Contents
Casino Lobby

NOTICE: The money used in the Masque Online Casino is NOT real money. You may win at the tables, but unfortunately you'll never actually get the money. On the bright side, you'll never be billed for anything other than connect time no matter how much you lose!

The Window Layout

Casino Lobby Menus:

Game Menu

Group Menu

User Menu

Help Menu

How To:

Select a Game

Send a Chat Message

Use Groups

Get to a Table Quickly

Find Out How Much Money You've Won

Find Out How Much Money Your Friend Has Lost

Common Questions:

What is a Handle?

What is a Shill?

Why Is the Go To Table item Grayed?


The Casino Lobby
The Window Layout

When you start up the program, a dialog will ask for your handle.

After you've entered your handle, you'll find yourself in the Casino Lobby. This is an area designed to allow you to select a game, chat  with other players, and create groups who can go to tables together.

The Lobby screen is divided into three main areas:

The Players area is at the upper left of the window. It includes a list of all the players currently in the lobby, and a chat area. The Players chat area allows users who have the same game selected to send messages to each other.

The Groups area is at the lower left of the window. It includes a list of all the groups currently in the lobby and a chat area. The Groups chat area allows users to send messages to other members of their group.

The Games area is along the right side of the window. It includes buttons for available games, a button to let you go to a table, and exit and help buttons.


Game Menu

Pick Game

This sub-menu allows you to choose from the available games. If you select None you won't be able to go to a table. Global Chat messages are sent only to people with the same game selected. If your selection is None, you'll only receive message from other users with None selected.

Go To Table

This menu item will send you to a table. It is unavailable if you haven't yet selected a game.

Find User

This menu item will allow you to find users who are currently online. You should type the Handle of the user in the dialog box. If the user is at a table with empty seats, you will be given the option to join the user at that table. Otherwise the user will be paged with a message telling her or him that you are waiting in the lobby.

Exit

This menu item will allow you to leave the poker lobby.


Group Menu

Create Temporary Group...

This menu item allows you to create a temporary group. You would want to use this ability if you have a group of people who want to play at the same table.

Open Group...

This menu item allows you to create or re-open a permanent group. You would want to use this ability if you have a group of people who want to play regularly at the same table. Always having the same group name makes it easy for people to find their group. When you create or open a permanent group, you must supply a password. You should give the password to anyone who will be allowed to open the group.

NOTE: If a permanent group is not used for three months, it may be deleted.

Join Group

This menu item allows you to join a group. In order to use this function, you need to highlight a group in the Groups list. The leader of the group will be sent a message which says that you've asked to join. You'll get a message stating whether you've been allowed to join.

Leave Group

This menu item allows you to leave a group you've joined. In order to use this function, you must be a member of a group.

Request Person to Join

This menu item allows you to ask a user to join your group. In order to use this function, you need to highlight a user in the Players list. The user will be sent a message which says that you're asking her or him to join. You'll get a message stating whether the user has joined.

See Using Groups for more information.


User Menu

Send Global Chat

This menu item allows you to send a global chat message. It will show up in the Global Chat area on the windows of all users who are in the lobby and who have selected the same game as you have.

Before selecting this item, type your message in the edit field below the Global Chat area.

See Sending a Chat Message for more information.

Send Group Chat

This menu item allows you to send a group chat message. It will show up in the Group Chat area on the windows of all users who are in your group.

Before selecting this item, type your message in the edit field below the Group Chat area.

See Sending a Chat Message for more information.

Get My Statistics

This menu item allows you to see how well you are doing in the Casino.

Get Player Statistics

This menu item allows you to see how well someone else is doing in the Casino. You'll need to know the handle of the person whose statistics you want to check.

Show Table Users...

This menu item allows you to see the players currently at tables.


Help Menu

Contents

This menu item takes you to the contents page of this help file.

Search for Help On...

This menu item allows you to search for topics in this help file.

How to Use Help

This menu item shows you help for the WIndows Help application.

About...

This menu item brings up a dialog which shows you version information about the Casino Lobby.


