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Information about “VEGAS JOHNNY’S DRAW POKER”
VEGAS JOHNNY'S DRAW POKER is a detailed simulation of a draw poker game.
It plays all the other hands, gives you playing tips in plain English
like "don't throw away good money -- fold!" It will show you the odds
of winning at any given time -- makes play fun for the poker novice or
pro. It works on all popular display adapters; a color monitor is
optional, as is a mouse. Its features include:
~ Bet limits, blind and ante amounts are user selectable
~ Six levels of competition -- user selectable
~ Variable playing speed -- user selectable
~ On-line betting and drawing advice
~ On-line odds and statistics
~ On-line help with "what beats what"
~ Scoreboard file to log big winners
~ User interface allows fast and easy play.
FILE1896.TXT
Disk No: 1896
Disk Title: Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
PC-SIG Version: S1
Program Title: Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
Author Version: 1.1
Author Registration: $7.00
Special Requirements: None.
VEGAS JOHNNY'S DRAW POKER is a detailed simulation of a draw poker game.
It plays all the other hands, gives you playing tips in plain English
like ``don't throw away good money--fold!'' It will show you the odds of
winning at any given time--makes play fun for the poker novice or pro.
Great graphics in HGC, CGA, EGA, or VGA make this game a pleasure. It's
feature packed and fun to play. Works great with or without a mouse.
It's features include:
~ Bet limits, blind and ante amounts are user selectable.
~ Six levels of competition - User selectable.
~ Variable playing speed - User selectable.
~ On-line betting and drawing advice.
~ On-Line Odds and Statistics.
~ On-line help with "what beats what".
~ Scoreboard file to log big winners.
~ User interface allows fast and easy play.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< Disk #1896 VEGAS JOHNNY'S DRAW POKER >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To start program, type: POKER (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To print documentation, type: COPY POKER.DOC PRN ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
POKER.DOC
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
Copyright (c) 1989 by John Comeau - All rights Reserved
"Vegas Johnny" is a trademark of Top Score Software.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Shareware Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Legal Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
If the program doesn't work . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Program Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Master Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Running from Floppy disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Running from Hard disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installing onto a hard or floppy disk . . . . . . . 4
Your display adapter/monitor . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using your Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Choice menus: General Info . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
End of hand choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Ubiquitous choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Bet choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Param choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Draw choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Main screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Hands screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Scores screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Version/Title screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Rules screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Players screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The TSS products screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Statistics screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Odds Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Draw poker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Showdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Command line arguments/SWITCH.TSS file . . . . . . . . 15
Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Each player ante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Blind bet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Maximum bet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Minimum bet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Raise limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Check-raising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How many players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Draw open req . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Casual Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Casual-Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Mixed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Average-Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
i
Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Play speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Alt Play speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Upcard sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hand rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Different styles of players . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Casual players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Strong players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Average players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Human players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Topics of General Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Odds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Recommended Poker Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Computer players / Human players . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Top Score Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Dealer's Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Vegas Johnny's Hold'em Poker . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ii
Introduction
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker is a detailed simulation of a draw poker
game. It's features include:
o Bet limits, blind and ante amounts are user selectable
o Six levels of competition - User selectable
o Variable playing speed - User selectable
o On-line betting and drawing advice
o On-Line Odds and Statistics
o On-line help with "what beats what"
o Scoreboard file to log big winners
o User interface allows fast and easy play
o and many more
It's feature packed, it's fun to play. It's from Top Score Software!
Equipment
The IBM PC version of Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker requires an IBM
PC/XT/AT or compatible with 256k of memory, and DOS version 2.0 or
later. It can be run from floppy disk or installed onto and run from a
hard disk. A mouse is optional.
Before you begin
Warranty Information
This software is supplied "as-is" with no warranty whatsoever.
It is the sole responsibility of the purchaser to determine the
suitability and fitness of this product for any purpose. Neither Top
Score software, nor any dealer or distributor makes any warranty,
expressed or implied, concerning this software's quality,
performance, or fitness for any purpose.
Top Score Software is not liable for direct, indirect or incidental
damages including damage to equipment, interruption of service, loss
of business resulting from any defect or omission in this software,
manual or media.
Shareware Registration
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker is a commercial software product,
distributed via Shareware. If you like Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker and
are keeping a copy for your personal use, please send the $7.00
registration fee to the address below. If you would like a fresh copy
on floppy disk, add $2.95 (total $9.95) and specify 5 1/4 or 3 1/2
inch media. Either way, the benefits of registration are simple:
1. Support for the program by mail or phone.
2. Our sincere thanks you for your support and honesty.
- 2 -
Whether you register or not, we encourage you to make copies of Vegas
Johnny's Draw Poker for any friends, acquaintances and associates you
feel may enjoy the program - but only if the executable and document
files have not been modified in any way. TOP SCORE SOFTWARE RESERVES
ALL RIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH DERIVATIVE WORKS.
Please include both the executable and the document files on any
copies you make. That will help insure future users of Vegas Johnny's
Draw Poker can get maximum enjoyment from our product.
Top Score Software
P.O. Box 541
Townsend, MA 01469
(508) 597-8020
Legal Stuff
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker program and document are Copyright (c) 1989
by John Comeau. All rights reserved.
"Vegas Johnny" is a trademark of Top Score Software.
IBM PC, XT, and AT are registered trademarks of the International
Business Machines Corporation.
If the program doesn't work
If you have trouble getting this program to run properly, check the
document. Chances are you will find information to help you there. If
you can't find the solution to your problem in the document and you
are a Registered user, please contact us at the address/phone number
below. We are a small company but our policy is to support what we
sell as best we can.
Note: Please mention your program's registration number in all
correspondence.
Top Score Software
P.O. Box 541
Townsend, MA 01469
(508) 597-8020
Program Operation
The sections below describe how to install load and run this program
on your system.
The Master Disk
As supplied by Top Score Software this program comes on a standard DOS
format floppy disk. Files on this disk include:
File Description
POKER.EXE The executable file. - The program itself.
- 3 -
POKER.DOC The document file. This write-up in machine readable
form.
README.TXT This file contains the latest information on the
program and document. May contain important
information that is not in the document, or
corrections/changes to the document.
QUICKS.TXT The text of your "Yellow sheet". A brief summary of
several important operating procedures.
Running from Floppy disk
To run Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker from floppy disk, take the following
steps:
1. Boot DOS (version 2.0 or later) on your system.
2. Put the Vegas Johnny Master disk into drive A.
3. Logon to drive A: by typing: "A:"
4. Type: POKER
The floppy drive should start up, and within 10 seconds the title
screen, which contains program revision information, should appear on
your monitor screen. Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker is up and running!
Users of DOS versions 3.00 or later can replace steps 3 and 4 above
with a single step
3. Type: A:POKER
Running from Hard disk
Before you can run this from hard disk you must first install it.
