==============================================================================
Boris for
Blackjack Release 4.44 for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000(2K)/XP/XP2
ReadMe Notes:
All Editions -- Updated: April 13, 2006
========================================================
For more Information, upgrade Editions and pricing, go to:
joeblows1..com or borissoftware.borisbj21.com.
Table
of Contents
This document contains the following Sections:
Document
Overview and Software Registration
Boris for Blackjack - A Software Overview by Boris "himself".
System Requirements
Installing Boris from CD.
Installing Boris from the Website Download Page.
Boris for
Blackjack Release 4.44
=============================================================================
Document
Overview and Software Registration Number for Free Upgrades
This
Read Me file contains important product information on Boris for
Blackjack Release 4.4 for Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, Windows
2000 and XP (SP1 & SP2).
Casino
Gaming
Software
and our marketing-affiliates appreciate your interest in Boris'
Software products. We believe that there is no other Blackjack
software available that can compare with Boris' Comprehensive
Features and Accuracy.
As you shall see in the following Overview, you TRULY get what you pay for.
For free access to Boris' on-going upgrades, send e-mail to: upgrades@borisbj21.com to receive a registration code (if you don't already have one) and the URL of Boris' Download Page.
Boris
for Blackjack - A Software Overview by Boris Himself (Updated:
4-28-2005)
This
File brings you information regarding the latest release of the
Boris for Blackjack,
Casino Blackjack Simulation Software.
While the software Editions differ greatly in features, ALL Editions contain Boris' famous "Blackjack Engine". This "Engine" represents the MOST ACCURATE and most HIGHLY DETAILED Blackjack software simulation available to the gaming industry today. As you will soon discover, Release 4.44 takes the Boris Standard and moves it up a notch, keeping Boris light-years ahead of the competition.
Since 1991,
with Boris' Blackjack-Engine, you are guaranteed accurately simulated
shuffle and "wash" (card-preparation) procedures. Most
Blackjack computer software simply generates "random" cards
for the shuffle. Last I recall, that is NOT what is being done in ANY
casino. Random cards would be the equivalent of playing
"52-Pickup" 3 times for each shoe. Not only is this
ludicrous, more important, it is NOT ACCURATE.
Most Blackjack
players are not programmers; most programmers are NOT Blackjack
players. With Boris, you get both: expert Software Development and
the collaboration with many Blackjack experts and professional-level
players during the last 15 years. Thanks to this professional
influence, you will find Boris screen layouts (Blackjack Table,
Statistics and Casino Management) reflecting the REAL WORLD of
Blackjack. Everything you see on the screen is there for a reason;
the underlying reason being casino simulation accuracy.
While Boris may
not be as "pretty" as the competition, what good is
"glitter" if the "engine" running the software is
a Model T, or the software in general is archaic, inaccurate or
obsolete? Contrary to popular belief, there is more to beating
Blackjack than JUST Card-counting and Basic Strategy. ONLY Boris for
Blackjack provides you with the necessary software features &
capabilities enabling the study, of not only Card-counting and Basic
Strategy, but of other allegedly-winning Blackjack methods, such as Clump-Tracking,
Clump-counting, Shuffle-Tracking, Target and B.I.A.S; as well as the
ability to evaluate a bundle of different betting methods.
With
Boris for Blackjack,
possibly for the first time in Blackjack history, we have a practice
tool that can bring us closer to meeting our practice goals in a
shorter amount of time. While practicing with Boris, don't be
surprised to find that you LOSE much of the time (in comparison to
play against other Blackjack programs). This is because Boris
software simulations mimic Real-World-Conditions so closely. What you
see with Boris is most likely the "way" it will look in
that casino at that point in time (since the table opened).
I am reminded
of when I dealt Blackjack for an amusement company outside of
Cleveland. While I attempted trained all their dealers how to
properly "wash" and shuffle the cards (I got paid extra to
do so), they pretty much universally didn't give a damn, and did as
they pleased (one dealer even had the PLAYERS shuffling the cards).
