BLACKJACK STRATEGY II Version 2.

A Simulation Tool for Playing and Betting Strategies

and A Game

Copyright 1984 - 2005 by J.P. Enterprises

A Blac jac

Tutor

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 2 BLACKJACK STRATEGY II (version 2.0)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Getting Started 1.1 Fast Start...............................3 1.2 Overview.................................4 1.3 Main Option Menu.........................4 2.0 Changing Options 2.1 House Rules..............................5 2.2 Play & Display Options...................6 3.0 Manual Bet Inputs.............................9 4.0 Shuffle.......................................9 5.0 Deal.........................................10 6.0 Play 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Insurance...............................10 Player's Blac jac ......................10 User Play...............................10 Dealer Play.............................11 End of Play.............................12 End of Game.............................12 Data Summary and Exit Options...........12

7.0 Strategy 7.1 Hard Hands..............................15 7.2 Soft Hands..............................15 7.3 Hands That Can Be Split.................15 7.4 Surrender...............................15 8.0 Simulation...................................15 8.1 Simulation Files Menu...................18 8.2 Card Weights and Betting Selection......19 8.3 Strategies for Simulation...............20 8.4 Results Data............................21 9.0 Definition of Shareware......................22 10.0 Disclaimer - Agreement.......................23 11.0 Registration and Product Support.............24 APPENDIX A. Basic Rules of Blac Jac ..............25

PAGE

APPENDIX B: Bibliography..........................26

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 3 1.0 GETTING STARTED System requirements: IBM PC compatible, 128K memory, any display.

BJ.exe main program for the blac jac game. Strategy.dta default basic strategy data. Options.dta options data. Simulate.001 and .002 sample simulation data files. Results.001 sample simulation results data file. ReadMe.txt a file with unzipping instructions. BJ.doc this documentation file in WordPad format. Only the first two files are needed to run the program. The program will create an OPTIONS.DTA file if it does not exist. STRATEGY.DTA is a text file which can be created or modified with any text editor however you must use the exact original as a template. Extensive simulation capabilities are included in the program so that direct editing of STRATEGY.DTA is not normally required. To protect your BLACKJACK STRATEGY game, bac the zip file up to a separate location. 1.1 FAST START Open the hard dis folder containing BJ.EXE and double clic on BJ.exe . Press [Enter] three times and the game will start. With the original default conditions you are the third player at a four player table, bets are automatically made for the other spots. Press F1 for a display of the possible actions. H = hit, S = stand, D = double, Y = yes-split. Hint: If you want to "Wong out" you can hit Ctrl+Brea at any time. Then just double clic on BJ.exe to restart. (Write down your wins or losses before you Wong out, if you are eeping trac .) Brea is

Your master dis

contains the following files:

Section 6.0 gives detailed playing instructions and Section 8.0 explains how to use the powerful siulation tools. Complete instructions for customization of the house rules, display, and playing parameters are given in Section 2.0.

1.2 OVERVIEW Blac Jac Strategy II is much more than just a game, it is a tutor and a powerful simulation tool. House rules and a wide variety of display options may be changed to customize the operation for all uses. The play screen is character oriented to allow operation with all display types and uses the advantages of color when it is available. Up to six players and the dealer are shown providing a realistic casino table. As a tutor the program eeps trac of correct and incorrect decisions with an optional beep when an incorrect decision has been made. The basis for the tutorial is either the basic blac jac playing strategy included with the program and recommended by many experts or strategy data from the simulation files. Simulation of a wide variety of play and betting strategies is easily accomplished using the built-in strategy tables. There is provision for up to ten simulation data bases each containing: point count weights for each card, two different play strategies to be invo ed based on the current true point count, and ten different bet sizes to be used based on one of two different point count adjustment systems. Results of the simulation are automatically written to dis in comma delimited files for easy analysis using a spreadsheet or database program. 1.3 MAIN OPTION MENU As soon as the program has loaded into computer memory you will see the opening screen with the J.P. Enterprises copyright notice and related information. Pressing any ey moves on to the main option menu (shown in figure 1) which displays the House Rules, Display Options and Play Options. (Note: there is an additional "Key Screen" for non-registered copies.) This is the only menu that will be shown if the simulation feature is not used (see Item 28. on the menu). All the options that are appropriate for playing the game and using it as a tutor of the basic playing strategy are available on this one menu. If you do not wish to change the options enter 0 <carriage return> or just <carriage return> to continue to the play screen or simulation menu. Use the original default conditions to start playing the game immediately and become familiar with its operation. With the original default conditions you are the third player at a four player table, bets are automatically made at 10 units if you press [Enter] at the bet prompt.

on the Pause

ey for most PCs.

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2.0 CHANGING OPTIONS When any menu is displayed you may change a value by entering the corresponding item number. You are then prompted to enter either a value or a yes/no response. A carriage return will give the default value. The menu is then redisplayed showing the new value and you may enter more changes or continue to the next step. If you have made any changes they may be saved before the game starts.