Installing is simply a matter of copying the POKER.EXE file onto the
hard disk. Once installed on hard disk you can run it by following
these steps:
1. Boot DOS (version 2.0 or later) on your system.
2. Use the CD command to go into the directory that this program
was installed into. If the directory is mentioned in the DOS
system PATH string, you don't need to do this step.
3. Type: POKER
The hard drive should start up, and within a few seconds the programs
title screen, which contains program revision information, should
appear on your monitor screen. Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker is up and
running!
Installing onto a hard or floppy disk
Use the DOS "COPY" command to move the "POKER.EXE" file onto your hard
disk(or floppy disk). For example: "COPY A:POKER.EXE C:" copys the
POKER.EXE file from the floppy disk in drive "A:" onto hard disk "C:".
That's how simple installing can be!
- 4 -
If you copied Vegas Johnny's Draw poker into a subdirectory you also
may want to edit your DOS system's PATH specification to include that
subdirectory. On most systems this involves editing a file named
'AUTOEXEC.BAT' in the root directory. The line that needs to be
changed begins with 'PATH='. If you are not sure what to do, consult
your DOS reference manual.
Or don't even worry about changing the PATH specification! If you
don't change the path it just means that you may have to use the CD
command to go into the directory containing Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
before you run it. Try it and see.
After you have installed the program onto your hard disk, be sure to
put the original Vegas Johnny Master Disk in a safe place. For a
diskette a "safe" place means someplace that is free from magnetic
fields, dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures.
Your display adapter/monitor
This program is compatible with all popular display adapters,
including MDA, HGA, CGA, EGA, and VGA. It supports both color and
monochrome monitors. If the display looks OK when the program begins
running you can skip the rest of this section.
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker uses character graphics suitable for either
color or monochrome. Its output was tested compatible with DOS text
modes 2, 3 and 7. All commonly used display adapters support at least
one of these modes. On start-up the program assumes it has a CGA
compatible adapter with monochrome monitor unless the current display
mode is 7, 3, or 1.
Mode Assumes
---- ----------------
7 MDA - Monochrome
3 CGA - Color
1 CGA - Color
other CGA - Monochrome
You can explicitly tell this program what kind of monitor you have by
adding either the MONO or the COLOR switch to the command line that
starts this program. For example:
A:POKER COLOR Starts this program and at the same time
tells it that you have a color monitor
connected to your CGA compatible display
adapter.
These and other switches are described later in this document in the
section titled: Command line arguments.
Using your Mouse
Although not required, a mouse can be used with this program if you
have DOS 3.0 or later. The rightmost mouse button, like the keyboards
'ENTER' key, selects(or changes) the item that is highlighted on the
screen. The leftmost mouse button, like the keyboards 'ESC' key,
- 5 -
causes you to exit from a screen. Moving the mouse, like the keyboards
arrow keys, causes the highlight on the screen to move in the same
direction as the mouse.
Note: To use a mouse you also need appropriate mouse driver software
installed. If you routinely use your mouse with other software, then
either you know how to install the mouse driver software or it's being
installed automatically when you boot your system.
If you are unsure if you have the right driver software installed:
1. Try the mouse and see what happens. It can't hurt anything and if
it works, you're all set.
2. Ask your favorite computer 'guru', 'power-user', or programmer.
They are usually very eager for a chance to show their awesome
computer-savvy and can straighten out your mouse problem in about
3 minutes. If not, get a new guru!
3. If(only if) you are reasonably familiar the DOS - Try to fix it
yourself. First make sure your version of DOS is 3.0 or later. Do
this by typing in "VER" at the DOS command prompt. DOS should
respond with its version number. Any version number 1.xx or 2.xx
means you are out of luck - Vegas Johnny Poker cannot use a mouse
with these old DOS versions. Otherwise look in the root directory
for a mouse driver program called "MOUSE.SYS" or "MOUSE.COM".
Either one will do, you don't need both. If you can't find either
of these files in your root directory, you'll need to copy one in
from somewhere. In all likelihood one or both of these programs
was supplied on a floppy disk that came with your mouse. So find
that disk and copy one the files into your root directory. Once
you have a mouse driver file in your root directory, the next
step is to modify your systems boot-up procedure to include the
drivers automatic installation on boot-up. If you have
"MOUSE.SYS" add the following line to the "CONFIG.SYS" file in
your root directory: "device=mouse.sys". If you have
"MOUSE.COM" add the following line to file named "AUTOEXEC.BAT"
in your root directory: "mouse". Either way, reboot your system
and try out the mouse. Good luck.
User Interface
The user interface was designed to allow fast easy play. The way it
works is:
1. The program prints a small menu of choices. One of the choices
is highlighted.
2. You move the highlight left/right/up/down with the arrow keys
(or with the mouse) onto the choice you want.
3. You press the ENTER key(or left mouse button) to select the
highlighted choice.
Pressing certain keys have a consistent predictable result. These keys
are:
- 6 -
ESC Pressing the key marked ESC, called 'the escape key'
usually means, 'get me out of this screen'.
ENTER Pressing the ENTER key(usually a tall dark colored key
marked with an arrow pointing left) means 'select/change
the highlighted item'.
ARROWS Pressing the arrow keys on the right hand side of the
keyboard means 'move the highlight over in the direction
of the arrow'.
F2 In the Rules screens pressing F2 means 'save the rules
I'm looking at in a file'. The rules are saved in a file
called 'RULES.SAV'.
F3 In the rules screen, pressing F3 means 'set all the
rules to the default values. By default values here we
mean the values as they were the very first time this
program was run, not the default values saved later.
Because changing the rules while a hand is in progress
could affect the outcome of the hand, F3 will do nothing
if a hand is in progress.
F4 In the Rules screen, pressing F4 means 'restore the
rules from the RULES.SAV file. Because changing the
rules while a hand is in progress could affect the
outcome of the hand, F4 will do nothing if a hand is in
progress.
Choice menus: General Info
Whenever it is your turn to do something, your turn to bet for
instance, the program will display a menu of choices in the bottom
center of the screen. This is your Choice menu box. One of the choices
listed in the box is always highlighted. The highlighted choice is the
one that will be selected when you press the ENTER key. If you prefer
one of the other choices you must move the highlight to that choice by
using the arrow keys. Another way to move the highlight onto a new
choice is to type in that choice's first letter. You will see the
highlight jump immediately to the choice. When you have highlighted
the correct choice, press the ENTER key to select it.
If your system has a mouse, you can move the highlight from choice to
choice by moving the mouse. You can select the highlighted choice by
pressing the leftmost mouse button.
The sections below describe the meaning of various choices that may
appear in various choice menus.
End of hand choices
The following choices will appear in the choice menu that appears at
the end of each hand.
Deal Select this one and the program will begin dealing the
next hand. If you have any money left, you will be dealt
in. Otherwise the Computer players will play among
themselves.