My Blackjack table was the only one consistently dealing a
A.C./Vegas-style 6-Deck game; and, as a result, was the most
difficult to beat. Needless to say, there were always a line of
people waiting to give my table a shot, while the other tables were
often near empty.
People want the
REAL THING! (It sure sells a lot of cola...).
In keeping with
Boris' desire to be light-years ahead of all other Blackjack
Software, look for the ShuffleMaster's KING Shuffler and One-2-Six
Shuffler (I got the Patent Diagrams just in time for Boris' annual
April 1st Website GAG), as well as the long-awaited 2-Deck
Random-Ejection Shuffler to debut on Boris' Free Download Page in
this Summer.
It is my belief
that the KING Shufller MAY be Beatable thanks to a statistical
anomoly known as "latency of redistribtion". On this basis,
the 2-Deck REJ game may be even EASIER. With Boris, we will soon find
out. For more information about this read Chapter 9 of John May's Get
the Edge at
BLACKJACK.
With Release 4.44 online, I will immediately begin on Release 4.44a, to formally introduce the new "aBunchOfCards (aBOC) facility. Boris PRO+ Users will get the first implementation, allowing them to more carefully set up more precise Blind Simulations. Once aBOC is in place, Release 4.44a will bring us the KING Shuffler and the One-2-SIX (as they are conceptually similar), The 2-Dec REJ will appear in Boris 4.44b, this Summer.
Beating the
game of Blackjack is about ACCURACY. With
Boris for Blackjack,
you have the most ACCURATE Blackjack Simulation Software in
existence. Give it a whirl... Play it... Use it for PRACTICE,
PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE! Then, when you are ready, you can tackle
the live casino environment with a confidence you will not believe!
Write me and
tell me how you do at: play-reports@borisbj21.com.
You can submit Casino-Reports for inclusion in Boris at: casino-reports@borisbj21.com.
Boris
Ron Fitch for Boris - BorisOnBlackjack@BorisBJ21.Com.
System Requirements
An x-86
Processor (Pentium, Celeron, Xeon, etc. or their AMD equivalent) is required.
====================================================================================
Installing
Boris-for-Blackjack
CD Installation
Boris Installation CD's now come with the AutoRun facility enabled by default. Putting in the CD and closing the tray will automatically start the new BorisInstall.Exe program which will do some pre-Installation preparations and then fire-up Setup.Exe.
You can of course run the BorisInstall.Exe program directly from the CD itself.
(Note: If
you are going to install Boris in a disk location other than
C:\Program Files, the BorisInstall.Exe
program will be of no use to you at this time; simply invoke the
SETUP.Exe program directly by double-clicking on the Icon.
Installation
from Website Download
After downloading Boris from a website (such as Boris' D/L Page), unzip the .ZIP file into a temporary (installation) folder. If your Unzip program auto-invokes Setup.Exe, you MUST exit the Setup program and invoke the unzipped BorisInstall.Exe (See note above).
Please note:
As of Release 4,44, we no longer offer LITE Editions of Boris for
Blackjack on the Website; they are not needed. Even the Full version
of BorisPRO and PRO+ Editions are under 10 mb, making a 5.0+ mb LITE
Download somewhat superfluous.
The upside of this is that the new Release 4.4 Download page should be easier to navigate.
Installation
Considerations
Remember to shutdown all running applications BEFORE installing Boris for Blackjack Software. Because Boris for Blackjack uses a variety of ActiveX (.Ocx) controls, attempting installation while other applications are active may result in a number of Installation Warning messages, requiring your attention. When in doubt, simply restart Windows before Installing Boris for Blackjack.
If you already
have a copy of Boris installed, it is no longer necessary to
uninstall it first. The new BorisInstall.Exe
program will delete any Boris files that may be a conflict to the
current release. If you prefer, you to check the RENAME Option for
the folder, in case you wish to keep your .ENV and other Files.
BorisInstall.Exe
runs unattended invoking Setup.Exe
to install the Software.
