HE v1.1 - Texas Hold 'Em Poker California Style Copyright (c) Austin E Bryant, 1993 * Disclaimer 컴컴컴컴컴 THERE IS NO WARRANTY ON THE 'HE' PROGRAM OR THIS TEXTUAL MATERIAL, WHATSOEVER. YOU USE THEM STRICTLY AT YOUR OWN RISK. SKILLS LEARNED FROM THE USE OF THE PROGRAM OR TEXTUAL MATERIAL MAY, OR MAY NOT, BE TRANSFERABLE TO LIVE GAMES. * Shareware note 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 You may try out this software as long as necessary to become familiar with its features. At that time you must make a decision to register it, or stop using it. If you register, you will be sent the newest version available. That version will state "Compliments of 'your name' reg. # 'your no.'" If you share your registered copy with others, you will be sent $20 for each registration we receive under your registration #. If you know of a BBS or a shareware vendor who doesn't have a copy, you have a good opportunity to do us both some good. In addition, when you register, we will send you statistics showing the complete rankings of all possible hold 'em hole card pairs as potential winners. These rankings will be of considerable interest to serious hold 'em poker players. To register: 1. Send $39.95 (CA residents add sales tax), check or money order only, to: Austin E. Bryant Consulting 55 Springstowne Center #318 Vallejo, CA 94591 2. Include the reg.# from the copy you are using so that the person who shared with you can receive his distribution fee. 3. Include the mailing address where you want your copy and your distribution fees sent! Warning: If you are one of those who ought to register their use of this package, but fail to do so, the gods of chance will surely visit bad luck upon your poker playing. It's inevitable. * Packaging Note 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 The HE shareware package consists of 5 files: 1. HE.EXE - the hold 'em playing program. 2. HE.SCR - the opening screen containing the distributor's name and serial no, and the system menu. The HE program can not run if this file is not present. 3. HE.TXT - this manual. The program can be run without this information, for instance on a notebook computer without much file space. But it contains information that affects the useability of the program. 4. HE_TRAIN.EXE - a program to aid in the memorization of the groupings of the top hole card hands by winning potential. 5. HE_TABLE.TXT - a modifiable text file that contains the specific definition of the hole card hands groups. The trainer program can not run without this file. If you share HE, you must include copies of all of the above files. The file, HISTORY.SAV, need not be passed on, it is recreated every time a new game is begun. * Foreword - Why? 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� In April, 1992, my wife and I had to close our bicycle store because of excessively high rent, strong competition, and the recession. In June, 1992, I suffered a heart attack. The two events may have been connected. I think so. At any rate they were a combination that, along with my age, 58, the state of the econonmy, and 16 years of self-employment, made it difficult to find a job. My work experience included laborer, infantryman, newspaper truck driver, surveyor, main-frame programmer, programming supervisor, EDP manager, supervising EDP systems analyst, manager of customer services, architect-builder, truck owner-operator, programming consultant, house re-modeller, and bicycle store owner-operator. During my college years, I had managed to augment my scholarship, savings, and GI bill by playing poker. That was nearly 40 years ago. The dominant game then was 5 card draw, now it's Texas Hold 'em. So I started researching the subject. The resultant bibliography is at the end of this text. I began playing Texas Hold'em at Diamond Syl's Casino in Pacheco, California, relying on what I had read, and old memories. The books helped to keep me from embarrassing myself, and I was lucky enough to win a "best hand of the shift" the second time I played. But, I slowly went downhill. Then I started writing computer simulations to test the strategies from the books I was using. Mostly they were right, but some were slightly off. Some of the results of those simulations are included in the package to be sent to registered users of my program. Armed with my new statistics and using routines from my simulations, I began to develop a crude computer game for developing and polishing my skills. As I practiced on the computer game, I began improving my play on the real game in the card room. And, I have continued to improve the intelligence of the computer game. I think it's good enough now that many other players could benefit from using it. If they do, it seems fair that they would spend part of their winnings to help pay me for researching, designing and programming it. Try it a while, then let me know what you think. * Introduction 컴컴컴컴컴컴 The HE poker computer game is intended for everyone from beginners, who have never played before, to wannabe professionals. Successful professionals, and other experts, don't need it; but they might find it a lot of fun when they can't play in a live game. Texas Hold 'em poker is a game of skill. If you have, or can develop, better than average skill, your odds in playing hold 'em in a card room are far better than at gambling. It's been said that most of poker skill is the ability to "read" other players. And that's surely true. But without mastery of the odds and techniques of play, the most intuitive, sensitive "reader" has an uphill battle. Especially in a structured betting game, where the value of bluffing is minimized. (Structured betting is where bets are limited to pre-determined anmounts. This is in contrast to no limit, table stakes, where a player can bet all that he has on the table at any time.) Hold 'em poker can be played either structured or as no limit. The version played in this game is structured. The players simulated in the game are about equal in strength to typical players in a card room. No "immortals" are included to humiliate you. And remember, they are not as intuitive as even the weakest of real players. They do bluff however, and they can NOT be read except by logical inference. You can play HE strictly for fun, but it was written to be a tool for the improvement of the mechanical aspects of the game. In other words it can help you to improve your poker playing. But it can't do it all. In order to learn to read other players, you must also practice against other live players. If you are a novice, before you play for money for the first time, or again if you already have, memorize the Novice Guide for the First Two Cards. It's toward the end of the text. The program, he_train, was developed specifically to assist in the memorization of the card groupings. The place to put it all together is in the program, HE, which simulates an actual game. The books in the bibliography will also help you, but not as much as playing this game. * Poker of all kinds 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Poker is a family of card games involving chance and skill. The chance factor arises from the deal of the cards. The winning hand is the highest from the following list: Royal Flush : Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten of the same suit Straight Flush : Any 5 cards in sequence of the same suit Four of a Kind : 4 cards of the same rank Full House : 3 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another Flush : Any five cards of the same suit Straight : Any five cards in sequence Three of a Kind : 3 cards of the same rank Two Pairs : 2 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another One Pair : 2 cards of the same rank High Cards : Ranks of cards from highest to lowest The skill comes in the form of winning and/or not losing money. Given enough time, all players will receive approximately the same cards. But, the most skillful will wind up with the most money. Getting the money is what it's all about. All players win some hands and lose some hands. How much they win or lose compared to the other players in the game becomes more a function of skill, and less of chance, the longer they play. How much a player wins depends on how much he is able to get others to bet when he is going to win, and how often he is able to win pots when he doesn't have the best hand. His apparent bluffing, when he is not, encourages others to believe they can win. His apparent strength, when he is merely bluffing, encourages others to throw away winning hands. How much a player loses depends on how soon, and how accurately, he is able to determine that he can not win the hand by either of the above methods. In other words how little money he donates to pots some one else is going to win. * Texas Hold'em - General - Card Room Style 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� A hand is made up of the best five of seven cards. The seven cards consist of two cards dealt face down to each player and five cards dealt in the center of the table to everyone in common. The game is played by up to 11 players at one time. This makes it ideal for club or card room play. Only one table and only one dealer is required for 11 people. The card room takes its rake from the blinds and/or antes that must be posted before each deal. The amount and method varies among card rooms. The "dealer" is a card room employee who runs the game, and deals the cards. The "nominal dealer" is the player whose turn it would be to deal, if there were no professional dealer provided. A marker known as the "button" or "buck" is placed in front of the nominal dealer so that everyone can tell where the deal is. The marker is passed to the left at the end of each hand. There is a significant, positional advantage in being the dealer, you get to act last. A round of betting begins with the first player to the immediate left of the button and proceeds to the left. On the first round only, the betting is considered to be opened by the blinds, if there are any. A blind is a bet that a player must make before seeing any cards. Often, hold'em games require two blinds to be posted. The player to the nominal dealer's immediate left posts the small blind, and the player to his left posts the big blind. Another variation requires three blinds to be posted, the above two plus the player with the button. Players can not "check" on the first round. Because the blinds are considered opening bets, they must call, raise or drop. Usually blinds are "live," that is they get a chance to raise themselves, if there have been no intervening raises. * Texas Hold'em - General - A walk through 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Before any cards are dealt, the dealer determines that the blinds have been posted. The dealer deals two cards to each player, beginning with the player to the immediate left of the button. These are the "pocket" or "hole" cards. Then there is a round of betting beginning with the player to the immediate left of the blinds. Next the dealer deals 3 cards