- 7 -
Save Select this one to save a game that you want to continue
playing later. The games rules, statistics, and money
totals are stored in disk files, and the program will
exit to DOS. The files created by saving a game will be
created in the same directory as the POKER.EXE file
resides in. So, if you are running from floppy disk and
want to save the game your diskette must be write
enabled.
Quit Select this one only if you are finished playing and
don't want to continue at a later time. The program will
display the scoreboard and exit to DOS.
Watch If you select this one the program will continue playing
without you. When you want to rejoin the game you can do
so by pressing any key on the keyboard. At the end of
the next hand you will return to the end of hand choice
menu.
Ubiquitous choices
The following choices are not unique to any particular choice menu.
Most appear in all of the choice menus the program displays. They
generally appear in the bottom half of the menu.
Odds Select this to go to the Odds screen. The Odds screen
contains helpful information the current pot odds and the
odds of your hand being improved by the next card(s).
Stats Select this to go to a series of statistics screens. On
the first statistics screen you will see information on
how often your opponents are staying in vs. dropping.
Other statistics screens diaplay information on what
types of hands have appeared in the showdown, and what
type of hand usually wins in the game you are playing.
TSS Select this and you get to see Information on this and
other Top Score Software products.
Ask Select this to get betting/drawing/flipping advice from
Vegas Johnny. His advice will appear in a window at the
top of the screen. After you have seen the advice, press
any key and the advice goes away.
Note: Vegas Johnny is one of the stronger players. But he
has no special knowledge about the outcome of the game
such as what cards will be dealt next or what cards your
opponents hold. Though he gives mostly good advice,
sometimes he is wrong. But he always has an opinion and
will be happy to tell you what it is.
Param Select this item to enter the secondary choice menu. The
secondary choice menu contains items for:
o Seeing/changing the house rules
o Seeing what rank of hand beats what
o Seeing program revision information
- 8 -
o Seeing information on players
o Seeing the scoreboard
Pressing ESC returns you from the secondary menu back to
the original choice menu.
Bet choices
The following choices are unique to the menu that is displayed when it
is your turn to bet.
Call When this item appears in a choice menu it means you owe
money to the pot. If you select 'Call' it means you want
to pay the money you owe and not a penny more. Paying the
money you owe buys you the privilege of continuing to
play your hand.
Fold When this item appears in a choice menu it means you owe
money to the pot. If you select 'Fold' it means you do
not want to pay what you owe. If you don't pay, you don't
play. You're out of the game for the rest of the hand and
cannot win any of the money in the pot.
Check This item only appears in a choice menu when you don't
owe any money to the pot. Selecting 'Check' means that
you do not want bet any money. If a rule against check-
raising is in effect and you check it also means that you
can cannot raise the pot later in the betting round. You
must either Call(match their bet) or Fold(pay nothing and
wait for the next deal).
Bet This item only appears in a choice menu when you don't
owe any money to the pot. Select 'Bet' if you want to pay
money into the pot(Bet). Whatever money you bet, your
opponents will have to either pay that amount into the
pot(Call) or drop out of the hand(Fold).
Note: When this item appears in a choice menu it always
appears twice. Use the top 'Bet' to make a maximum sized
bet, Use the bottom 'Bet' to make a minimum sized bet. If
the minimum and maximum limits are the same amount, it
doesn't matter which 'Bet' you select.
Raise When this item appears in the choice menu it means that
owe money to the pot. Select 'Raise' if you want pay what
you owe plus bet money over and above what you owe into
the pot. Whenever you Raise, your opponents are forced to
either pay an equal amount into the pot(Call) or drop out
of the hand(Fold).
Note: When this item appears in a choice menu it always
appears twice. Use the top 'Raise' to make a maximum
sized raise, Use the bottom 'Raise' to make a minimum
sized raise. If the minimum and maximum bet limits are
the same amount, it doesn't matter which 'Raise' you
select.
- 9 -
Param choices
The following choices are unique to the secondary choice menu that
appears whenever menu choice 'Param' is selected.
Player Puts you into the Players screen. In the Players screen
you will see the names of all players currently in the
game classified by playing style. You also can highlight
any players name and get more information about that
player.
Rules Puts you into the Rules screen. In the Rules screen you
can examine/change the house rules in effect. If you
enter the Rules screen while a hand is in progress you
may not be able to change any rules that will affect the
hand in progress. If you enter the Rules screen between
hands, you can change practically every house rule.
Hands Puts you into the Hands screen. The hands screen shows
the standard ranking of hands in High poker with no wild
cards. You can highlight any hand rank and get a short
explanation of what combination of cards it consists of.
Scores Puts you into the Scores screen. The Scores screen shows
the scoreboard of all-time high scores including any high
scores for the game in progress.
Version Puts you into the title screen where you can see program
revision information. It also has Top Score Software's
address and phone number in case you want to get in touch
with us.
Draw choices
After the first betting round of Draw poker, all players in turn have
the opportunity to draw cards. A player drawing cards can throw away
up to 3 cards and get new ones to replace them. When it is your turn
to draw the program displays an expanded choice menu - one that
includes the display of the cards in your hand. You will notice that
this choice menu is slightly different from most others in that a box
is used instead of a highlight. You can move this box from choice to
choice using the arrow keys or mouse. To select a card for drawing,
move the box around it and press the ENTER key. You will see that
card's color darken from its normal white. The dark color shows that
that card is selected for drawing(replacement). A selected card can be
deselected in the same manner: box it and press the ENTER key, the
card will turn normal white again. When you have selected up to 3
cards to draw, move the box to the DRAW choice and select it with the
ENTER key. The cards you selected to draw will disappear from your
hand and replacements will be dealt to you.
The following choices are unique to the menu that is displayed when
you are playing draw poker and it is your turn to draw cards.
- 10 -
Draw When you Select 'Draw' it means that you want to draw
replacements for the cards you have selected. True to
common poker convention, you will not be allowed to draw
more than 3 cards. Anytime more than 3 cards are selected
for replacement, the selection of 'Draw' will have no
effect. You will have to deselect one or more of your
cards and then select 'Draw'. If no cards are selected
when you select 'Draw' it means you don't want to replace
any of your cards. Keeping all your cards is commonly
called 'Standing pat'.
Note: When a card is selected, its color darkens. The
exact color of the darkened cards depends on your
monitor. If you have color display then selected cards
are yellow, brown or red. If you have a monochrome
display, selected cards are black.
Screens
When the game begins you are put into the Main screen. The Main screen
shows all the players and their hands. You can stay in the Main screen
for the entire game if you want. There are however other screens that
you can go to that contain helpful information. You get to these
screens by selecting them from the Choice menu when it is your turn to
bet. After you exit from one of these screens you will return to the
main screen where the game will continue.
One or more of these screens may be automatically entered when Vegas
Johnny's Draw Poker begins running(before the game begins). Once the
game begins all of these screens are accessible via menu choices.