If there is a failure at any point during the installation of Boris' Blackjack Software, the Setup.Exe facility will perform a complete uninstall of the software installation up to that point.
Under some Windows installations, there has been a version conflict with the file: EXPSRV.DLL. Because the most current version of this file is best left to the Operating System itself, as of Version 4.39f this file has been eliminated from Boris Installations.
Some software users have reported that the bottom of the Boris screen is cut off by the taskbar icons. In Version 5.X, look for Boris to sport a completely re-sizeable screen. In the meantime, we have determined that the best solution to this annoyance is to change the taskbar settings such that it is automatically hidden until you drag the mouse to the bottom of the screen; which pops it up. This affects a useful compromise, and, you might find that you actually PREFER it this way.
What's
New with Boris' Release 4.4
Boris for
Blackjack Release 4.44 represents a considerable amount of re-design
"under the hood" to improve the look and feel as well as
enhance the built-in Blind-Simulation facility (ADV and Higher
Editions). These enhancements have pervasive effects throughout the
software, setting the stage for the next level of development in
Boris, beginning with Release 4.44a [,b,c,d] and culminating in the
monumental Release 4.50 with full-chips betting (while maintaining
downward compatibility with Boris' current betting methods.
In Boris' 14
years of existence, I/We have learned of numerous different ways to
evaluate Blackjack Data. Boris has figured prominently in this
process. Now, many players are ask Boris to analyze Boris's Result-data
in a myriad of new/different ways. Boris' 4.44 Release (and its
updates) will move us incrementally in that direction; beginning with
the implementation of [aBOC]
and the KING
Shuffler
in Release 4.44a.
BorisInstaller.Exe sports new features
For sometime now, we have been utilizing BorisInstaller.Exe to effect a "pre-Install" before invoking Setup.Exe. Release 4.44 continues this trend to the point that BorisInstaller.Exe is now custom-linked to each Release.
If you should ever run BorisInstaller.Exe and it reports a different Release than what is reported on the Download Page or the CD, then something is seriously out of synch.
BorisInstaller.Exe for Release 4.44 comes to us with two new features:
a CheckBox
instructing BorisInstaller.Exe to Write a ShortCut Icon (for the
release about to be installed) on your computer's Desktop.
Boris' Opening Banner Screen
The Opening
Banner Screen has been enhanced with the addition of TWO Option
Buttons which appear during startup after Software Installation
allowing you to choose a preffered screen-size.
Once a Screen
Resolution is selected, after Clicking on [Begin
Boris],
the Option Buttons will disappear.
Boris' Container Screen
Boris' Container Screen (the Screen with Boris' face) has undergone some subtle, yet significant changes designed to get things ready for play in a much more succinct manner.
We can now load
Casino Descriptor Files (.CDF's) & Environment Files (.ENV's)
from the Container Screen BEFORE Entering the Blackjack Table.
1) invoke the Player Setup Screen (Ctrl-P)
2) invoke the
Casino Management Screen (Ctrl-R)
3) invoke the
Casino Information Screen (Shift+F5)
4) Display the F1, F2 & F3 Statistics
5) invoke the Cardviewer/Shoeviewer (PBJ, PRO & PRO+ Editions)
Boris' Blackjack Table has been completely revamped
Looking at the Blackjack Table Felt, you'll notice some significant changes in the look and feel aspect of the screen. These changes have been made to provide an even greater amount of realism in the Display Simulation. Noticeable changes include:
The table felt
has taken on a realistic brushed look. That is because the felt in
Boris was derived from DigiCam pictures of a real Blackjack felt,
enhanced electronically to give it a more "expensive"
feathered look. The new Table Bumper look not only looks great but
will give rise to a whole new set of buttons and information boxes at
the bottom of the screen (with a new POP-UP mechanism under test for
Boris' PRO+ Edition).
The Detailed Statistic Screens have all been re-evaluated and in many cases color-enhanced, in line with giving the stat delivery a more psychological-impact (Ex: Red means something bad/undesirable; Green represents something good/desirable).