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 5 *** HOUSE RULES *** * DEALER PLAY * 1. Dealer hits soft 17 * SPLITTING * 2. 1 card only on split Aces 3. Allow split of unli e 10s 4. Allow more than 1 split * DOUBLING 5. Allow double on 6. Allow double 10 7. Allow double on N Y Y Y *** DISPLAY & PLAY OPTIONS *** 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 1st card down on autoplay N Player hand value N Player present bet size Y Player present holdings Y Number of cards not dealt Y Number of hands played N Size of dealer's ban N Point count of cards shown Y Record of decisions made N Sound on Y Position 6 5 4 3 2 1 User ? N N N Y N N Number of Players 4 Speed of play (1 to 20) 10 Number of Hands 1000 Basic bet size 10 Manual bets for player Y Initial player holdings 1000 Use simulation data Y Menu and play colors 1 Basic strategy STRATEGY.DTA

* split Y and 11 only N 3+ cards N 4 75 N

* DECKS & SHUFFLE * 8. Number of Dec s 9. Shuffle Percent * SURRENDER * 10. Surrender allowed

Item to change or 0 for no change Figure 1. MAIN OPTION MENU

2.1 HOUSE RULES * DEALER PLAY * Option 1. Dealer Hits Soft 17 - this gives an advantage to the house since there is a good chance to improve the hand. If this is set to "N" the dealer will hit all 16s and stand on all 17s.

* SPLITTING * Option 2. Allow 1 Card Only on Split Aces - split aces are a powerful hand, some casinos will only give you one card for each hand in this case. Option 3. Allow split of unli e 10s - this means you can split a combination li e Jac - Queen. Although this might seem to be an advantage it is never advisable to split 10s as 20 is a very good hand.

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 6 * DOUBLING * Option 5. Allow double on split - this gives an improved advantage to the player since you only double if you have a good chance to win. If this is set to "N" a double is not allowed on split hands. Option 6. Allow double on 10 and 11 only - many casinos have this restriction. Option 7. Allow double on 3 or more cards - a fairly unusual option of considerable advantage to the player. * DECKS & SHUFFLE * Option 8. Number of dec s - a number between 1 and 10 as determined by the house management. Some casinos have tables with different numbers of dec s. The smallest number of dec s is advantageous to "card counters" however when one dec is used it is often shuffled about half way through to limit the counter's advantage. Option 9. Shuffle percent - the point in the dec which triggers the next shuffle when a hand is completed. Generally around 75% for multiple dec s and as low as 50% for a single dec . You may select a value between 50% and 99%. * SURRENDER * Option 10. Allow surrender - you may surrender your original hand for one-half of your bet. This action ta es place after the dealer has chec ed for a blac jac when your turn to play comes. This is

Option 4. Allow more than 1 player hence limited to one Strategy the maximum amount and only one split with six

split - definitely an advantage to the split by some casinos. In Blac jac of splits is two with five or less players players due to screen size limitations.

advantageous to the player with a bad hand when the dealer has a high card showing. 2.2 PLAY AND DISPLAY OPTIONS * DISPLAY OPTIONS * Various values can be displayed on the screen as the game is in progress. A setting of "Y" displays them and a setting of "N" eeps them off. Each is described below. Option 11. First card down on automatic play - For a more realistic (but less informative) display you can have the first card dealt down on hands you are not playing. At the appropriate times (bust, end-ofhand, etc) the card will be shown with a delay so you can see what it was. If you are using this option it would ma e a more realistic situation to set option 12, player hand value, to "N". Option 12. Player hand values - this will show the playing value of each hand just above the first card as play progresses. Turn this off if you are doing some serious practicing.

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 7 Option 13. Bet size - shows the present bet value for each player. Option 14. Player holdings - shows how much money each player has. "There's time enough for counting when the dealings done". Unless you are about to run out and want to double or split. (The ban will lend you the money as negative holdings are possible) Option 15. Number of cards not dealt - a graphical display that shows the relative number of cards used and those that have not been dealt. The exclamation point indicates the place in the dec that contains the shuffle trigger point. Option 16. Number of hands played - shows the total number of hands played not including splits. Option 17. Size of dealer's ban - shows the amount of money in the dealer's ban . The dealer starts with 10,000. Option 18. Point count of cards shown - a continuous display of data relating to the point count based on the betting system being used. When in the simulation mode (Option 28 set to "Y") two different methods are used with parameters as described in Section 8.0. For the Ace Rich betting method the following information is displayed.

RC = running count TC = true count

1/2 dec s = number of unseen half-dec s AR = ace rich count

BTC = bet true count For the Weight Adjustment betting method the following information is displayed. RC = running count 1/2 dec s = number of unseen half-dec s TC = true count ARC = adjusted running count ATC = adjusted true count If not in the simulation mode (see Option 28) the words "Basic Strategy" will be displayed. [NOTE: I changed the default tags to hi-lo for this release of BJ-II to www.blac jac forumonline.com . The RC = running count will have the expected meaning, and the TC = true count, will be Snyder's true edge TC rounded to an integer, provided the edge off the top is about zero. If you use full dec true count conversion, you can figure out how many dec s are remaining for your conversion to TC, by dividing the 1/2 dec statistic by 2. The TC you calculate from this will be about twice the size of the TC displayed. The BetTC displayed is meant for an ace neutral count with an ace side count, and will be incorrect in this context. People who want to use the Uston count can chose Simulate.002 from the second menu, or rename Simulate.002 to Simulate.001 ETF] Option 19. Record of decisions made - each action ta en by the userplayer is compared against the strategy. If the action does not agree with the strategy the computer will beep to let you now of your "error". A running count of the actions and percent correct may be displayed. Option 20. Sound on - the beep described in option 19 may be turned on or off. * PLAY OPTIONS * Option 21. User Inputs - Each of the active player positions (there can be up to 6) will be played either automatically by the computer or manually by you, the user. By setting just one position to "Y" you simulate an actual game where you are playing that position. Note that positions are numbered from right to left which is the dealing order at the blac jac table. If you wish to play more than one position for more practice at ma ing play decisions then set each of the desired positions to "Y".