They're all described in the sections following.
The Main screen
The Main screen displays a picture of the poker table. In the center
of the Main screen is a dollar amount. This is the pot. All bets made
by players during the game go into the pot. Positioned around the pot
are all the player's hands. Near each hand is the players name and
money total. Often a description of the player's hand also appears. A
description of the player's entire hand always appears at showdown.
Before the showdown a description will appear only if a player's
upcards show a pair or better. Your Name, hand and money total are
displayed in the center of the screen directly below the pot. Your
hand is always displayed in full. Any description displayed will be
that of your entire hand. Although your entire hand is displayed for
you to see, your opponents cannot see your hole cards until the
showdown.
In the bottom left hand side of the main screen is information on the
hand in progress. Information such as who's dealing, and what's going
on at the moment. At the end of the hand the name of the winner(s) is
displayed here also.
- 11 -
The Hands screen
In the center of the hands screen is a list of the standard ranks
possible poker hands. The higher on the list a hand is the better it
is. One of these hands is highlighted. A description of the
highlighted hand always appears the window at the bottom of the
screen. To get a description of a different hand, use the arrow keys
to move the highlight onto the name of the hand you want described.
After you have gotten all the information on hand ranks that you want,
press ESC to exit from the Hands screen.
Note: When you exit the Hands screen you will return not to the
secondary choice menu, but to the original choice menu.
The Scores screen
The Scores screen contains a scoreboard listing the 10 best
performances by players in past games. Both computer players and human
players are eligible go onto the scoreboard after any game in which
they have played at least 20 hands. The 'score' is calculated based
on amount of money won, number of hands, and adjusted based on the
ante, blind bet, maximum bet size and competition level. If you change
the ante, blind bet or maximum bet sizes during a session, the score
is based that size that results in the lowest scores.
Note: When you exit the Scores screen you will return not to the
secondary choice menu, but to the original choice menu.
The Version/Title screen
The Version screen tells you what version of this program you are
running. There are no parameters to change on this screen. You exit
the Version screen by pressing the ESC key.
Note: If you entered the Version screen via a choice from the
secondary menu, when you exit the Version screen you will go back to
the original choice menu not to the secondary choice menu.
The Rules screen
The Rules screen lists all the 'House rules' currently in effect. One
of these rules in this screen is always highlighted. A more detailed
explanation of the highlighted rule appears in the window at the
bottom of the screen. To get a more detailed explanation of any rule
on this screen, move the highlight onto that rule using the arrow keys
or the mouse. Then that rules explanation of it will appear in the
window at the bottom of the screen.
Whenever you are in the rules screen you can change at least some of
the rules. Pressing ENTER changes the highlighted rule. Whenever a
rule changes in response to the ENTER key, the explanation in the
window may also change to reflect the new rule. Before the game
begins, you can change any rule on this screen. After the game begins
there are a few restrictions on changing rules. If you enter the rules
screen while a hand is in progress, the program will only allow you to
change the 'Speed', 'Sort' and 'Sound' rules. If you enter the rules
screen between hands you can change all rules. However changing the
'Competition level' and 'Number of Players' rules will have no effect
- 12 -
on the game already in progress. Changing any other rule will affect
the game in progress. The new rule will go into effect on the very
next hand.
You can exit from the rules screen at any time by pressing the ESC
key.
Note: If you entered the Rules screen via a choice from the secondary
menu, when you exit the Rules screen you will return not to the
secondary choice menu, but to the original choice menu.
The Players screen
In the center of the Players screen are the names of all players
currently in the game. Players are listed in one of 4 columns
depending on their playing strength. The Strong players constantly
base their play on, the number of players in the game, their position,
the odds offered by the pot, and their estimation of their opponents
hand values and their own hands chance of winning. The casual players
are generally unaware of the pot odds and the various possible values
of their opponents hands. They depend almost entirely on 'rules of
thumb' such as:
"With a pair, or a possible straight, stay in for the draw."
Average players lie somewhere between these two extremes. And of
course Human players are TOTALLY unpredictable.
Note: If you entered the Players screen via a choice from the
secondary menu, when you exit the Players screen you will return not
to the secondary choice menu, but to the original choice menu.
The TSS products screens
These screens contain descriptions, prices and ordering information
for various poker-related products from Top Score Software. To get
from one screen to the next, press any key. To exit from the TSS
product screens press the ESC key.
Note: If you entered the TSS screen via a choice from the secondary
menu, when you exit the TSS screen you will return not to the
secondary choice menu, but to the original choice menu.
The Statistics screens
There are 2 statistics screens. When viewing a statistics screen press
any key(except ESC) to view the next statistics screen. Press ESC to
exit all statistics screens and return to the original choice menu.
The first statistics screen shows what percentage of the time each
player has been in the game after the first betting round, and at the
showdown. It may be interesting to compare your figures with those of
players of different skill levels. The most common mistake of
inexperienced poker players is to stay in the pot too often. It can
also be a mistake to drop too much, but inexperienced players rarely
make this mistake.
- 13 -
The second statistic screens show the number of times various
categories of hands have appeared in the showdown, and how often they
have won.
The categories on the second screen are:
Runt(less than a pair)
Pair of Twos, Threes, Fours or Fives
Pair of Sixes Sevens, Eights, Nines or Tens
Pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces
2 pair smaller then jacks over twos
2 pair equal to or higher than jacks over twos
3 of a kind
Straight
Flush
Full House(or better)
For each category, three statistics are listed. these are:
1. The number of times that hand has won when it has appeared in the
showdown.
2. The number of times that hand has appeared in the showdown.
3. The percent of the time that hand has won when it appeared in the
showdown.
The three columns to the left show these statistics for the current
session only. The three columns to the right show these statistics for
all sessions including the current one. The rightmost column has the
number of times the hand has appeared in a showdown. The middle column
has the number of times the hand has won. The leftmost column gives
the winning percentage. You can use these figures as a guide to your
own play. The number of players in the game has a large affect on
these figures. The more players in the game, the better a hand it
takes to win. The figures given are only for games of the specified
size. The figures will however be fairly consistent regardless of
strength of the players in the game.
The Odds Screen
The Odds screen contains helpful information such as the odds now
being offered by the pot and the odds against you improving your hand.
At the top of the odds screen are 2 lines that tell you what Vegas
Johnny's estimation of the pot odds is. The first of these lines tells
the simple pot odds. Simple pot odds are how much is in the pot to how
much you owe. So if there were $75 in the pot and you owed $25, since
there is three times as much money in the pot as you owe the simple
pot odds would be 3 to 1. In cases where you owe no money simple pot
odds cannot be calculated; They are infinite.
The second line lists the estimated odds to reach showdown. This is
how much money will be in the pot at the showdown to how much money
you will have to pay to reach the showdown. This form of pot odds is
more subjective since neither of these numbers used to calculate it is
known for sure. But this form of odds if often a more realistic form
to use in guiding your play. As with simple pot odds if the pot will
be split, the odds reported are halved.
