Blackjack++ Copyright(c) 2002, Rose Software All Rights Reserved ------------ Introduction ------------ Thank you for trying Blackjack++. This program is distributed as shareware, which means you can try it for a limited amount of time, but if you decide to keep it you must pay for it. You have an initial bankroll of $500. After this money runs out, you will need to enter a valid registration code in order to be able to get more chips. There are two ways you can purchase the product and get the registration code for the game - by check and by credit card. To pay by check, please send US check or money order made payable to "Rose Software" to: Rose Software 7022 Circleview Drive St. Louis, MO 63123 When paying by check, please note the product you are registering for and an e-amail address to which the code can be sent. To pay by credit card, please visit the Blackjack++ product page at the following address for more information: www.rosesw.com/blackjack.html You support is extremely appreciated! --------------- Blackjack Rules --------------- Blackjack is one of the most popular table games found in casinos. One advantage that it has over other table games is that it is the only game in which the player can establish a true long-term statistical advantage over the house. This card game is very easy to learn. Its goal and rules are simple and clear: in order to win a hand you must have a hand value greater than that of the dealer without exceeding twenty-one. The player has control of when to take additional cards (hit) and when to stop taking cards (stand). However, the dealer may not make decisions on their own; the taking of cards or standing is based on a set of rules. The dealer must take cards until their hand is at least 17. The play of the game is as follows. The player determines a wager amount before any cards are dealt. After selecting the wager, the player and dealer are each dealt two cards. The player can see all of his cards. However, only one of the dealer's cards are visible. The value of the cards are determined as follows: Card Value ---- ----- 2 through 9 face value of card 10, J, Q, K 10 Ace 1 or 11 The value of your hand after receiving your two cards will be between four and 21. At this point, a number of options are available to you: Blackjack - The total of your two cards is 21 (that is, you have an ace and a 10, jack, queen, or king. If you have a blackjack and the dealer does not, you will be paid 150% of your original wager. Hit - When you select the "Hit" button, another card will be dealt from the deck and your hand total will be displayed. If the total of your cards is greater than 21, you "bust", and you lose the hand and the amount of money you wagered. Stand - When you select the "Stnd" button, you will receive no more cards and the dealer will start taking cards. Double - When you select the "Dbl" button, you are doubling your initial wager, and will receive just one more card before the dealer starts taking cards. If you do not have enough money to double, then the Dbl button is not displayed. Split - When you are dealt two cards of the same type, you may split them into separate hands. Since you will now be playing two hands, you must have enough money in your bankroll to cover an additional wager. When you split, one of the original two cards is put into each of the split hands, and an additional card is dealt to each hand. You play each hand separately. Surrender - When you select the "Surr" button, you are forfeiting the hand. However, you only lose half of the original wager. The Blackjack++ game only supports "Early Surrender", which means that you can only surrender after seeing your two original cards and before taking any additional cards. Insurance - If the dealer's exposed card is an ace, you will be asked if you want insurance. If you select "Yes", then you will be wagering an additional amount equal to one half of your original wager. If the dealer has a blackjack, you keep your original wager and the insurance wager. If the dealer does not have blackjack, then you lose the insurance wager, but are still in the game for the original wager. If you select "No" and the dealer does has blackjack, then you lose your original wager. Even Money - If you have a blackjack and the dealer's exposed card is an ace, you will be offered even money. If you select "Yes", you will win an amount equal to your original wager, as opposed to winning 150% of your original wager. If you select "No" and the dealer does have a blackjack, then the hand is treated as a "push" - you keep your original wager but do not win any money. After you stand or bust on all hands (including any split hands), the dealer's card will be exposed. At that time, the dealer must take cards until his hand total is 17 or greater. If the dealer busts, then you win on all hands that have not busted. If the dealer gets above 17 and does not bust, then the following can occur: Win - Your hand total is greater than the dealer's and less than or equal to 21. In this case, you win an amount equal to your wager. Lose - Your hand total is less than the dealer's. In this case, you lose your wager. Push - Your hand total is the same as the dealer's hand total. You keep your wager, but do not win any additional money. ------------- Screen Layout ------------- The screen for the game is divided as follows: +---------------------------------------+ | Blackjack Deck: xx% | |---------------------------------------| | Dealer Card Area | | | | | | | |---------------------------------------| | Player Card Area | | | | | | | |---------------------------------------| | Play Buttons | +---------------------------------------+ Before the deal, the bankroll and wager amount are displayed in the "Play Buttons" area of the screen. If you tap the "Amt" button, a window will display that allows you to change your wager amount. The minimum bet is $5, and the maximum bet is set in the preferences section (see below). The following buttons are available to set the wager amount: Clr - Sets the wager amount to 0. Min - Sets the wager amount to the table minimum bet of $5. Max - Sets the wager amount to the table maximum. If the player does not have enough money in their bankroll to bet the table maximum, or if there is no table maximum, then the bet is changed to the amount of the player's bankroll. +1 - Add $1 to wager amount. +5 - Add $5 to wager amount. +25 - Add $25 to wager amount. +100 - Add $100 to wager amount. +500 - Add $500 to wager amount. +1K - Add $1000 to wager amount. If at any point of adding to the wager amount the player bankroll amount or the table limit is reached, a message will appear and the bet will be set to the bankroll amount or table limit. After the wager amount is set and the "Deal" button is pressed, then the "Play Buttons" area contains buttons to hit, stand, double, etc. The player's cards are displayed in the Player Card Area, and the dealer's cards are displayed in the Dealer Card Area. The top portion of the screen contains a window title ("Blackjack") that, when pressed, displays the pulldown menu items. It also contains an indication of how much of the deck is remaining. The cards are shuffled when 20% of the deck is remaining. ------------ Menu Options ------------ The following menu buttons are available: Buy Chips 500 - Buy an additional $500 in chips. This option is only available for those that have entered the correct registration code. Cash in Chips 500 - Cash-in $500 in chips. This option is only available for those that have entered the correct registration code. Statistics - View buy-in amount, winnings, hands won/lost, and hand statistics. Instructions - Game play instructions. Options - Set game preferences. This option is not available in the middle of a hand. See the Options section below for more details. About Blackjack- Gives version number and other info. Register - Allows entering of registration code. Also contains registration info. ------- Options ------- When the Options menu button is selected, a form is displayed that allows you to set various game parameters. This allows you to tailor Blackjack++ to match the rules at your favorite casino. The following options are available: Num Decks - Allows you to set the number of decks of cards used to 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Double On - Specifies whether you can double on anything, 9/10/11 only, 10/11 only, or never. Table Limit - Specifies the maximum bet allowed at the table. Can be set to $100, $500, $1000, or no limit. Show Hints - Checkbox to indicate if the program should highlight the suggested action to take. Surrender Allowed - Checkbox to indicate if surrender is allowed or not. Dealer Hits Soft 17 - Since an ace can count as 1 or 11, a "soft" total is one in which the ace is counted as 11. This checkbox allows you to specify whether the dealer will hit or not if they have a soft 17 (e.g., ace-six, etc). Allowed to Hit Split Aces - When aces are split, most casinos do not allow the player to hit the hand after the second card is added to the split hand. This option controls whether the player can hit the hand or not. Insurance Allowed - Specifies whether insurance will be offered when the dealer is displaying an ace. Even Money Allowed - Specifies whether the user will be offered even money when they have a blackjack and the dealer is showing an ace. ------------- Game Strategy ------------- You can significantly improve your chances at blackjack by knowing when to hit, stand, double, split, etc. There are a number of sites on the Internet that provide both basic and advanced game playing strategy. Probably the best way to find them is to perform an web search using "Blackjack Strategy". However, below is a basic strategy guide that will work for most situations: Hard hands ---------- Stand on the following hands: 12-16 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 7 17-21 | dealer's upcard doesn't matter Double down 9 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 7 10-11| only if dealer's upcard is lower than your total Surrender 16 | only if dealer's upcard is 9 or higher 15 | only if dealer's upcard is 10 Hit all other hands. Hit if you are not allowed to double or surrender. Soft hands ---------- Stand on the following hands: A8-A10 | dealer's upcard doesn't matter Double down A2-A5 | only if dealer's upcard is 4, 5 or 6 A6-A7 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 7 Hit all other hands. Hit if you are not allowed to double after splitting. Pairs ----- Split 22, 33 | only if dealer's upcard is 4, 5, 6 or 7 66, 77 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 7 88, AA | dealer's upcard doesn't matter 99 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 10 Stand 99 | only if dealer's upcard is 10 or ace 10s, Js, Qs, Ks | dealer's upcard doesn't matter Double down 44 | only if dealer's upcard is 5 or 6 55 | only if dealer's upcard is lower than 10 Hit all other hands (don't ever split them). Hit if you are not allowed to double after splitting. ------------ Registration ------------ There are two ways you can purchase the software and get the registration code for the game - by check and by credit card. To pay by check, please send your payment (made payable to "Rose Software") to: Rose Software 7022 Circleview Drive St. Louis, MO 63123 When paying by check, please note the product you are registering for and an e-amail address to which the code can be sent. To pay by credit card, please visit the Blackjack++ product page at the following address for more information: www.rosesw.com/blackjack.html For questions, please contact: sales@rosesw.com Thank you for your support! ------------ Installation ------------ Install Blackjack++.prc using instapp.exe. This is done by double-clicking the Blackjack++.prc file in Windows and following the directions. ---------------- Revision History ---------------- 1.0 - Initial Release Features - Basic game operation - Adjustable wager amount - Auto pop-up when amount in bankroll can not cover wager - Game statistics, including - Buy-in and winnings - Number of hands, hands busted, hands won, hands lost - Reset feature for statistics - Buy additional chips or cash chips in - Online instructions - Configurable game options 1.1 - Minor Bug Fix Release 1.2 - Hint Feature ----------- Legal Stuff ----------- Rose Software is not responsible for lost data. We have tested the apps thoroughly; however, you are responsible for assuring that your PDA has been properly backed up in case any software causes your pilot to fail. ------------- Bug Reporting ------------- In the very unlikely event of a bug, if you are the first registered user to report the bug, you are entitled to a free registration for any of our other products. Please report any bugs or program suggestions to: support@rosesw.com Copyright(c) 2002, Rose Software All Rights Reserved