Selecting A Game

With the Mouse

You will find buttons for each game along the right side of the Lobby window. As you move your mouse over each button, the message bar at the bottom of the window will show you a description of the game. Click the left mouse button on the button for the game you want to select.

Menu

Alternately, you can use the Game menu  to select a game.

When the Casino Lobby starts, you won't have a game selected. You can't go to a table until you select a game.


Sending a Chat Message

Global Chat

The top part of the screen contains the Global Chat. Messages from this area go to all people in the lobby who have the same game selected as you do.  If your game selection is None, you'll only receive message from other users with None selected.

Group Chat

The bottom part of the screen contains the Group Chat. Messages from this area go only to the members of your group. If you aren't a member of a group, this area will be disabled.

Entering a Message

To enter a message, click the edit field directly below one of the Chat windows. The edit field has a Send button (a picture of a hand holding a letter) next to it

Sending the Message

To send your message, click the Send button (it has a picture of a hand holding a letter). Alternately, you can use the Send Global Chat or Send Group Chat items on the User menu.


Using Groups

What is a group?

In this program, a group is a collection of users who move from the lobby to the tables as a unit.

Why would I want to create a group?

If you're in the lobby with people you know, and you decide you want to sit together at a table, you should create a group since this is the only way you can be guaranteed that you'll be seated at the same table.

Why are there two menu items?

There are two types of groups. A temporary group is created with the Create Temporary Group item on the Group menu. With this type of group, the name of the group is not saved between sessions. A permanent group is created or opened with the Open Group item on the Group menu. When you use this command, you must also supply a password since the name of the group is saved.

Why would I create a permanent group?

Permanent groups were included so that people can have regular poker clubs. The fact that the group name is saved with a password keeps other people from using the name. This allows members of a club to easily find the other members.

How do I create a temporary group?

A temporary group is created with the Create Temporary Group item on the Group menu.

How do I create a permanent group?/How do I open a permanent group I previously created?

A permanent group is created or opened with the Open Group item on the Group menu. When you use this command, you must also supply a password since the name of the group is saved. Be sure to remember your password and to share it with anyone else who might need to open the group. If you don't use a permanent group for three months or longer, the group name may be deleted.

How do I get other people into my group?

The Request Person to Join item on the Group menu allows you to ask a user to join your group. In order to use this function, you need to highlight a user in the Players list. The user will be sent a message which says that you're asking her or him to join. You'll get a message stating whether the user has joined.

How do I get into someone else's group?

The Join Group item on the Group menu allows you to join a group. In order to use this function, you need to highlight a group in the Groups list. The leader of the group will be sent a message which says that you've asked to join. You'll get a message stating whether you've been allowed to join.


Getting To a Table Quickly

The first step in getting to a table is to select a game.

After you've done that, you can simply hit the Go To Table button (found directly under the game buttons - it has a picture of a table on it) or you can select the Go To Table menu item on the Game menu.

If you want to be sure to go to the same table as someone else in the lobby, you can create a group before leaving the lobby.


What is a Handle?

Your handle is the name you'll use while you're in the Casino. This is the name that will be displayed to other users while you're in the Lobby or at a table. You may have as many handles as you want, but if you don't use a handle for three months, it may be deleted.

Each handle you use will have a separate "bank account". In this Casino, all money is of course fake. If you want to see how much money you have versus the amount you've taken from the "cash cage", use the Get My Statistics item on the User menu.


What is a Shill?

Some of the tables in the casino include players who are identified as shills. In a real casino, a shill is a player who is paid to play. They are playing for the house. In this casino, a shill is a computer controlled opponent. They are included so the tables are always full. Shills will be clearly marked at the tables.


Why Is the Go To Table item Grayed?

When the Casino Lobby starts, you won't have a game selected. You can't go to a table until you select a game.


User Statistics

If you want to see how much money you have won or lost, use the Get My Statistics item on the User menu.

If you want to see how well someone else is doing, use the Get Player Statistics item on the User menu. You'll need to know the handle of the person whose statistics you want to check.