- 14 -
Before the draw the Odds screen will contain a table of possible
improvements for your high hand. These are the hands you can improve
to when you draw cards. The table lists hand values along with the
odds against improving to that hand value, and the odds against
improving to at least that hand value.
At the bottom of the odds screen is an estimate of the odds against a
hand of the type you hold winning in a showdown. These odds are
calculated for a typical game. They do not take into account the
values of the up-cards showing or the strength of the betting in the
current hand.
Draw poker
Draw poker is probably the game most people think about when they
think of poker. In Draw poker 5 cards are dealt face down to each
player. There is a betting round. Then each player in turn has the
choice to throw away from 0 to 3 cards, which the dealer replaces with
the same number of cards. Following this is the 2nd betting round.
A common practice in real-life games is to require that the player who
opens the betting in the first betting round have a pair of jacks or
better. One of the rules allows you to specify this requirement for
your game if you wish.
Note: In Draw poker with 7 or more players it is possible to run out
of cards during the draw round. If this happens the program will add
all cards discarded by players to the desk, reshuffle, and continue
the draw round.
The Showdown
If more than one player reaches the showdown, all players reveal their
hands. The player with the highest ranked hand gets all the money in
the pot. If two or more players tie with the same rank high hand, all
players with the winning high hand get an equal share of the pot. Any
odd dollars that cannot be divided, will remain in the pot for the
next hand.
Command line arguments/SWITCH.TSS file
When starting this program you can follow the program name with one or
more optional command line arguments(a.k.a switches). There are about
a dozen recognized arguments, which give you control over such things
as display and monitor type, display colors, and initial rules
settings.
Legal switches for command line are described immediately below. Those
switches that represent the default start-up values are marked with an
asterisk(*).
- 15 -
COLOR Color monitor attached to display.
MONO Monochrome monitor attached to display. You can use
this switch to force a monochrome presentation even
if you do have a color monitor.
BLUE * Blue display background. One of four optional
background colors for color displays. The four
options are provided because personal color
preferences vary from person to person and because no
2 monitors are exactly alike.
This Blue background is the one preferred by most
people.
GREEN Green display background. The green background nicely
simulates the color of a green felt playing table but
many people find this color scheme to be a bit harsh.
BLACK You may prefer this Black background. Particularly if
you have an EGA display adapter and want to avoid
having a black border around a colored background.
CYAN Cyan display background. Most people seem to agree
this one is UGLY. But, if your color monitor is very
old, or badly in need of adjustment, this may be just
the thing.
RULESOK * Do not enter rules screen on program start-up. The
house rules will be those specified in the RULES.SAV
file. After the game has begun you may enter the
rules screen in the usual manner if you wish.
PLAYERSOK Do not enter player screen on program start-up. You
will be called 'Stranger' unless you also included
the NAME switch on your command line or in your
SWITCH.TXT file. After the game has begun you may
enter the players screen in the usual manner.
TITLEOK Do not pause in the title screen on program start-up.
The title screen will appear for a few seconds after
which it will disappear and the program will
continue. After the game has begun if need to get a
longer look at this screen, you can enter it through
the usual menu selections.
NOW Do not pause in the title screen and do not enter
rules or player screens on program start-up. Begin
the game immediately.
RULES Enter the rules before starting the game. In the
rules screen you will be able to change all rules.
PLAYERS * Enter players screen before beginning the game. In
the players screen you will be able to get
information about your opponents.
- 16 -
TITLE * Pause in the title screen and wait for a key to be
pressed before starting the game. As a default you do
pause in the title screen, but this switch allows you
to override a TITLEOK or NOW switch in your
SWITCH.TXT file.
NAME:<x> Tells the program that your name is <x>.
DIR:<x> Look for scoreboard, rules and games files in
directory <x>
If there are conflicting switches, for instance MONO and COLOR,
appearing on the same command line it is switch closest to the end of
the command line that take precedence.
Whenever this program is started it also looks in the current
directory for a file named SWITCH.SAV. You can create an ASCII file
named SWITCH.TXT with any text editor. Any switches that appear on the
first line of SWITCH.TXT will be recognized by the program just as if
they were typed in on the command line.
In the case of conflicting switches in the SWITCH.TXT file and on the
command line, it is the command line switch that takes precedence.
Rules
On the initial program start-up all rules can be changed. Between
hands, all rules except for 'Competition level' can be changed. While
a hand is in progress only the 'Sound', 'Sort mode' and 'Play Speed'
rules can be changed.
You can't exit from the Rules screen while Maximum bet is less than
Minimum bet.
Each player ante
In the absence of a blind bet, this is the amount each player must put
into the pot before each hand is dealt. Values for the ante range from
0 (no ante) to 50. If a blind bet is selected, the blind bet is the
ante and the value of this rule is moot.
Blind bet
This is the amount of the blind bet in Draw, Hold'em and Forty-four.
Its value ranges from 0 to 100. If this value is 0, no blind bet is
selected and the first person to speak in the first round has the
freedom to make a bet or not. When this value is greater than 0 a
blind bet of this value is required of the first person to speak in
the first round of betting. As with any other bet, subsequent players
must call or drop. Unlike any other bet, the player who makes the
blind bet can raise themselves. The blind bet only applies to the very
first betting round in the hand. If a blind bet is selected, it
overrides any "jacks needed to open" requirement. The player to the
left of the dealer must make the blind bet regardless of thier hand
value.
- 17 -
Maximum bet
This is the maximum amount that a player can bet at any time. Its
value can be set from 1 to 100.
Minimum bet
This is the smallest amount that a player may bet. Its value can be
set from 1 to 100. In real-life poker games it is common to be able to
bet any amount from the minimum to the maximum so long as it is an
even multiple of the minimum. However, to keep the user interface
simple, this program requires that all bets be either the maximum or
the minimum - no bets in between. This is no great loss in limit poker
because it is rare that a bet other than the minimum or maximum is a
player's best choice. The maximum bet is often the best choice to
build a pot you expect to win, or to drive other players out of a pot
to improve your winning chances. The minimum bet is often the best
choice to use up a raise in order to keep the price of reaching the
showdown as low as possible. A bet between them is rarely the best
choice, and when it is, it is only marginally better than one of the
other 2 choices.
Note: You can't exit from the Rules screen while Maximum bet is less
than Minimum bet.
Raise limit
This is the maximum total number of raises that can be made in a
betting round. The first bet in a round does not count against this
limit. So, for example, if the maximum bet is $25 and this rule limits
raises to 3 per round, the most a round of betting could cost is $100.
Having a limit on the number of raises is standard practice in fixed
limit poker. Without such a limit, two players each convinced they had
the best hand could raise each other for round after round, causing
half of the players to go broke on one hand. That's against the spirit
of limit poker. A limit on the number of raises per round is important
for another reason in real-life poker. The reason is that two players,
cheating as a team, could raise round after round to break one or more
honest players in a single hand.
