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          This is the README.TXT file for Bicycle
          Baccarat.  This file will give you a brief
          background on the game of baccarat and teach
          you how to play the DOS version of Bicycle
          Baccarat.

WHAT IS BACCARAT?
          Baccarat is a popular casino card game that
          is derived from the Italian game of Baccara,
          which literally translated means "zero."
          
          Baccarat is very similar to blackjack,
          another popular casino card game.  Baccarat
          requires less skill (but usually more money)
          of its would-be players than does blackjack,
          so it's not a bad choice for the casual
          gambler.  Unlike blackjack, however, there's
          nothing a player can do during a baccarat
          game to stack the odds in his favor.  In the
          long run, the casino will win.  As with most
          games of chance, it's best then to think of
          baccarat as recreation that costs money.
          Occasionally you will win, but more often you
          will lose.  The trick is to make the money
          last longer so the cost of the entertainment
          is relatively low.
          
RULES OF THE GAME
     
     The Goal of Baccarat
          The goal of baccarat is to get as close to a
          total of 9 as possible, without going over,
          on a two- or three-card hand.  Aces are worth
          1 point, and all other cards are worth their
          face values, except that 10s, jacks, queens
          and kings are all worth 0 points.  In
          baccarat, the first digit of any total
          greater than 9 is discounted, so a two-card
          hand that consists of 8-5 is worth 3, not 13.
          This rule also applies to a three-card hand.
          So a hand of 9-9-9 is worth 7, not 27.  The
          most powerful hands in baccarat are two-card
          hands that total 8 or 9.  These hands are
          called naturals.  A natural 8 beats all other
          hands except a natural 9.
     
     Betting
          At the beginning of each round of baccarat,
          each participant (there can be up to 12) must
          bet one of three ways:  BANK, PLAYER, or TIE
          (a rare situation where both the PLAYER and
          BANK hands have equal values).  Any winning
          bet pays at even money, although a BANK bet
          requires that a 10% commission be paid to the
          casino or house.
     
     The Deal
          Once the betting is completed, there are two
          hands dealt:  a BANK hand and a PLAYER hand.
          Each hand begins with two cards.  The dealer
          controls play and decides when and if an
          additional card is dealt to either the BANK
          hand or the PLAYER hand.  Although the
          dealer's decision to give an additional card
          to the BANK or PLAYER may appear complicated,
          he makes his decision according to strict
          rules that are based on the following tables:
  
    Player has:        Player must:
   1-2-3-4-5-10         Draw a card
        6-7                Stand
        8-9         Natural (Bank can't
                           draw)
  
     Bank has:       Bank draws        Doesn't draw when
                     when player       player receives:
                     receives as
                     third card:
         3          1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-10          8
         4              2-3-4-5-6-7         1-8-9-10
         5                4-5-6-7         1-2-3-8-9-10
         6                  6-7         1-2-3-4-5-8-9-10
         7                Stands             Stands
        8-9           Natural (player           
                        can't draw)
          
          Because participants have no choices or
          options other than betting BANK, PLAYER or
          TIE, baccarat is simple to play and requires
          little concentration or ability on the part
          of its participants.
          
          Although there's nothing the player can do to
          alter the casino's margin of about 1.2% for
          the game, the odds are better than what
          you'll find at the craps or roulette tables.
          The overall margin is a little higher for
          PLAYER bets than it is for BANK bets, but
          this difference is evened out by the 10%
          commission charged by the casino on all
          winning BANK bets.  For TIE bets, the casino
          margin is usually between 5-15%, depending on
          the odds offered at the casino.  This high
          margin makes the TIE bet an unwise one.
          
     Variations
          A popular European version of baccarat is
          Chemin-de-fer, which is a French term that
          means "railroad."  This descriptive name
          stems from the shoe moving around the table,
          from player to player, much like a railroad
          locomotive would move around on a circular
          track.  The rules for Chemin-de-fer (also
          called Chemmy) are slightly different than
          the American rules, but the basic idea
          remains the same.
          
          In the American version of baccarat, the
          casino assumes responsibility for the BANK.
          In many European versions of baccarat,
          including Chemin-de-fer, individual players
          may deal the cards and take monetary
          responsibility for the BANK.  However, any
          way you play it, baccarat is a game that
          allows only a few options for its
          participants.
          
HOW TO PLAY BICYCLE BACCARAT
     
     Betting
          Each round of Bicycle Baccarat begins with a
          bet.  Players bet in baccarat by using casino
          chips.  Each chip has a different monetary
          value, in dollars, which is indicated by a
          number on the chip.
          
          In casinos, players can play with cash, but
          all bets are paid off with chips.  In Bicycle
          Baccarat, all bets are made and paid with
          chips.
          
          To place a bet:
          1. Click on one of the betting option buttons
             at the bottom of the screen.  These
             options are  Bank, Player, or Tie.
          2. Then, click one of the Bet buttons located
             next to the betting option buttons at the
             bottom of the screen.
          
     Turning the Sound On or Off:
          
          To turn the sound off or on:
             From the Options menu, choose Sound
             Effects.  If the sound effects were on
             (checked), they will be turned off.
          
     Starting a New Game
          Starting a new game deletes all current
          statistics and chip information.
          
