last tables are a bit complex, but it will
          cover just about any set of house rules that you may encounter.
          With this data you can construct your own Basic Strategy Table
          for your favorite form of the game.

       True Count Variations:
          Table five represents a starting point for true count variations and
          is provided primarily as an example.  This table is the BlackJack!
          default.  Registered users gain the ability to define and modify a
          user table to suit the particular counting system you are using.  It
          can be selected as the active system and is used in Casino Play and
          the Basic Strategy Drill.


                                   More Information:
           An excellent source of information on the game of Blackjack is...

                                  RGE Publishing
                               414 Santa Clara Ave.
                                Oakland, CA  94610
                                  1-510-465-6452







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