Check-raising
This rule allows you to allow or prohibit the practice known as
"Check- raising". When a player checks, then later in the same round
raises the pot, that's "Check-raising". Some people consider check-
raising to be a less than polite practice. Others consider check
raising to be just another tool in a well rounded arsenal of poker
ploys and strategies. Check raising is usually permitted in casinos
and public card-houses.
How many players
This selects how many players will be in at the start of the game. As
play progresses and players run out of money, the game will get
smaller. In general, the more players in the game, the better the
winning hands are.
- 18 -
Draw open req
The rule applies only to draw poker. It has two possinle settings. One
setting "Pair of Jacks" means that a player must hold a pair of jacks
or better in order to make the first bet on the first round of draw
poker. The other setting 'Anything' means that there is no
requirement, a player can make the first bet on the first round
regardless of his holding.
Note: If a blind bet is selected, it overides this rule. The player to
the dealer's left must make the blind bet regardless of his hand
value.
Competition
This rule chooses how strong the competition will be. Before the game
begins you may choose any of six levels: Casual, Casual-Average,
Average, Mixed, Average-Strong and Strong. Changing this rule after
the game has begun will have no effect on the game in progress.
Casual Competition
This is the easiest of the program's five levels. Your opponents
will be the weakest ones the program can possibly give you. This
means many 'Casual' players and, in a large game, an average
player or two. No 'Strong' players allowed at this level!
Casual-Average
With this selection your opponents will be selected in roughly
equal numbers from the 'Casual' and 'Average' groups. There will
be no 'Strong' players in the game at this level. So, at this
level your opponents will be tougher than in a 'Casual' game, but
not so tough as in an 'Average'.
Average
This is the median of the program's five possible levels of play.
With this level in effect the players selected for your game will
be mostly 'Average' players. In a large game a 'Casual' or
'Strong' player may also be selected.
Mixed
With this selection your opponents will be of all different
playing styles. The program will attempt to give you equal
numbers of opponents from each style. This usually results in
your competition being stronger than 'Average'.
Average-Strong
With this selection your opponents will be selected in roughly
equal numbers from the 'Average' and 'Strong' groups. There will
be no casual players at this level. Thus the game will be harder
than 'Average competition' but a little easier than 'Strong
competition'.
- 19 -
Strong
This is the toughest of the program's five levels. It means that
your opponents will be the toughest ones the program can possibly
give you. They will be 'Strong' players with, if the game is
large, an 'Average' player or two.
Play speed
This allows you to select how fast the computer players will play
while you are still in the game. The higher you set it for, the faster
they will play. On the slowest setting '1' players will take about 2
seconds for each bet decision. On the fastest setting '10' players
will make their decisions in .2 seconds or less depending on the speed
of your PC. Also note that on slower machines such as the original
4.7mhz PC the Strong players may take up to a second for each decision
regardless of what the speed is set to. This Play Speed setting does
not affect the quality of the computer players play.
Alt Play speed
This allows you to select how fast the computer players will play
after you have dropped out of the game. The higher the number you set
it for, the faster they will play. On the slowest setting '1' players
will take about 2 seconds for each bet decision. On the fastest
setting '10' players will make their decisions in .2 seconds or less
depending on the speed of your PC. Also note that on slower machines
such as the original 4.7mhz PC the Strong players may need to take as
long as second to make each decision regardless of what the speed is
set to. The Alt Play speed setting does not affect the quality of the
computer players play.
Upcard sorting
This rule determines how players upcards are displayed. Cards can be
displayed in the order in which they are dealt, with the oldest card
on the left and the most recently dealt card on the right. The
alternative is to display cards in sorted order. Displaying in sorted
order makes it easier to see pairs and sequences. Sorted order means
from left to right: pairs first in descending order, then single cards
in descending order. These are the three possible settings of the
'Upcard sorting' rule:
None All players upcards will be displayed in the order in
which they were dealt.
Mine only Your upcards will be displayed sorted highest to
lowest. The upcards of computer players will be
displayed in the order in which they were dealt.
Everyones Upcards of all players will be displayed sorted highest
to lowest.
- 20 -
Hand rankings
Here is a list of the standard generally recognized ranking of poker
hands. Along with each is a description of that hand, and the standard
procedure for breaking ties, in case two hands of the same rank face
each other at the end of a hand. The list of hands is ordered from
best to worst.
Straight flush Five cards of the same suit and in sequence. For
example: K-Q-J-10-9 all the same suit ('a Straight
flush, king-high').
In case of ties the highest sequence wins, so:
8-7-6-5-4 beats a 6-5-4-3-2.
Four of a kind Four cards of the same rank. For example: 3-3-3-3-Q
('Four threes').
In case of ties the highest set of four wins. If
both players have the same set of four, the player
with the highest unpaired card wins. So:
7-7-7-7-6 beats 5-5-5-5-J
8-8-8-8-J beats 8-8-8-8-6
Full house Three cards of the same rank, with a pair of some
other rank. For example: 7-7-7-4-4 ('a Full house,
sevens over fours')
In case of ties the player with the highest set of
three wins. If the sets of three are the same, then
the player with the highest pair wins. So:
A-A-A-6-6 beats K-K-K-7-7
9-9-9-A-A beats 9-9-9-J-J
Flush Five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
For example: K-10-5-3-2 all the same suit ('a
Flush,king-high').
In case of ties the player with the highest card
wins. If the highest cards are the same rank, the
highest second card wins. If still tied, the
highest third,. If still tied, the highest forth
card, and if necessary highest the fifth card. So:
A-J-10-5-2 beats K-Q-10-6-3
A-Q-10-5-2 beats A-J-5-4-5
K-J-5-4-3 beats K-J-5-4-2
Straight Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same
suit. For example: Q-J-10-9-8 ('a Straight,
queen-high')
In case of ties the highest straight wins. So:
K-Q-J-10-9 beats Q-J-10-9-8.
Q-J-10-9-8 beats 7-6-5-4-3
- 21 -
Three of a kind Three cards of the same rank. For example:
10-10-10-A-J ('Three tens' a.k.a. 'trip tens')
In case of ties the player with the highest set of
three wins. If the sets of three are the same, then
the highest unpaired card wins. If still tied, then
the highest final unpaired card wins. So:
7-7-7-Q-4 beats 5-5-5-A-7
8-8-8-K-3 beats 8-8-8-J-6
Q-Q-Q-K-7 beats Q-Q-Q-K-6
Two pairs Two cards of the same rank, with two cards of some
other rank. For example: J-J-9-9-2 ('Two pairs,
jacks over nines')
In case of ties, the player with the highest pair
wins. If these pairs are the same the player whose
other pair is highest wins. If these are also the
same the player with the highest unpaired card
wins. So:
A-A-4-4-10 beats K-K-J-J-A
K-K-7-7-9 beats K-K-7-7-4
A-A-7-7-Q beats A-A-7-7-8
One Pair Two cards of the same rank. For example: 8-8-J-5-2
('a Pair of eights')
In case of ties, the player with the highest pair
wins. If both pairs are same the player with the
highest unpaired card wins. If still tied, the
second highest unpaired card decides it, or if
still tied, the third highest unpaired card.
