PICKS92 Copyright 1992 by Kevin Angley Pool Organizer for the 1992 NCAA Tournament Version 92-01 March 15, 1992 PICKS92 automates the task of running a pool for the 1992 basketball tournament. Now, before we go any farther, let me make it clear that this program is not to be used in conjunction with any gambling or wagering activity. This program is for matching wits against your friends to determine who is the best predictor of sports outcomes. Have a good time with it. PICKS92 makes a pool so easy to do .. you don't have to enter the teams (they are already there!), and entering picks and results is as painless as it can be! You can either enter everyone's picks yourself, or allow each player to create their own .PIX file containing their picks, which you can subsequently read into the master database. At any time you can get a report (either to the screen, to a file, or to a printer) of everyone's picks, the standings, and/or a review of the game results so far. QUICK START: Simply type PICKS92 to get started. A menu will appear in glorious NC State Wolfpack Red and White: PICKS92 for DOS - version 92-xxx Copyright 1992 by Kevin Angley Choose an option or hit escape key to exit: POOL MANAGEMENT: REPORTS: W) Modify weights G) Report Game Results I) Add a player interactively P) Report Pool Results F) Add players from PIX files A) Report All Picks in current directory R) Enter the results for round x PLAYER OPTIONS: C) Create a .PIX file of your picks ************************************************************************** POOL MANAGEMENT Options ************************************************************************** W) Modify weights By default, PICKS92 gives more credit for correct guesses in the later rounds. One point is awarded for each first round guess, two points for each second round guess, and so forth. If you prefer an alternate strategy, select this option and assign weights to each round. You can modify the weights at any time, and go back and forth between several scenarios even after the final round results are in. Of course, you should establish the official weights before your pool begins. I) Add a player interactively You can add players at any time, and you need not add them all in one sitting. For each player, PICKS92 will go through the 63 games asking you which that player has selected. A single keystroke is all it takes. After each round, you can verify that you have entered the data correctly. After all the rounds, you are asked if you want to go ahead and enter this player's data into the picks database. Note: Some deviants in pools select a winner in a subsequent round that they have eliminated in a previous round. No fair! PICKS92 will not let you do this, so be sure to establish this as a ground rule. F) Add players from PIX files in current directory This option processes all the PIX files that individual players have submitted. Put all the PIX files in the same directory with the PICKS92 program and database, taking care that the file names are unique, and then select this option. PIX files must be produced by PICKS92 option C. If there is something wrong with the file, you will be alerted and that player's picks will be skipped. This option searches for all PIX files in the current directory, processes them, and then deletes each one as it goes to make sure you don't accidentally add the same player to the database twice. You can add a player with this option at any time. R) Enter the results for round x This option appears until you have entered the results for all the rounds. You enter the results of each round as they are complete. For each game, you are given a choice to which you can response with a single keystroke. ************************************************************************** PLAYER Options ************************************************************************** C) Create a .PIX file of your picks This option allows an individual player to create a file of his personal picks which he or she can then deliver to you via floppy, etc. PICKS92 will go through the 63 games asking for your choice. A single keystroke is all it takes. After each round, you can verify that you have entered the data correctly. Follow the onscreen instructions. After exiting PICSK92, take your PIX file to the pool administrator. ************************************************************************** REPORTS ************************************************************************** G) Report Game Results P) Report Pool Results A) Report All Picks The report options can be run at any time once you start accumulating some data. You should publish pick sheets before the first game, so participants can check that their data are entered correctly. Publish standings along the way to make it more exciting. The report option that reports the game result has a cute feature. Instead of saying boring things like "NC State defeated UNC", etc., it uses all those sportscaster terms that mean the same thing, chosen at random. Feel free to add your own in file SYNONYMS.DAT - up to 256 phrases up to 24 characters in length. ************************************************************************** Have fun! Now for the really good part ... PICKS92 is shareware published by an author who believes we should get back to the roots of what shareware was intended to be - that is, a way of getting good programs distributed among peers in the PC world without the high costs and roadblocks of marketing, etc. In this author's opinion, shareware (well, all software for that matter) has gotten way too expensive. For that reason, registration of PICKS92 is a lousy $3. Yep, three bucks is all it takes for you to say smugly, "Yeah, I register my shareware". And .. you can go ahead and even it up at $5 and you will get next year's version - REGISTERED - when it is available (mailed first class the day the pairings are announced). So, go ahead ... print out REGISTER.TXT and send it in with $5. Make a statement for shareware. PICKS92 is fully functional for 1992's tournament. It will *not* work for any other field of teams, so you should register to make sure you are all set for next year. Technical support: For $3? Well, I'll give it my best shot. I can be reached on Compuserve at address 71555,525 or Internet mail at angley@raleng.mtc.com. If you do not have access to Compuserve, send a problem report (and a copy of your files) to: Kevin Angley 1016 Harvest Mill Court Raleigh, NC 27610-9734 I will respond ASAP by phone if you are a registered user. Even if you are not registered, I'd like to hear the bug reports. Thanks for using and registering PICKS92!