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 8 For completely automatic play set all the positions to "N" and the computer will play all the hands. This allows you to sit bac and watch or let the computer play a few thousand hands to evaluate the basic strategy or one of your design as defined by simulation data. Option 22. Number of Players - Values from 1 to 6 are allowed. Due to screen space limitations, splitting a second time can only ta e place if there are 5 or less players. You would be surprised how common

this can be if you are using 6 to 10 dec s. Other numbers of active positions are available to suit your desired playing conditions. Remember you can manually play any or all of the positions. Option 23. Speed of Play - A value which controls the speed of the game. The highest speed will play about 3000 individual player hands per hour with all positions in automatic play which is useful for simulation. The slower speeds will help you learn to count cards. Try different numbers to get the effect you li e. Option 24. Number of Hands - This specifies the number of sets of hands that will be played before the program automatically stops and offers an exit point or various continuation possibilities. Large numbers are used for simulation or just not being bothered with restarting the game. If there are five players, setting number of hands to 1000 means that 5000 hands will be played plus any splits. There is an interrupt method to access the exit options at the end of each set of hands: Hit any ey while automatic play is in progress. After the last hand is played an "interrupt received" message will be displayed. Hit <carriage return>, wait for the point counter's delay then the summary screen will be displayed. Option 25. Size of Basic Bet - bet size to be used if no manual input is given. Amounts between $2 and $1000 are allowed. This value is overridden when the simulation mode is in use. Option 26. Manual Bets for Players - If you want to modulate your bets manually set this to "Y". In that case you will have to supply a bet input for each position you are playing. When placing your bet a <carriage return> gives the value of the Basic Bet if desired. When Manual Bets is set to "N" the computer automatically bets the Basic Bet each time or the value given by the simulation data when in the simulation mode. Option 27. Initial Player Holdings - this is how much money each player starts with. Don't lose more than you can afford. Option 28. Use Simulation Data - this turns on the simulation mode and provides access to the various screens that are used to input the simulation data. Set this to "Y" for the simulation mode. An explanation of the simulation mode menus is in Section 8.

Blac jac Strategy II, Page 9 Option 29. Menu Colors - entering this option number will move to another menu screen where you can select from the following:

1. Default Colors - color or mono based on your hardware. 2. Grayscale Monochrome - wor s well on monochrome monitors. 3. Blac and White Monochrome - use this for laptops. Option 30. Basic Strategy File - this is the name of the file to be used for the basic strategy when not in the simulation mode. A strategy recommended by many experts for multiple dec games is stored in the file STRATEGY.DTA. You may modify this file or develop others, however, such changes are more convenient using the built-in strategy editor when in the simulation mode (Option 28 set to "Y"). If any of the options are accessed, the program will as if you wish to save the changes to the options file (OPTIONS.DTA). A "Y" will save the changes and a "N" will discard the changes. 3.0 MANUAL BET INPUTS If you have selected the option for manual bet inputs, a screen similar to Figure 2 will be displayed at the start of each hand. Amounts from $2 to $1000 will be accepted. The figure shows that Player 1 bet 20, Player 2 bet 5 and Player 3 is being as ed for a bet value. The function eys allow easy input for multiples of the basic bet. Push F1 for a help menu. Hands running in the automatic mode (see Option 21) will be bet at the basic bet size if simulation is not being used or will be determined by the point count and betting matrix if simulation is being used. Place your bets. Player 4 Player 3 Your bet? Bet= 5.00 Hold= 600.00 MANUAL BET SCREEN Bet= 20.00 Hold=1255.00

Player 2

Hold=355.00

Hold=782.50 Figure 2.

4.0 SHUFFLE This is automatic at the start of the game, if the end of the dec is reached during a hand or when the cards left with the dealer at the end of a hand are less than the calculated amount based on the Shuffle Percent (see option 9 in the main menu). Also there will be a shuffle if there are not enough cards left for 4 per hand to be played including the dealer. Each shuffle is a computer representation of cards randomly chosen from the dec s to be used. Cards are then placed in that order to be used until the next shuffle.

Dec

[..*****************!****] Player 1

5.0 DEAL Cards are dealt in the usual order. The first card to the dealer is shown "down" as are the first cards to automatically played hands (if that Option 11 is set to 'Y'), all the rest are up. After the cards are dealt various optional values are displayed, such as, hand number, player bets, etc. 6.0 PLAY 6.1 INSURANCE If the dealer is showing an Ace, all user controlled hands are as ed if they would li e insurance. Acceptable responses are: F9 or Y or y for Yes F10 or N or n for No Insurance is a side bet for an amount equal to one-half the present bet on the hand. If the dealer has a blac jac , insurance pays 2 to 1 hence you brea even if your hand (say a 20) would have lost to the dealer's 21. At that point the screen is cleared and a new hand is dealt. When the dealer does not have a blac jac you lose your side bet and play continues. Automatically played hands do not ta e the insurance bet. 6.2 PLAYER'S BLACKJACK Any players that have blac jac are immediately paid at 1.5 to 1 and their first card is shown, if necessary, and then the cards removed from the table. 6.3 USER PLAY If hand play values are to be shown they will be displayed at the top of the hand in the form "NN H" for hard hands or "NN S" for soft hands. As the individual hand is played the value will be updated as an aid in decision ma ing. The hand values are also displayed on automatically played hands. The user is then as ed to ma e play decisions based on their cards and the allowed possibilities by answering the prompt "Action" with the following choices available: F1 displays a one line help display of these responses. E or e or F2 to go to the exit options at the end of the hand. Normal play continues.

