CFSPoker - A fully-functional Video Poker program for OS/2
(c) 1995-96 by C F S Nevada, Inc. 

Beta distribution notes (96/04/26 - 0.426)
------------------------------------------

     Questions and problem reports should be directed to Dick Goran at:

     1-800-864-2358      US & Canada
     1-702-732-9616      Other locations
     1-702-732-3847      FAX
     71154,2002          CompuServe
     dgoran@cfsrexx.com  Internet


Introduction

     While the idea of video poker games for personal computers is
neither new nor unique, CFSPoker is different both in its design and
operation. The following describes some of the features of the program
that set it apart from previously available programs.


What is CFSPoker?

     CFSPoker is a commercial quality computer software program.
CFSPoker presentation and operation resembles the current, generally
available, International Game Technology and Sigma Games video games.

     CFSPoker is fully configurable by the player. Many of the options
are summarized below. Full details are contained in the CFSPoker.INF
file which can be viewed from within the game or by double-clicking on
the CFSPoker.INF file icon in the CFSPoker directory.

  Game selection

     There are multiple variations of the three basic types of video
     poker: Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, and Deuces Wild, distributed
     with CFSPoker. In addition, you can configure your own variations
     of the game.

  Context sensitive Help

     The Help information is available while you are playing CFSPoker.
     If you have a question, just set the focus to the object that you
     want help for and press <F1>.

     You can select Help & Info from the menu bar and then select Help
     getting started to launch the OS/2 Information Presentation
     Facility (IPF) VIEW program. From there, you can select Contents to
     see the Table of Contents for this document or Index to view a
     sorted index of the contents of this document.

  Audio enabled

     If your computer has a sound card, CFSPoker will optionally use it
     to play sound files for winning hands.

  Redisplaying hands

     If you've ever played a video poker machine, you might have wanted
     to look back at the cards that were dealt to you before you played
     the hand or to look at the cards in some hand besides the current
     hand. Only casino employees can do that with a video poker machine.
     With CFSPoker you can redisplay the hands from the current session
     (hands since the game was launched), and optionally for all the
     hands you have played that exist in the log file.

  Customized card backs

     You can personalize CFSPoker with card back images of your choice.

  Statistics

     Curious about the number of hands you've won or lost, how many
     hands per hour you are playing? These figures are available from
     the statistical display facility either when you terminate the
     session or on demand.

  Log file

     If you enable the log file facility, every hand you play is
     captured. This information is available in a form that allows you
     to analyze it, crunch it, or manipulate it any way you choose.

  Color

     The background color of the game window can be set to any of 16
     colors.

  Credits

     There are numerous options which control the way that credits are
     handled by CFSPoker. Unlike a video poker machine which requires
     that you buy more credits when your balance reaches zero, CFSPoker
     allows your credit meter to go minus if you are behind and plus if
     you are ahead (which hopefully will most often be the case). The
     credit-related options include:

     o    Whether credits are preserved, game-to-game.
     o    Whether credits are preserved, session-to-session.
     o    The ability to reset your current credits on demand.

  Deal speed

     If you have played video poker machines, you probably noticed that
     some machines can take forever to deal a hand, while others appear
     to flash all five cards on the screen at once. The deal speed
     option can be set on these machines by the casino. Unfortunately,
     there is rarely any consistency amongst the machines in the same
     casino.

     You can set the deal speed on CFSPoker to a level that you are
     comfortable with - from clunk, clunk, clunk to the non-delay speed
     preferred by experienced players.

     The program is being released as a beta test for evaluation
purposes. Each copy contains an expiration date which is clearly visible
in the program window title bar. Support and assistance can be addressed
to C F S Nevada, Inc. via E-mail to dgoran@cfsrexx.com or within the US
and Canada at 1-800-864-2358 or +1-702-732-9616.

     Following the beta test period (only limited by expiration date),
CFSPoker will be available from electronic repositories, including
anonymous FTP from C F S Nevada, Inc.'s Web server and FTP server as a
locked demo. The program will be distributed with a number of video
poker credits (as yet undetermined). After you have exhausted the
credits, the game will lock and must be registered with
C F S Nevada, Inc. An electronic key to unlock the game will be
available for a planned suggested retail price of 34.95 USD. Keys will
be available via postal mail, FAX, and secure electronic mail.
Registration will allow future unrestricted use of the game.

Installation

     The installation facility will be upgraded in a subsequent release.
For now, simply unzip CFSPoker.ZIP into a user selected directory
(CFSPoker recommended) and run INSTALL.CMD from an OS/2 command line.
The unzipped file size is approximately 7 MB. An OS/2 version of UNZIP
must be used.

     INSTALL.CMD will build a program object for CFSPoker on your
Desktop. The CFSPoker program object may be moved to a location of your
choice. REXXLIB (1.32 - Quercus Systems) and VROBJ.DLL (2.1d - Watcom
International Corp.) are included in the ZIP file. These DLLs may be
left in the CFSPoker directory or moved to a library of your choice that
is included in your LIBPATH statement.

     The install program will open the soft-copy documentation to its
beginning after the Desktop object is created.


Hardware / software requirements

     CFSPoker is an OS/2 program written in VX-REXX and it will run on
any OS/2 2.1 or OS/2 Warp system. The program requires the Watcom VX-
REXX run-time module, VROBJ.DLL, along with Quercus Systems REXXLIB.
Unless you are a licensed REXXLIB user, the copy of REXXLIB included
with CFSPoker may not be used for other purposes without permission of
Quercus Systems.

     CFSPoker will utilize any MMPM/2 supported sound card if the MMPM
option in CFSPoker is not turned off by the user.


Documentation

     CFSPoker is distributed with both an .INF and .HLP file which
provide the same detailed information about CFSPoker and video poker in
general, including how to calculate the best way to play a hand. The
.INF file is viewed with the OS/2 Information Presentation Facility VIEW
program and the .HLP file provides immediate access to the same
information while you are playing the game. The following items are
covered in the soft-copy documentation:

     Welcome
     Getting started
     What is video poker
     Types of video poker
     Introduction to CFSPoker
          Features & Options
          CFSPoker Program Updates
          CFSPoker as an Information Resource
     How to play CFSPoker
          Game window layout
          Playing a hand
     Creating your own variations of CFSPoker
          CFSGames.CMD program
          CFSPoker.GAM file
               Game name line
               Game detail line
               Wild card line
     Additional Information About CFSPoker
          Hardware
          Software
          Creating your own card back bitmaps
     Glossary - Terms and Definitions

The glossary contains over 60 definitions and descriptions of CFSPoker
and video poker information. This same documentation is also available
on the CFSPoker World Wide Web site at http://www.cfsrexx.com/CFSPoker
(case specific).