Runt None of the above. No pairs, no sequence of 5
cards, no 5 cards of the same suit. For example:
K-J-9-5-2 in different suits ('a Runt, king-high')
In case of ties the player with the highest card
wins. If the highest cards are the same rank, the
highest second card wins. If still tied, the
highest third,. If still tied, the highest forth
card, and if necessary highest the fifth card. So:
A-J-10-5-2 beats K-Q-10-6-3
A-Q-10-5-2 beats A-J-5-4-5
K-J-5-4-3 beats K-J-5-4-2
Different styles of players
The opponents you face when you begin a new game are selected from
fifteen possible computer players. There are five different computer
players for each of the three playing styles: Casual, Average and
Strong. There is one human player: You.
Casual Average Strong Human
Rocky Kid Greek You
Guido Betty Bret
Dilbert Tex Alice
Sarge Jake Roscoe
Fingers Doc Fats
- 22 -
The following sections describe the general characteristics of each of
these styles of players.
Casual players
The casual players are generally unaware of the pot odds and the
various possible values of their opponents hands. They depend
almost entirely on 'rules of thumb' such as:
"Bet with a possible flush."
and
"Don't drop with 2 pairs of better"
Strong players
The Strong players constantly base their play on, their position,
the number of players in the game, the odds offered by the pot,
and their estimation of their opponents hand values and their own
hands chance of winning. It can be expensive to have strong
players in the game!
Average players
Average players fall between the extremes of casual and strong.
They have some awareness of the pot odds vs their chance of
winning, and they use this information to a certain degree.
Human players
This is You for instance. Different human players can be quite
different in skill and style, so I can't give you much any
general information here. Some of them are more cunning,
resourceful and inspired than the computer players when it comes
to adjusting their play to take advantage of their opponents, and
bluffing.
Topics of General Interest
Odds
This section is a primer on odds, how to calculate them, and how to
use them to play better. Experienced players may want to skip this
section.
Pot Odds are a ratio of reward to risk: What can I gain/how much must
I risk to gain it. For instance: it is your turn to speak, the pot
contains $75 and you owe $25. Your potential gain ($75) is three times
your potential risk ($25). In such a case it is commonly said that
'The pot is offering you 3 to 1 odds'.
In general, the higher the odds offered by the pot are, the better it
is for you. High pot odds mean you are risking a relatively small
amount for the chance of winning a large amount.
Improvement Odds are a measurement of how likely future cards are to
improve a hand. Like all odds they are a ratio, a ratio of cards that
don't improve your hand to cards that do. A classic example:
- 23 -
You are playing draw poker and are dealt 5 cards. You have no pairs,
but 4 of the cards are spades. If you draw one card, what are the odds
against improvement to a flush? Your draw card could be any one of the
47 cards you haven't seen yet. Of these cards 9 are spades(you have 4
of the 13 leaving 9) and the other 38 cards are not spades. The cards
that don't give you a flush are roughly four times as numerous as the
cards that do, so it can be said that the odds against you getting
your flush are 4 to 1 against. In general the lower the odds against
improvement are, the better it is for you.
Now let's combine the pot odds and improvement odds examples and test
'em out. If you played 47 hands, once for each card in the deck, and
got a different card each time. Each time you paid $25 to get a chance
to win the $75 already in the pot. That's 3 to 1 odds. Here's what
happens:
9 times get flush win $75 9 * 75 = 675 gain
38 times miss flush lose $25 38 * 25 = 950 lose
---------
Total = $275 loss (big)
Suppose there had been $100 in the pot instead of $75. The pot odds
would have been 4 to 1. We would expect this:
9 times get flush win $100 9 * 100 = 900 gain
38 times miss flush lose $25 38 * 25 = 950 lose
---------
Total = $ 50 loss (tiny)
Finally, suppose there had been $125 in the pot instead of $75. The
pot odds would have been 5 to 1. We would expect this:
9 times get flush win $125 9 * 125 = 1125 gain
38 times miss flush lose $25 38 * 25 = 950 lose
---------
Total = 275 gain (big)
So what conclusions do we draw from this?
If the pot odds are less than the odds against you winning,
don't pay the money - it's a bad bet
and
If the pot odds are larger than the odds against you winning,
pay the money - it's a good bet.
If a good player knows he is beaten, he will not stay in unless the
odds offered by the pot are greater than the odds against his
improving enough to win.
- 24 -
This odds discussion has been simplified. It ignores the fact that
your flush could lose(not likely, but it could). It ignores the money
you might gain by betting when you make your flush. However these
other factors are relatively minor adjustments to the formula and tend
to average out.
Recommended Poker Books
For anyone seriously interested in learning to play a better game of
poker, this program is a good start. In addition Vegas Johnny
recommends the following books on poker. Since he hasn't bought a
poker book since the late seventies, all of the books on his
recommended list is at least 10 years old. But, since(he claims) poker
hasn't changed much in the last ten years, he stands by the following
recommendations:
Poker is the name of the game - Walter Gibson
This is the book advertised on one of those 'extra cards' that come
with decks sold by the U.S Playing Card Co. At(as of 1989) $2 it's a
bargain.
Sklansky on Poker Theory - David Sklansky
This book has the real goods. If you put this stuff into practice,
you'll be very dangerous. This book is most useful for intermediate to
advanced players. Try the Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, NV.
Poker, a guaranteed income for life - Frank R. Wallace
The book that explains how you can use a submarine sandwich in a poker
game to win hundreds of dollars! You judge this one for yourself. Is
it a laugh-riot? Depressing? Worthless? or Valuable? Or some
combination?
Play poker to win - Amarillo Slim Preston, Bill Cox
The book by that colorful guy in the cowboy hat who 10 or 15 years ago
showed up on Johnny Carson's show a couple of times after winning the
World Series of Poker. Where is he now? "No one knows where the hobo
goes when it snows." I think it's out of print, so look for this one
in a used book place.
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Computer players / Human players
As good as computers are at what they do, they are no match for human
beings(yet!) when it comes to creative use of psychology, bluff,
counter bluff, and intuition. These can be large factors in poker
games particularly high stakes games. Another factor is your
unintentional/unconscious behavior. Things like: The way you hold your
breath as the final card that might give you a flush is dealt. The
expression on your face when you make the flush. The way you gush with
confidence as you make the big bet to bluff them out when you didn't
make the flush. A human opponent can make use of such information, a
computer cannot(yet!). So when you play against real-live human
players: Be careful. But have fun!
