ThreeCard 2.0b Copyright(c) 1999, Rose Software All Rights Reserved Introduction ------------ Thank you for trying ThreeCard. ThreeCard is a variation of stud poker, with three cards being used instead of five. This game is just starting to become popular in American casinos. By playing the game on your Pilot, you can quickly try a number of betting strategies, and perhaps you can learn to play better and win a few bucks next time you go to the casino. The initial bankroll provided by this program is $500. If you run out of money, you will need to register the program in order to be able to "buy" additional chips and continue playing the game. The registration fee is just $5.00. A small sum for all the enjoyment you will get from this game! For the latest version of this and other Pilot apps, visit the Rose Software web page at: http://www.rosesw.com How to Play ------------ The screen for the game is divided as follows: +---------------------------------------+ | Hint | | | | | | Dealer Card Area | +---------------------------------------+ | Player Card Area Betting | | Buttons | | | | | |----------+------+---------------------| | Bankroll |BetAmt| Play Buttons | +----------+------+---------------------+ The bet amount can be changed by selecting inside the BetAmt area. Valid bet amounts are $5 to $25 in increments of $5. ThreeCard is actually two games in one. In the first game, called PairPlus, you are only betting that you will get one pair or higher. You are not betting against the dealer with this hand. To play this game, press the "PairPlus" button in the Betting Buttons area of the screen. The PairPlus button toggles a chip icon that indicates whether you are playing this game or not. After selecting the PairPlus button (and/or the Ante button - see below), press the "Deal" button in the Play Buttons area to start the game. If you get a pair or better with your three cards, you will be paid according to the following payout odds: One pair: 1:1 Flush: 4:1 Straight: 6:1 Three of kind: 30:1 Straight flush: 40:1 In the second game, referred to in this document as Ante/Play, you are betting that you will beat the dealer. To play this game, press the "Ante" button in the Betting Buttons area of the screen. This button toggles a chip icon that indicates whether you are playing this game or not. After the deal, you will need to back up your Ante bet with a Play bet if you wish to stay in the game. A Play bet is made by pressing the "Play" button in the Betting Buttons area of the screen. The dealer only plays with a Queen high or better. If the dealer does not have at least a Queen high, there is a push on the Play bet, and you win the Ante bet 1:1. If the dealer does play, and your hand is higher than the dealer's hand, you are paid 1:1 on both the Ante bet and the Play bet. The hand rankings are slightly different for three card poker than they are for five card. The hands in increasing order are: No Pair (high card) One Pair Flush Straight Three of a Kind Straight Flush There is also an additional payout called the AnteBonus payout that is paid on certain hands in the Ante/Play game. This payout is made regardless of whether the dealer plays or whether the player's hand beats the dealer's hand. The AnteBonus payouts are as follows: Straight 1:1 Three of Kind: 4:1 Straight Flush: 5:1 One final note about the Ante/Play game: Since the dealer only plays with a Queen high or better, it is generally the best strategy for the player to play only with a Queen high or better. You can play either the PairPlus game or the Ante/Play game, or both. The Hint button in the upper right corner of the screen displays a window that provides the probabilities of various dealer hands occurring. It also calculates the player's probability of winning based on the player's hand and the dealer hand probabilities. If the probability of a player win is greater than 50 percent, then a "Play" recommendation is made. Otherwise, a "Drop" recommendation is made. NOTE: The probabilities are in the range of 0 to 1.0, where 1.0 represents 100 percent probability of winning. Menu Buttons ------------ The following menu buttons are available: Statistics - View buy-in amount, winnings, and hand statistics. Buy Chips 500 - Buy an additional $500 in chips. Cash in Chips 500 - Cash-in $500 in chips. Instructions - Game play instructions. Payouts - Display payout amounts for each poker hand. About ThreeCard - Gives version number and other info. Register - Gives address to send registration fee and contains input field for registration code. ------------ Registration ------------ To register by mail, please send a check or money order for $5(US). Make check payable to Rose Software, and write "CaribStud" on the check. Please include your email address so that we can send you a registration code. Your registration code will then need to be entered via the Register option in the pulldown menu in order to activate the ability to purchase additional chips and to be able to reset the statistics. Your inclusion of an e-mail address also allows me to notify you of updates and future products. If you would not like this automatic notification, please let me know. Your e-mail address will never be given or sold to any other parties. $5.00 is a small sum for the amount of enjoyment this game will provide. That's only one bet at a casino, and it lasts lots longer. Mail to: Rose Software 7022 Circleview Drive St. Louis, MO 63123 You may also register on-line by credit card. To pay by credit card, please visit our web site at: http://www.rosesw.com Installation ------------- Install ThreeCard.prc using instapp.exe. instapp.exe can be found in your pilot directory. (ex.c:\pilot\instapp.exe) Alternately, this application can be installed via the Palm Desktop application. Go to the "Install" Icon under Palm Desktop, and then click "Add...". This will bring up a browse window which you can use to find ThreeCard.prc. Select ThreeCard.prc, and the next time you do a HotSync, the application will be transferred to your Palm Pilot. Revision History ---------------- 1.0 - Initial Release Features - Basic game operation - Adjustable ante amount - Auto pop-up when amount in bankroll can not cover bet - Game statistics, including - Buy-in and winnings - Hand statistics - Reset feature for statistics - Buy additional chips or cash chips in - Online instructions - Payout amounts - Game state maintained when you switch apps 2.0 - Color Release with Hint Feature - Added support for color devices - Improved user interface - Improved presentation of hand statistics - Hint feature, for displaying player win probability 2.0b - Minor bugfix release - Fixed bug in which ace-low straight not reported properly Legal Stuff ---------------- Rose Software is not responsible for lost data. We have tested the apps thoroughly; however, you are responsible for assuring that your pilot system has been properly backed up in case any software causes your pilot to fail. Bug Reporting ------------- In the very unlikely event of a bug, if you are the first registered user to report the bug, you are entitled to a refund of your registration fee, as well as a free registration for any of our other products. Please report any bugs or program suggestions to: support@rosesw.com Copyright(c) 1999-2001, Rose Software All Rights Reserved