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L or l or F3 for "loo " which will momentarily display the decision programmed into the strategy. This is li e learning from flash cards, you can always loo at the answer if needed. V or v or F4 to view the hand play value. This is of interest if the hand play value option is off. It simulates as ing the dealer for the value. F5 momentarily displays the card point count based on the weighting system being used. Q or q or F6 to surrender (or quit) only with the original hand if that action is allowed by the house rules. Y or y or F7 will split the hand. If the player has a pair they may be split and played as two hands with the same bet required on each hand as the original bet. When the hand is split each hand is played separately. If a second pair were to be dealt on either hand and a second split is allowed (provided there are 5 or less player positions) and then there are three hands played for that position. D or d or F8 for double when allowed by the house rules. If this is selected the bet is doubled and only one more card is dealt to that hand. H or h or F9 for hit which deals another card to the hand. S or s or F10 for stand which ends the decision process for that hand. Following the action determined by the decision (user or computer) the hand play value is calculated. If the total is greater than 21 the hand is bust which is indicated in the hand play value location and the cards are removed from the table after first showing any down card. If the total is 21 or less, further action is requested if the previous action was a hit. Since all this action happens automatically if no user positions have been specified there is another escape to the exit options. Hit any ey while automatic play is in progress. After the last hand is played an "interrupt received" message will be displayed. Hit <carriage return> and wait for the point counter's delay and the summary screen will be displayed. 6.4 DEALER PLAY After all hands are played the dealer's hand is played. First the down

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card is shown then the dealer hits 16 and stands on hard or soft 17 depending on the house rules option setting.

6.5 END OF PLAY Each hand still active (not blac jac or bust) is compared to the dealer's to determine win, lose or push. Player's holdings and the ban are adjusted accordingly. 6.6 END OF GAME New hands will continue to be dealt until the hand count reaches the maximum set by the options. Shuffling will occur as needed. Once the hand count maximum is reached a summary of the data for that run of hands will be displayed along with the exit options. 6.7 DATA SUMMARY AND EXIT OPTIONS Figure 3 shows the data summary and exit options. The highest, lowest and final holdings are shown for each player along with the hand at which those holdings occurred and the "efficiency" at that point. Efficiency is defined as winnings divided by the total amount bet expressed as a percentage. This calculated value can be used to evaluate the quality of your strategy as modified by the "laws of chance". The values shown are typical for the basic strategy contained in the file STRATEGY.DTA. At this point you have three exit options: [E]nd the game and return to the operating system. [N]ew options essentially restarts the game by returning to the options screen and resetting the hands played to 0. [P]rint will send a copy to the data summary to your line printer. [F]ile results data will append to the present results file using appropriate data shown on the summary screen. This data is in comma delimited form, see Section 8 for details. c/r <carriage return> will continue the play until the maximum number of hands is reached or on a hand-by-hand basis if the hands are already at the maximum.

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DATA SUMMARY Highest holdings at hand efficiency

Strategy file name = STRATEGY.DTA

Player 6 Player 5 Player 4 Player 3 Player 2 Player 1 2015 6036 1.39% 1800 1586 4.19% 285 5764 -1.03% 530 6140 -0.64% = -465 = 443250 = 37671 = -0.10% 1735 2028 3.02% 135 5547 -1.30% 635 6140 -0.50% 1920 1496 5.11% 590 5843 -0.58% 785 6140 -0.29% 1710 2023 2.93% -70 5482 -1.63% 250 6140 -1.02% 2075 4243 2.10% 740 129 -16.56% 1415 6140 0.56%

Lowest holdings 865 at hand 40 efficiency -26.47% Final holdings at hand efficiency 1920 6140 1.24%

Total Amount Won Total Amount Bet Total Hands Played Overall Efficiency

Total decisions Total correct Percent correct Strategy file:

[E]nd game, [N]ew options, [P]rint summary, [F]ile data, c/r continues Figure 3. DATA SUMMARY AND EXIT OPTIONS 7.0 STRATEGY The strategy used for automatic play (and as a prompt if you "loo " before ma ing your decision point) is determined by characters in either a text file or one of the simulation data files. In both cases the data is as shown in figure 4. A basic strategy is in the file STRATGY.DTA, supplied with the program. You may change the controlling characters with a text editor, however, it is much more convenient to use the simulate mode (Option 28 should be a "Y") and

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= 0 = 0 = 100.00% STRATEGY.DTA

ma e changes to the simulation database with the built-in strategy editor. Operation of the simulation mode is explained in Section 8. If you do wish to change the basic strategy file it is critical that each decision letter be in the correct location for proper operation. Ma e a copy of STRATEGY.DTA under some other name and then use your text editor in the overwrite mode to change decision letters. The name of the new file may then be entered under Option 30 of the main menu or you may rename the altered file to the default name STRATEGY.DTA for use by the program. Each table has the dealer up card values across the top and player hand values shown on the left and in the middle. Action determining decision letters are <S>tand, <H>it, <D>ouble, <Y>es do split and <Q>uit as in surrender. If no strategy file exists on the dis a "dumb strategy" of hit 16 or less, stand on 17 or more will be used.

