                        MAIN MENU HELP INFORMATION
                       ----------------------------
                          BEST BET, Version 2
                       
                       SELECTING FUNCTIONS:

      To select a feature within Best Bet, select the menu
     item shown on the screen; for example, type a '3' to
     "Analyze Past Drawings".  To exit a function or to
     exit the program, any of the following keys may be
     used:
            'q'  (quit)
             9.   (exit code)
            Esc key
         
                        DEFAULT KEYS:

       When  a  prompt  is  shown with one  of  the  choices
     capitalized,  the capitalized choice is  the  "default"
     when only the 'Enter' key is pressed.  For example:
     
         More (Y/n)
     
      Since the "Y" is capitalized, it is the default action
     if  only the 'Enter' key is selected.  Similarly, if  a
     numeric  value is shown in brackets, such as <33>,  the
     value  is the default value (in this case, 33 is chosen
     if you just press 'Enter').
     
     
     
                        MAIN MENU FUNCTIONS:

     1.  Generate Playboard (Single play)
     
     Enter a '1' to generate a single set of 6 lottery numbers.
     
     You  will  be  first  prompted  to  select  the  number
     generation  method.   The first method  (automatic)  is
     used  to  let the computer select the numbers  for  you
     automatically.   This  method  requires  no  additional
     input or decisions on your part.
     
       With  the  "Computer-assisted" method,  you  and  the
     computer  select  the playboard (6  numbers)  together.
     The  computer  asks you some questions  about  how  you
     would  like to go about choosing your 6 numbers.  Then,
     it  generates  6 numbers for you.  You can  enter  your
     "lucky"  numbers, review the most-winning  numbers  and
     control the range of numbers to be drawn.
     
     
     2.  Generate Playslip (Plays A-E)
     
     Enter a '2' to generate an entire "playslip".
                              
       You  will  be  first prompted to  select  the  number
     generation  method.   The first method  (automatic)  is
     used  to  let the computer select the numbers  for  you
     automatically.   This  method  requires  no  additional
     input or decisions on your part.
     
     
       With  the  "Computer-assisted" method,  you  and  the
     computer  select  the playslip numbers  together.   The
     computer asks a number of questions about how you would
     like  to  go  about  choosing your numbers.   Then,  it
     generates  6  numbers  for each  of  the  playboards  A
     through E.  Each set of six numbers is chosen from  one
     of   the  5  simulated  lottery  machines  within   the
     computer.   Then, all 5 lottery machines are reset  and
     begin  immediately shuffling their simulated  ping-pong
     balls again.
     

     3.  Analyze Past Drawings, Enter New Drawings
     
     Analyze Past Drawings:

         This  unique feature of Best Bet software  provides
     you  with  the ability to use the computer to "analyze"
     past  lottery  drawings.  Various statistical  analysis
     reports  are  generated,  including  a  list  of  prior
     drawings'  winning  numbers, numbers  which  have  most
     often won, numbers which have least often won and  much
     more.
     
         You may select ALL or any number of the most recent
     drawings for analysis. Each drawing is listed, followed
     by calculated information about the drawing. At the end
     of  all  drawings  listed,  a  summary  of  statistical
     information about the selected drawings is shown.

     Enter New Drawings:

     Each time an actual drawing is held, you can enter  the
     new drawing actual information into Best Bet.  Drawings
     should be entered in the order that they actually occur
     (not  out  of  sequence).  To see what the most  recent
     drawing in the computer is first, select item (1) above
     , labelled "Show All Statistics".   Make  a note of the
     most  recent  drawing date shown.  Enter  all  drawings
     since that date.  Your lottery retailer can provide you
     with this information from their on-line lottery system
     if  you  need to update your drawing database for  more
     than  a  few  drawings,  or you can  order  an  updated
     drawing  database disk from Lotto Software (see  "About
     BEST BET, Ordering Upgrades" for more information).
     
     To   enter  a  drawing,  you  will  need  to  type   in
     (separately) the Month (mm), Day (dd) of the month, and
     Year (yy).  For example:

           07 <Enter>
           04 <Enter>
           93 <Enter>

     Next,  enter  each  of  the  six  (6)  winning  drawing
     numbers.   Enter  each number separately.,  then  press
     'Enter'  for  each number.  After all the numbers  have
     been  entered, you will be shown the date  and  numbers
     that  were entered.  If they are correct, then enter  a
     'y' to accept them.
     

     4.  Game Selection
     
         BEST BET began for the Texas Lotto, a pick 6 lottery.
     BEST BET is now supports virtually any lottery.  You can
     choose which "game", or lottery, to play.  BEST BET works
     with a given lottery game, one at a time.  You can freely
     switch between different lottery games.  For example, if
     you lived along the Texas-Louisiana border, you might 
     like to play both the Texas Pick 6 and the Louisiana 6
     lottos.  You can "Select a Game" to play at any time.
     Continuing the example, you might go on a trip to visit
     relatives that live in New England and take your notebook
     PC with you.  While in New England, there are many lottos
     to play.  You would simply ask BEST BET to switch over to
     the chosen lotto game while in New England, then switch
     back to the Louisiana/Texas lottos up return to home.