Casino
Management Screen (Ctrl-R) and Player Setup Screen (Ctrl-P) have been
enhanced cosmetically
Internally, Boris has undergone some significant design changes, making the software more robust than ever. As a result, "software bloat" is quickly reducing, while Blind-Simulation speed is continuously improving.
Boris continues to leverage Microsoft's ActiveX Technology, rather than making the jump to the .NET platform. While .NET is useful for some applications, Boris's Software is better leveraged using the ActiveX Technology and Visual Basic 6.
==========================================================================
Boris for Blackjack Updates 4.44a -> 4.44d:
Upcoming Fixes and Enhancements
==========================================================================
Release 4.44a Update
Release 4.44a brings us the introduction of the "aBunchOfCards" Object (abbv. aBOC) in to Boris' Blackjack play Simulation. Until 4.44a, Boris has been using an array method to handle the cards; saving the shoes as .Cards files, which is nothing more than an aBOC written to disk. This of course allows us to snapshot a shoe and display it with the CardViewer and ShoeViewer Utilities.
We can of course also create .Cards Files with the DesignAShoe Facility, which until now were only usable via the CardViewer/ShoeViewer.
With Update
"A" the door is opened for new Shuffle Machine Variants;
specifically: KING Shuffler, One-2-SIX, 2-Deck REJ Shuffler and the
"PRO" Shuffler; not to mention the "STAR"
Shuffler, when I can get the SPECS on it.
Release
4.44b Update
Release 4.44b will bring us some new Stat Screens for Boris' PRO+ Edition.
The PRO+ Users have waited a long time for these screens, whether they know it or not.
A number of new operation enhancements will be made to the software which will benefit all Boris Editions. That way, everyone benefits.
Release
4.44 c&d
Release 4,44c is a bit hazy right now.
However Update-C will quickly come into view based on your submissions to Boris' "Wish List" (wishlists@borisbj21.com) along with influence from my ongoing Blackjack Research.
As has been the practice for 8 years now, there may or may not be the need for a "d" Update; altho we actually had one release go all the way up to a "g" update, as a flurry of little feature changes were made.
==========================================================================
Boris for Blackjack Releases 4.45 -> 4.50:
Upcoming Fixes and Enhancements
==========================================================================
Boris
Sound Tutor to be implemented
With Release 5, look for Boris' Sound Tutor Facility to appear. With the Sound-Tutor, Boris will be able to VERBALLY instruct you in the proper play and insurance decisions, as well as in the overall play of the game. To accommodate the people's different requirements, the Sound-Tutor will allow you to select from several degrees of sound tutoring.
Additional
Strategies Slated to be implemented - along with the new Strategy
Design Facility.
Look for additional strategies to appear under Version 4.50. Slated for inclusion is Knockout (K-O) Blackjack, Wong Hi-Lo, and Wong-Halves; amongst others.
========================================================================
=== Product Enhancements and BUG Fixes
=========================================================
Because this is a new Release, this section is nearly empty; lest one item:.
There MAY be a "memory leak" problem with live play. What this means is that Boris is allocating memory to display the cards and is not giving it back. Once in a rare while we have seen a program crash from this. The work around is very simple: every 30 minutes to an hour or so, simply save your play in a .ENV file and exit Boris via Ctrl-Q (Quick Exit); which "forces" Boris to give back the memory. You can then restart Boris, load your saved .ENV file and pick up here you left off. (Note: Only 2 users - one of which being me - has reported this problem; which may mean it is unique to these two computers and nothing more.)
If there are any other reported glitches they will be listed in the next ReadME File.
Carried over
from Boris 4.43 are:
The Helplist facility has been revamped considerably to look and feel more smooth. Unfortunately, there is an incompatibility with Microsoft's ActiveX technology, which occasionally puts a square of GREY on the screen. Pressing Ctrl-H TWICE, forces ActiveX to redraw that aspect of the screen, leaving everything as it should be - a nuisance, I agree; but at least a "solution". We are currently seeking a solution to this nuisance.