HARD HANDS Player 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 |....Can 2 3 4 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S H H S H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Dealer Shows not Double........| 5 6 7 8 9 10 A S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S H H Q Q Q S S H H H Q Q S S H H H Q Q S S H H H H H S S H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H |.........Can 2 3 4 5 6 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S H H S S S D D D D D D D D D D H D D D D H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Double.......| 7 8 9 10 A S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S H H Q Q Q H H H Q Q H H H Q Q H H H H H H H H H H D D D D H D D D H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Double.......| 7 8 9 10 A S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S H H H H H H H H H H H H H

21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4

SOFT HANDS |....Can Player 2 3 4 21 S S S 20 S S S 19 S S S 18 S S S 17 H H H 16 H H H

Dealer Shows not Double........| |.........Can 5 6 7 8 9 10 A 2 3 4 5 6 S S S S S S S 21 S S S S S S S S S S S S 20 S S S S S S S S S S S S 19 S S S S S S S S S H H H 18 S D D D D H H H H H H H 17 H D D D D H H H H H H H 16 H H D D D

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15 14 13 12

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

15 14 13 12

H H H H

H H H H

D H H H

D D D H

D D D H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

H H H H

HANDS THAT CAN SPLIT |......Player Player 2 3 4 5 6 20 S S S S S 18 Y Y Y Y Y 16 Y Y Y Y Y 14 Y Y Y Y Y 12 H Y Y Y Y 10 D D D D D 8 H H H H H 6 H H Y Y Y 4 H H Y Y Y

Dealer Shows Hard.........| |.......Player Soft........| 7 8 9 10 A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A S S S S S 20 S Y Y S S 18 Y Y Y Y Y 16 Y H H H H 14 H H H H H 12 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y D D D H H 10 H H H H H 8 Y H H H H 6 Y H H H H 4

Figure 4. STRATEGY DATA

7.1 HARD HANDS These are hands that do not contain an Ace (or where the ace must be valued at 1 in order not to bust). If they contain only two cards or if a double is otherwise allowed by the house rules the right side of the first table is used. Only player values down to 4 need to be considered as lower values must contain an Ace and would be determined in the second table. 7.2 SOFT HANDS These hands contain 1 Ace valued at 11 which could be reduced to 1 if the subsequent hit were to cause a "bust". Only values down to 12 need to be considered as 2 Aces is the lowest soft hand. 7.3 HANDS THAT CAN BE SPLIT In this table the "Y" stands for, yes do split. The other characters indicate the action of choice rather than split and are assumed to be <N>o in automatic operation. Only even values for the player are considered as they are all pairs. The only soft pair is 2 Aces. 7.4 SURRENDER

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"Q" for quit is used for surrender to differentiate it from the other choices. When the "Q" occurs in the table it will be interpreted as an "H" if surrender is not allowed by the house rules option setting. Therefore you do not want to put a "Q" in a location that should be split, double or stand except when actually using the surrender option. 8.0 SIMULATION Card counting is a popular way to improve the player's chances of winning at blac jac . Each card, 2 through Ace, is given a point value which is then used by the player to calculate the "count" as each card is shown. As the count changes the player will change playing strategy and amount bet in accordance with a scheme designed to pull the odds of winning in favor of the player. Blac Jac Strategy II provides a way to simulate various card counting schemes and record the results on dis for analysis using a spreadsheet, database or other program. There are many counting systems. (See Appendix 2 for a bibliography.) Most authors provide a series of methods starting with simple counting of fives or tens and continuing to more complete methods with weights for each card. Two representative systems are described in:

A flow diagram showing how the playing and betting decisions are made is shown below. Count Index Matrix ---| | |--> Play Decision | | Card Values --> Running Count --> True Count --| | | | | Number of Cards Remaining --| | | Count Adjustment | | |--> Bet Size | Count Index Matrix ---| First, each card in the dec is given a weight, such as; A, 10, J, Q, K = -1: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 = +1: 2, 8, 9 = 0.

2.

K. Uston, Million Dollar Blac jac , SRS Enterprises Inc, Hollywood, California, (1981).

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1.

C. Ionescu Tulcea, A Boo on Casino Blac jac , Poc et Boo s, New Yor , (1982).

As each card is shown during play, the player eeps a running count of the weights for all cards seen. The running count will vary over a plus and minus range as the cards from the dec (s) are used. To produce a statistically useful value the running count is modified based on the number of cards still unseen. Tulcea uses the formula, Running Count * 100 True Count = -----------------------Number of Unseen Cards Uston uses the formula, Running Count True Count = ---------------------------Number of Unseen Half-dec s These methods are equivalent with the first equation giving a value very close to 4 times larger than the second equation. Wor ing with smaller numbers and estimating half-dec s is somewhat easier so Mr. Uston's formula is used in Blac Jac Strategy II. Once the true count has been determined to the nearest integer value, it is used to determine how to play for each possible combination of dealer up-card and player hand. Two strategies are defined, a base strategy and an alternate strategy. A count index is assigned to each playing combination where the alternate strategy may be invo ed. No count index value is assigned to combinations where the base strategy is always used. A playing decision will be based on the alternate strategy in either of the following two cases: If the count index is positive and the true count is larger (more positive) than the count index, then the play decision is based on the alternate strategy. If the count index is negative and the true count is smaller (more negative) than the count index, then the play decision is based on the alternate strategy.