          To start a new game while already playing:
             From the Game menu, choose New.  Bicycle
             Baccarat will shuffle the cards and change
             your bankroll back to $500.
          
     Exiting Bicycle Baccarat
          To exit Bicycle Baccarat:
             From the Game menu, choose Exit.
          
BETTING AND MONEY MANAGEMENT
          Baccarat is a lose-lose situation.  No matter
          how you play, and no matter what your system,
          in the long run you will lose money.  Since
          baccarat offers few choices, the player can
          do little to alter the percentages.  However,
          by using a betting system, the player can
          make his money last a little longer and
          occasionally hit a streak and pile up some
          winnings.
          
     Use a Betting Unit
          The best way to bet at baccarat is to use a
          betting unit.  You can select the betting
          unit that's right for you based on how much
          money you have to gamble with.  Here's a good
          rule of thumb:  you should be able to lose 50
          times your minimum betting unit at one
          sitting.  That means that if your minimum
          betting unit is $5, you should have a total
          bankroll of at least $250 to gamble with.  If
          you can't afford to lose $250, then you
          shouldn't be betting with a $5 unit.
          
     Use a Betting System
          We suggest that you try using a simple
          progressive betting system that's designed to
          take advantages of big runs of PLAYER or BANK
          wins.  You should be aware that like any
          other betting system, this system is not
          foolproof.  You will probably lose more than
          you win.  Here are a few examples of such
          systems.
          
          **The 1-2-3-5 System**
          This system says that you should start out by
          betting 1 unit.  If you win, bet 2 units.  If
          you win again, bet 3 units.  If you win
          again, bet 5 units.  Stay at 5 units until
          you lose.  If you lose after any bet, return
          to betting 1 unit.  This system maximizes
          your bet during a long string of wins and
          minimizes your bet during a long string of
          losses.
          
          **The 1-3-2-6 System**
          Start out betting 1 unit.  If you win, bet 3
          units (original 1-unit bet + 1 unit won + 1
          new unit = 3 units).  If you win, take all 6
          units back, and then bet 2 units.  If you win
          this bet, bet 6 units (original 2-unit bet +
          2 units won + 2 new units = 6 units).  If you
          win this bet, start over again at 1 unit.  If
          you lose at any time, start over with one
          unit.  The point of this system is to play
          for 4 wins in a row.  If you hit 4 wins in a
          row, you make a profit of 12 units.  If you
          don't, you break even.
          
     Know When to Walk Away
          From time to time you will run into a long
          streak of bad luck.  If you're playing a $5
          minimum betting unit, and you lose all of
          your $250 bankroll, get up from the table and
          leave.  Take a break.  Walk around.  Get
          something to eat.  If you wish to continue
          playing, go to another table or casino.  But
          only do so if you've planned on it.  Don't
          gamble with money you don't have, and don't
          bet money you really need.  Many players go
          to the casino planning to bet with $250, and
          instead lose $1000 because they didn't know
          when to quit.
          
GLOSSARY
     
     baccarat
          A game of chance that is played in casinos.
          Also called Chemin-de-fer and Chemmy.
          
     BANK
          One of the two hands dealt in each round of
          baccarat.  The BANK hand is the
          responsibility of the person(s) responsible
          for the BANK money, which in the American
          version of baccarat is the casino.
          
     bet
          To place a wager in a game of chance.  Also,
          the amount of the wager.
          
     betting unit
          A monetary unit set by the player.  This unit
          is often equal to the table minimum.  Many
          players use multiples of their betting unit
          to control how much they bet.
          
     betting system
          A system used to bet and manage money when
          wagering in a game of chance.  Betting
          systems usually involve a progressive betting
          plan that relies on a streak of wins in order
          to get a big payoff.
          
     blackjack
          A game of chance played in a casino; also
          called twenty-one.  The object of this game
          is to get a two- or three-card hand that
          totals as close to 21 as possible without
          going over.
     
     casino
          A place where gambling is allowed.
     
     commission
          The percentage that the house or casino takes
          on all winning bank hands.  This percentage
          is usually 5-10% of the total bank bets.
          
     dealer
          An employee of the casino who deals the
          cards, collects and pays-off bets, and
          controls the baccarat table.
          
     even money
          Refers to a payoff that is equal to the
          amount bet.  For example, if a player wagers
          $5 in an even money situation, she will win
          $5 if she wins the bet.
          
     hand
          A group of two or three cards that is
          assigned to PLAYER or BANK.
     
     margin
          The percentage of the total money wagered
          that the casino knows it will win.
          
     natural
          A two card hand that totals 8 or 9.  A
          natural 8 beats everything except a natural
          9.
          
     PLAYER
          One of the two hands dealt in each round of
          baccarat.  The PLAYER hand is assigned to the
          participant who places the largest bet
          against the BANK, although this
          responsibility requires no knowledge of the
          game.
          
     shoe
          A box that holds multiple decks and
          facilitates fast dealing.
          
     Table de Banque
          A table that keeps track of the results of
          the 10 previous hands.  Similar sheets are
          handed out in casinos so players can keep
          track of the results themselves.
     
     TIE
          A situation where the BANK and PLAYER hands
          have the same value.  Any participants who
          have bet on BANK or PLAYER lose their money
          in a TIE situation.