     Each "game" has a game definition.  A game definition is
     used to tell BEST BET how to play each particular lottery.
     The following game parameters must be provided to create
     a new game type for BEST BET:

       1) A description of the game (up to 32 characters),

       2) The smallest and largest numbers in the game,

       3) The number of balls selected from the lotto machine,

       4) Whether or not balls (numbers) can be duplicated; if
          more than one lottery machine is used to draw each
          ball, then some numbers can come up multiple times.

       5) The MSDOS file name of the text file which will be used
          to hold the game's history information; example:  mygame3.his

       6) The 8-character filename to be used to contain the above
          game parameters; example:  mygame3  (which results in an MSDOS
          file name of "mygame3.gam" being used.

     If you do not find a game definition which is suitable for your
     lottery, use the "Create a new game definition" feature and supply
     the above information to create your own custom lotto game for
     BEST BET to play.  If your lottery cannot be supported by BEST BET
     for some reason, please call us and let us know what we need to do
     to better support you.  Thank you.

     
     5.  Choose Your Own Preferences
     
         BEST BET lets you fine-tune the program's operation
     to  meet  your personal preferences.  For example,  you
     can  change  the screen colors to any of the  available
     foreground and background colors supported by BEST  BET
     and  your  color  monitor.  You  can  also  change  the
     "Thinking" prompt to FAST or NORMAL mode.
     

     6.  SMART-WHEEL(tm) Generates Lottery Wheels
     
          BEST  BET  provides  a  unique  function  for  the
     generation  of "wheels".  A wheel is a series  of  more
     than 6 numbers in all their possible combinations.  For
     example,  consider the following wheel of the  first  7
     numbers:
     
        Numbers to be wheeled:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
        Combinations of these numbers in a wheel: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

               1 2 3 4 5 6
               1 2 3 4 5 7
               1 2 3 4 6 7
               1 2 3 5 6 7
               1 2 4 5 6 7
               1 3 4 5 6 7
               2 3 4 5 6 7

     The  above  example demonstrates how a wheel can  cover
     all  of  the  possible  combinations  of  numbers.   Of
     course,  in  actual play, you would  choose  seven  (or
     more)  numbers  that would be wheeled.   The  resulting
     "wheel" would consist of your actual 7 numbers shown in
     the wheel.  For more details on additional features  of
     SMART-WHEEL,  select SMART-WHEEL,  then  select  "About
     SMART-WHEEL and wheels in general".

     
     7.  Computer searches for matching numbers
     
         This feature allows you to enter a set of 6 numbers
     and  let  the computer try to "hit" the series  of  six
     numbers  you  entered.  You can specify  a  "range"  of
     numbers in which the computer is to restrict its search
     pattern.  By  specifying a minimum and maximum  number,
     you control which numbers that the computer will use to
     build  its  set of 6 numbers.  You can also enter  your
     own   "lucky  numbers".   Note:   If  you  enter  lucky
     numbers,  they  MUST be the same as the 6  numbers  you
     entered above.
     
         The  whole  point of this feature  is  to  let  you
     experiment with specifying different criteria for  your
     searches and show you how many times the computer  must
     "pick" in order to find your 6 numbers.  You will  note
     that if you use a smaller range (for example, only  the
     numbers  in  the range of 10 to 45), the computer  will
     find  the correct 6 numbers more quickly.  It  is  also
     possible that the computer will not find the 6  numbers
     for a very long time.
     
     This feature is very time-consuming.  You can stop  the
     computer and its search at any time by pressing  a  key
     during the search.
     
     
     8.  About Best Bet
     
     This  section contains helpful and special  information
     about the BEST BET
     program, including:
     
        General Information about BEST BET
        How to Order BEST BET
        Periodic Upgrades of BEST BET
        BEST BET Is Not Shareware
        Software Licensing Agreement
    
    
    
     9.  Exit
     
    To exit the program back to MSDOS (also, 'q' and Esc).
    
    
                         PRINTING:

         BEST  BET  uses the built-in printing  features  of
     MSDOS.  MSDOS supports printing the current contents of
     the   display  screen  and  turning  printer  "logging"
     on/off.   If you encounter difficulties with  printing,
     make  sure that you are able to use MSDOS for  printing
     (or consult your MSDOS documentation).
     
        There are two ways to print with Best Bet:
     
         1)  Print  log of what shows on the screen  to  the
     printer.
     
     To  turn printer logging On, hold the "Ctrl" key  while
     pressing the "P" key once.  This turns printer  logging
     on.
     
         All program actions from that point onward will  be
     directed  to  the printer.  Note that if  your  printer
     hangs  up  for  some reason (such as when  the  printer
     buffer gets full, an out of paper or off-line condition
     ),  using  this option could slow or stop  the  program
     temporarily.   If  this  happens,  clear  the   printer
     problem and the program will continue.
     
     To  turn printer logging Off, hold the "Ctrl" key while
     pressing the "P" key once.  All program printer logging
     should now stop.
     
     You  may  use Ctrl-P to turn printer logging On/Off  as
     many times as you wish and at any point in the program.
     
     
        2) Print the current screen contents to the printer.
     
         To  print the current screen image to your printer,
     hold  the  "Shift"  key down while  at  the  same  time
     pressing  the  key marked "Print Screen"  (also  marked
     "PrtScr" or something similar on some keyboards).   The
     screen  contents will now be printed.  NOTE:   If  your
     printer requires a form-feed in order for it to eject a
     page  (as many laser jet printers do), you may need  to
     go  to  your  printer  and hit the "reset/continue"  or
     similar button.
     
     