Zero (0) is considered to be a positive number, that is, if the count index is 0 a true count of +1 or greater will indicate that the play decision should be based on the alternate strategy. Absence of a count index is not equivalent to 0. Decisions about insurance are also affected by true count. In fact, you can often tell if a player is a card counter if they ta e insurance on what might seem to be an irregular basis. An insurance count index (one value, normally a small positive number) is used in the same manner as the play count index. A ey aspect of any blac jac playing system is to modulate the bet size based on favorable or unfavorable conditions. The two authors referenced above have considerably different ways of determining what

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bet level should be used. Tulcea uses a true count based on different weight values for some of the cards, particularly tens and aces. Uston adjusts the true count based on the ace content of the unseen cards. Both methods are available in Blac Jac Strategy II with the use of one or the other as selected in the values menu when the simulation mode is being used. The calculation for Tulcea's method is just as with his true count (shown above) but with different weights for some of the cards. Number of dec s get into the system because the bet level index is different if 1, 2 or more than 2 dec s are unseen. This creates a small matrix which is included in the simulation data. Uston's formula for ace adjustment is a calculation based on the ace richness of the unseen half-dec s. Note that the Ace Rich Count is, however, calculated based on the number of seen half-dec s. Running Count + 3*(Ace Rich Count) Bet True Count = -----------------------------------Number of Unseen Half-dec s where; Ace Rich Count = 2*(Number of Seen Half-dec s) - (Number of Aces Seen) Ten different simulation data files are handled by the built-in strategy editor. By changing Option 28 in the main menu to "Y", the simulation file menu and strategy editor become available. Each simulation file contains the following items: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Point count weights for each card (10, J, K, Q are "tens") Adjusted point count weights for each card (Tulcea's bet system) Bet values ($) for the ten bet levels Bet index values for 1, 2 and 2+ unseen dec s for ten bet levels True count level at, or above, which insurance should be ta en Bet decision method to use, Ace Rich or Weight Adjustment Base decision strategy array (usually the basic strategy) Alternate decision strategy array Count index array.

8.1 SIMULATION FILES MENU When you have completed option changes on the main menu, and if Option 28 is set to "Y", the simulation files menu (shown in Figure 5) will be displayed. This menu is used to define the names of the simulation data files and results files as well as determine which files will be used in the present simulation run. The names of the files are stored as part of the OPTIONS.DTA file which includes data from the main menu. Selection of Item 23 returns to the main options menu in case

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any of those parameters need changing before starting the simulation run. *** Simulation Data Files *** 1. Simulate.001 2. Simulate.002 3. Simulate.003 4. Simulate.004 5. Simulate.005 6. Simulate.006 7. Simulate.007 8. Simulate.008 9. Simulate.009 10. Simulate.010 *** Results Data Files *** 11. Results.001 12. Results.002 13. Results.003 14. Results.004 15. Results.005 16. Results.006 17. Results.007 18. Results.008 19. Results.009 20. Results.010

21. Write deal data to results file N 22. Change play or bet strategy Y 23. Return to House Rules menu Strategies will be from the simulation file: Simulate.003 Results will be written to the data file: Results.005 Item to change or 0 for no change Figure 5. SIMULATION FILES MENU Each simulation file contains the additional data necessary to run the simulation in conjunction with the parameters set by the main options menu. When a simulation file item number (1 through 10) is chosen the player may enter a new file name or (if the name is o ay) just give a <carriage return> to indicate that is to be the active file for the present simulation run. A file with that name need not exist, the program will write the file using the basic strategy which can then be modified using the strategy editor. The last simulation file name selected before leaving the menu will be shown near the bottom of the screen and that file will be used in the simulation run. |Card Point Count Weights |Bet values and indices 10 Simulation Files |Insurance count level |Bet adjustment method |Base and alternate strategies |Count index array 10 Results Files |Time, Date, Name of Simulation File Used |House Rules, Card Point Count Weights |Hand-by-hand Data (optional) |Summary Data

Names for ten results files are also stored in the OPTIONS.DTA file. There is not necessarily any correspondence between simulation files (items 1 through 10) and results files (items 11 through 20). In

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fact, one could imagine many different results files being written for one set of strategies (simulation file) based on ma ing changes to parameters in the main options menu. Data will be written to the results file indicating the status of all odds-determining options. When a results file item is selected and a file is named (or <carriage return> given for name selection as above), if that file exists, an opportunity is given to allow writing over the existing file ("Y") or returning to the simulation menu without writing over the file ("N"). In the latter case it is necessary to select the item again and give a different name in order to not write over the existing file. Names of the simulation and results files to be used are indicated near the bottom of the screen. These names will be saved, if they are to be used in another run it will not be necessary to select the item numbers again. To edit the simulation data for the file selected, ma e sure item 22 shows a "Y". To return to the main options menu select item 23. 8.2 CARD WEIGHTS AND BETTING SELECTION There are three types of menus used to enter the data into one of the ten simulation files. (Remember, the simulation file was chosen in an earlier menu.) The first is the Values Menu where you enter card point count weights, betting information and the insurance level true count value. Next there are two Strategy Menus for entering strategy data; the first is for hard hands, the second is for soft hands and hands that can be split. For each of these two strategy menus, three sets of data may be displayed and modified; base strategy, alternate strategy and count index. This ma es a total of seven menus that may be accessed to enter the data for one strategy. VALUES MENU HARD HANDS BASE OTHER HANDS BASE HARD HANDS ALTERNATE OTHER HANDS ALTERNATE HARD HANDS INDEX OTHER HANDS INDEX

Figure 6. Chart of Strategy Menus Entering a carriage return cycles through "Values", "Hard Hands" and "Other Hands", that is, it moves vertically on the above chart. Entering "A", "B" or "I" changes to Alternate Strategy, Base Strategy, or Index, that is, moves horizontally through the chart of menus. The Values Menu allows you to enter the data that will be used in calculating point count, determining bet levels and deciding when to ta e insurance. Data areas of the menu are shown in Figure 7.