Top Score Software
Top Score Software develops, publishes and markets nontechnical
consumer-oriented software for personal computers.
Top Score Software currently offers the Vegas Johnny Poker programs.
The Vegas Johnny programs include inexpensive implementations of the
classic games of Draw, Stud and Hold'em, plus the full-blown no-
holds-barred "Dealer's Choice" featuring 7 different games each in 4
different variations.
All Vegas Johnny programs work with most popular display adapters.
They require an IBM compatible PC, and DOS 2.0 or later and, require
256k of memory(except Dealer's Choice requires 384k). Each comes with
a comprehensive document file, and (as of late-1989) without fancy
packaging.
Dealer's Choice - $44.95 postpaid (copy protected)
Vegas Johnny's Hold'em poker - $17.95 postpaid (copy protected)
Vegas Johnny's Draw poker - $7 to register your copy of our
shareware product. Or $9.95 postpaid
for a registered copy of the latest
version.
They may be ordered using the address below. When ordering please
specify either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 inch disks.
Massachusetts residents please add 5% sales tax when ordering.
Top Score Software
PO Box 0541
Townsend, MA 01469
(516) 597-0000
Your feedback is valuable to us. Please feel free to send us your
suggestions, complaints and comments, also to the address above.
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Dealer's Choice
What would you do if you had the worlds best poker software?
o Learn how to play/play better?
o While having loads of fun?
o As you win thousands of (simulated)dollars?
o Or lose your (simulated)shirt?
o In an intriguing contest of bluff and counter-bluff?
Dealer's Choice is by far the most comprehensive, feature-packed,
fun-filled, computer poker simulation available anywhere. It pits you
against from 1 to 7 clever computerized opponents in a realistic
dealer's choice style poker game.
You can select which game or combination of games is allowed to be
played. The games you can select are:
o Draw poker o Hold'em o Forty-four
o 5 card stud o 6 card stud o 7 card stud
o Mexican stud
You can select which popular variations of each game are allowed. The
variations you can select are:
o High-only o Low-only
o High-Low o High-Spade
You can tailor the house rules to suit YOUR preferences. Set the rules
to match those of your own Friday night game if you wish. Among the
rules you can specify are:
o number of opponents, skill level of opponents.
o California, Kansas City or 6-4-3-2-A low evaluation
o size of ante, blind bet, maximum bet
o Jacks required to open in Draw poker
o and many MORE!
From then on its 'Dealer's Choice'. And when the game begins, the
features don't end! Anytime while the game is in progress:
o on-line betting advice from Vegas Johnny
o on-line help with hand rankings
o on-line odds advice
o on-line statistics summary.
At your command - for your enjoyment - just a few keystrokes away.
The action is fast, the stakes are high, the competition is tough and
the challenge is real. Dealer's Choice - From Top Score Software.
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Vegas Johnny's Hold'em Poker
Computerized version of Hold'em poker. Hold'em is the game they play
every year in Las Vegas for the world championship. In Vegas Johnny's
version you are pitted against from 1 to 7 computerized opponents. The
money is simulated, but the fun and the action are for real!
First YOU tailor the house rules to suit your preferences:
o Number of opponents, skill level of opponents
o Size of ante, blind bet, maximum bet and other limits
o Permit or Outlaw check raising
o and many more!!
Then from the time the first card if dealt, until the end of the game,
Vegas Johnny's Hold'em poker has on-line help, on-line betting advice,
on-line odds advice and on-line statistics summary at your command.
Sure, you can find Hold'em poker programs costing quite a bit more.
But you won't find a more fun, feature-packed and comprehensive one at
any price, anywhere. Except Top Score Software.
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Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
Ever-popular Draw poker. THE classic form of poker. Vegas Johnny's
Draw poker is an exciting simulation where you are pitted against from
1 to 7 clever computerized opponents in a draw poker game.
Simulation? Well the money's simulated, but the fun is real and the
action is fast!
First tailor the house rules to suit your preferences, or to match
those of the Saturday night game you play in:
o Number of opponents, skill level of opponents
o Size of ante, blind bet, maximum bet and other limits
o Permit or Outlaw check raising
o Jacks required/not required to open
o and many more!!
Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker has the same great features as our other
poker programs. Features such as:
o on-line help
o on-line betting advice
o on-line odds advice
o on-line statistics summary
o natural, easy to use user interface
o card sorting - at your option
o sound - at your option
o user selectable playing speed
This inexpensive shareware program has features and playability far
superior to $35 poker programs you may have seen offered elsewhere.
Vegas Johnny's Draw poker is a program that lives up to the shareware
ideal of inexpensive quality software.
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QUICKS.TXT
Quick-Start Instructions
For Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker
(Yellow Sheet)
To run from Floppy disk:
1. Boot DOS (must be version 2.0 or later) on your system if
it isn't already running.
2. Put the Vegas Johnny Master disk into drive A.
3. Logon to the floppy disk by typing: A:
4. Start the program by typing: POKER
To install onto hard disk:
1. Boot DOS (must be version 2.0 or later) if it isn't already
running.
2. Decide what directory you want Vegas Johnny Poker to
reside in. Create a new directory if you wish.
3. Use the CD command to change to the directory that you
want to install Vegas Johnny Poker into.
4. Put the Vegas Johnny Master disk into drive A.
5. At DOS prompt type: COPY A:*.*
To print out the document file(approx 40 pages):
1. If not running DOS, Boot DOS on your system.
2. Turn your printer on and switch it 'on-line'.
3. Put Vegas Johnny Master disk into drive A:
4. At DOS prompt type: PRINT A:POKER.DOC
Once the program is running:
ENTER Selects(or changes) the item highlighted on the screen,
arrows Move the on-screen highlight to a different item,
ESC Returns you to the previous screen(if any).
F1 Gets you help(except in the main screen).
To make suggestions, report bugs, register shareware and order
other Vegas Johnny programs:
1. Place correspondence into empty, unused envelope.
2. Address envelope to: Top Score Software
PO Box 541
Townsend, MA 01469
3. Put 25-cent stamp on envelope - place in mailbox
README.TXT
README.TXT file for Vegas Johnny's Draw Poker Rev 1.01
------------------------------------------------------
File QUICKS.TXT has brief(1 page) operating instructions.
File POKER.DOC has complete operating instructions.
Changes since rev 1.0:
The title screen of Rev 1.1 has our CORRECT AREA CODE (508)!
Two bugs in Vegas Johnny's Advice were fixed.
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1896
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
FILE1896 TXT 2887 12-27-89 5:27p
GO BAT 38 1-01-80 1:37a
GO TXT 540 12-27-89 4:50p
POKER DOC 76178 10-12-89 6:35p
POKER EXE 144962 10-20-89 12:51a
QUICKS TXT 1782 10-12-89 3:17a
README TXT 374 10-20-89 12:57a
7 file(s) 226761 bytes
92160 bytes free