*** CARD WEIGHTS & BET MATRIX for Simulation File "Simulate.001" *** * CARD POINT WEIGHTS * Card A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Play 0 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 -1 -3 Bet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

True count level to ta e insurance = 3 Betting method = Ace Rich Adjusted True Count Figure 7. VALUES MENU Five data areas are available for modification; card point weights, bet size, bet index, true count level to ta e insurance, and betting method. Hit the <TAB> ey to cycle through the five areas, a data entry which can be modified will be highlighted. There are range limitations on the various types of data. These limitations and other available commands are shown in a highlight box at the bottom of the screen. Left/Right cursor eys are used to move between the columns of the data types that have multiple columns; card point weights and bet index. Up/Down cursor eys are used to change rows for the weight and bet data. Range limits are listed below. Card point weights: Bet size: Bet index: Insurance count level: -9 to +9 2 to 1000 -99 to +99 -99 to +99

8.3 STRATEGIES FOR SIMULATION Three sets of two menus are used to enter the strategy data that applies to the simulation. Use a carriage return to cycle between the "Hard Hands", "Other Hands" and "Values" menu. Use the appropriate letter "A", "B" or "I" to chose one of the three sets "Alternate", "Base" or "Index". The hard and other hands menus are essentially the upper and lower half of Figure 4. The index menu is a similar layout, however, index values are used instead of letters. Play of the game will commence when the <ESCape> ey is pressed in any of the simulation data menus. Whatever the status of the data at that time, it will be saved in the simulation file and used for play.

* BETTING MATRIX * Number of Unseen Bet Size 1 2 13 14 14 12 11 11 10 10 10 8 9 9 7 8 8 6 7 7 5 6 6 3 5 5 2 4 4 2 3 3

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Dec s 2+ 14 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Base and alternate strategies are determined by the character values in the database in the same manner as for the basic strategy text file described in Section 7. Use the cursor and tab ey to move around in the arrays. Cursors move one character, tab cycles between the groups of characters, two groups in the hard hands menu and four groups in the other hands menu. At each character location only "H", "S", "Y", "D" or "Q" may be entered. Upper or lower case is acceptable. In the index menu values between -99 and +99 may be entered. Entering a value of 100 or pressing the delete ey removes the value in which case the base strategy will always be used. A playing decision will be based on the alternate strategy in either of the following two cases: If the count index is positive and the true count is equal to or larger (more positive) than the count index, then the play decision is based on the alternate strategy. If the count index is negative and the true count is equal to smaller (more negative) than the count index, then the play decision is based on the alternate strategy. To eep a record of the strategies used or as an aid in entering the correct data, it is possible to print each of the strategies, for the simulation file being used, on the printer or save the data to a file. From the Values Menu select [P]rint or [F]ile. In the case of writing a file, a file name will be suggested, such as, SIM-3.DTA. A different name may be entered if desired, or enter <carriage return> to write the file with the suggested name. One of the things you will want to do when using a simulation is to chec that the program is doing what you expect. You can use the print out mentioned above, however, it is easier to use an on-screen display. There is a "tric " feature that will display the count index in the upper left hand corner of the screen. At the "action" prompt during manual play of a hand, press the <insert> ey. Starting with the play for the next player on the screen the count index will be shown. 8.4 RESULTS DATA Data gathered as a result of playing a number of hands is stored in the file specified by the options screens. If Item 28, use simulation data, in the main option menu (Figure 1) is set to "N", the basic strategy will be used and the results file will be RESULTS.DTA. In this case it is necessary to tell the program to write the data by selecting [F]ile at the data summary and exit options menu (Figure 3). Each time you reach this menu and write the file it will use the same name, therefore, overwriting the previous data. If you want to save the data from various runs in this non-simulation mode it will be necessary to change the file name from the DOS command line before ma ing another run. It is much more convenient to use the simulation mode.

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When simulation data is used (Item 28 in the main option menu is "Y") there are 10 different results file names that may be selected and the names may be changed from within the program. This is the preferred way to handle results data.

All results files contain three types of information: A header with time, date and strategy file name, House rules in a comma delimited format, and Financial results in a comma delimited format. In each case there is a comma delimited header indicating the meaning of each data item. House rules are in the order shown in the main options menu. Where the data is yes/no, a 1 = yes and 0 = no. If the simulation mode is being used point count weights are shown for A through K. The financial data is similar to that of the summary screen. As an option, the results file will contain data from each set of hands played. Data supplied is; Dealer up card, Player hand value, Hard or Soft for each Hand, and Each players holdings. Hand values are before play and holdings are after play. This comma delimited data can be used for a more detailed analysis of the game. 9.0 DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just li e commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial dis vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and poc etboo , whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system ma es fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-bac guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay

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for it.

10.0 DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "BLACKJACK STRATEGY II is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II." BLACKJACK STRATEGY II is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. Commercial users of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II must register and pay for their copies of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by con tacting J.P. Enterprises. Anyone distributing BLACKJACK STRATEGY II for any ind of remuneration must first contact J.P. Enterprises for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering BLACKJACK STRATEGY II immediately (However J.P. Enterprises must still be advised so that the distributor can be ept up-to-date with the latest version of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II.). You are encouraged to pass a copy of BLACKJACK STRATEGY II along to your friends for evaluation.

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11.0 REGISTRATION AND PRODUCT SUPPORT Support for this program will be provided on the Blac jac PowerSim board at www.blac jac forumonline.com . Please read the manual thoroughly before posting any questions. Basically, if I now the answer, it's in the manual! The programmer at J. P. Enterprises no longer actively supports this product. ETF

A.1 THE OBJECT OF THE GAME: The player attempts to beat the dealer by obtaining a total of cards equal to or less than 21, such that the player's total is higher than the dealer's. Note that the idea is to BEAT THE DEALER, not get as close as possible to 21. A.2 NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Generally the game has a dealer and one to

APPENDIX A. Basic Rules of Blac Jac

Blac Jac

Strategy II is copyright 1985 - 2005 by J. P. Enterprises

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seven players. Blac Jac -Strategy allows up to six players. A.3 NUMBER OF DECKS: One to six dec s are common. "Card counters" prefer a one dec game. A.4 VALUE OF CARDS: Each card has the same value as its spots except for the ace and picture cards. All 10s and picture cards are counted as 10. The ace can be valued as either 1 or 11, at the option of the player. A hand containing an ace that can be counted as 11 (that is, by counting the ace as 11, the hand does not exceed 21) is called a "soft" hand. All other hands are "hard" hands. A.5 THE DEAL: Each player is dealt two cards in sequence, one at a time, either face-up or face-down, depending on the rules of the house. The dealer's card that is face-up is referred to as the "up-card" and the value of this card is the ey piece of information used to determine the playing strategy. Additional cards to the players are dealt face-up, one at a time based on the players choices during the play. A.6 BLACKJACKS: If the first two cards dealt to a player are an ace and a ten-valued card, the player has a blac jac and receives one and one-half times his original bet. If the dealer has a blac jac and the player does not, the player loses the total of his original bet. If both the player and the dealer have a blac jac , the hand is a tie or a "push". In most casinos and in Blac Jac -Strategy, hands with a blac jac are settled immediately. A.7 HITTING OR STANDING: A player may draw as many cards as he wants, as long as his total does not exceed 21. "Hitting" is when a player as s for an additional card and "Standing" is when no additional cards are requested. A.8 BUSTING: If the player's cards exceed a total of 21, he has "busted" and loses the hand regardless of the dealer's total. If the dealer busts, all players who have not busted win the hand. A.9 TIES: If the player and the dealer have the same total, the hand is a tie or a "push". No money settlement ta es place. A.10 DEALER'S PLAY: The dealer must draw cards until he has a total of 17 or above. In some casinos the dealer may hit a soft 17 in others he must stand on any 17.

A.11 DOUBLING DOWN: In most casinos a player may double the amount of his bet after loo ing at his first two cards. He then receives

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only one additional card. Many casinos allow doubling only on totals of 10 or 11, some allow doubling on any hand. A.12 SPLITTING PAIRS: If the player's two cards are identical in value, the player may "split" them by betting an amount equal to his original bet on the second card. Each card is then played as a separate hand except that if aces are split, only one additional card is allowed on each ace. Some casinos allow splitting only once and some up to three times, for a total of four hands. Blac Jac -Strategy allows splitting two times (three hands) when there are five players or less in the game. With six players Blac Jac -Strategy only allows splitting once for each player. A.13 INSURANCE: If the dealer's upcard is an ace, the player may ma e a side bet called an insurance bet. The amount of the side bet may be as much as one-half of the original bet. If the dealer has a blac jac the casino will pay two to one on the insurance bet, therefor, the player loses his hand but wins on insurance and "brea s even" if he bet the maximum amount on the side bet. If the dealer does not have blac jac , the insurance bet is lost and the play of the hand continues. In Blac Jac -Strategy an insurance bet is always one-half of the original bet. (This is why only even numbers are allowed for bets, it the eeps numbers as integers.) A.14 SURRENDER: The player may surrender his original hand for one half of the bet. This action ta es place after the dealer has chec ed for a blac jac when your turn to play comes. APPENDIX B: Bibliography 1. R. Baldwin, W. Cantey, H. Maisel , and J. McDermott, "The Optimum Strategy in Blac jac ", Journal of the American Statistical Association, 51, 429-439, (1956).

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

L. Revere, The Revere Advanced Point Count Strategy, Paul Mann Publishing Co, Las Vegas, Nevada (1973). E.O. Thorp, Beat the Dealer, (2nd edition), Random House, New Yor (1966), also in paperbac Vintage Boo s, (1966). E.O. Thorp and W. Walden, "The Fundamental Theorem of Card Counting", International Journal of Game Theory, 2, 2, (1973).

K. Uston, Million Dollar Blac jac , SRS Enterprises Inc, Hollywood, California, (1981).

C. Ionescu Tulcea, A Boo Yor , (1982).

on Casino Blac jac , Poc et Boo s, New

2.

L. Revere, Playing Blac jac New Yor , (1973).

as a Business, Lyle Stuart, Inc.,