known as the "flop." These "common" cards are treated as part of everybody's hands. Betting on the flop begins with the first player to the left of the button. The fourth common card, known as the "turn" or "fourth street," is followed by another round of betting. The fifth common card, the "river" or "fifth street," is followed by the final round of betting and the showdown in which the dealer distributes the pot to the winner(s). Ties are frequent. The winner(s) is determined by the dealer based on the best 5 card hand from each player's 2 pocket cards combined with the 5 common cards. * Texas Hold'em - Diamond Syl's Casino, Pacheco, California 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Hold'em is played on at least 1 table, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Betting is structured, generally $3 and $6. Last winter there were two live blinds, $1 and $3. Now, June, 1993, there are three, $3, $1 and $3. There is a three raise maximum; except the number of raises is unlimited when just two players remain in a pot. On the first round, hole cards only, the betting is opened by the posting of the blinds before the cards are dealt. After the cards are dealt, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind, each player may drop, call or raise. To call is $3 plus the total of any previous raises. To raise is $6 plus the total of any previous raises. On the flop, the opening bet is $3 and raises are $6. The player to the left of the button, the little blind, begins the betting. Checking is allowed until someone makes an opening bet. On the turn, 4th street, and the river, 5th street, the betting is as above, except the amounts are doubled. Opening is $6 and raising $12. The house rakes the blind posted on the button. There is no ante. The best hand in each 4 hour period, at least aces full or better, is awarded a $100 prize. Separately, any royal flush except diamonds wins $500. A diamond royal flush receives $1000. (These rules seem to vary from time to time.) Traditionally, the dealer is immediately tipped by the winner of each pot, or prize. Breakfast, cooked to your order, and a buffet lunch are free to seated players. Hot, fresh brewed coffee is always available. And there is a bar for non-players, or those able to combine drinking and playing. Every morning, seven days a week, there is a bonus period. If you buy in between 8:00 and 8:30 AM, you receive $40 in chips for $20. Between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, you get $40 for $30. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. The second or third time you show up, you're a regular. At any given time nearly all the players are regulars. If you liked Cheers, you'll like Diamond Syl's. If you visit Diamond Syl's, tell them Austin sent you. * Texas Hold'em - This Computer Game 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 This game is patterned after the game played at Diamond Syl's. All of the names of the players are the names of real players encountered at the casino. But be warned, there is no connection between the way the games' players play and their real namesakes. Any apparent similarity is by pure chance. The real players are all excellent players, their names are used here to give a realistic flavor to the game. All of the simulated players are randomly set to either loose, medium or tight styles of play. Not so loose as to be foolish, nor so tight as to be "rocks." They all play "position," that is vary their play by where they are in the betting order. The players keep the same randomly assigned styles as long as a "new" game is not started. As long as you begin by "resuming" the old game, it and they will continue from their last position. Every time a new game is started, the players' styles are reset. At the casino a heavy brass puck, the button, is used to mark the position of the nominal dealer. The game uses the '$' symbol to mark the button, the '�' symbol to mark the little blind, and the the '' symbol to mark the big blind. In the game a 40 chip buy-in is recommended for you, and 300 for each of your opponents. This is because playing tight - aggressive pays off in the long run. And, because in the game you are allowed to re-buy while your opponents can not. The opportunity to re-buy occurs at the end of each hand, when you are asked the question: "(B)uy chips or Play Another? (Y)es, (N)o: Y" If you answer 'Y' or simply push Enter, another hand will be dealt, but first you will be given a chance to buy more chips, if you have less than 3. If you still don't have at least 3, the game will be ended. If you answer 'N' the game will be suspended, if you have 3 or more chips. Otherwise it will be ended. If you asnwer 'B' you will be given a chance to buy chips, before the next hand is dealt, no matter how many you already have. The game tells you the total chips you have bought when you are given a chance to re-buy. You can also find out any other time by HOLDING DOWN THE CONTROL KEY. No matter what you answer the game is ended if, after this question is processed or you have been given a chance to re-buy chips, you still don't have 3 chips. Another way the game can be ended is if more than 4 of your opponents bust out. The logic being that it takes at least 7 players to make a good game. The difference between a suspended game and an ended game is that a suspended game can be resumed exactly where you leave off. After an ended game you must start a new game. At the end of a game, the winner is announced. At the suspension of a game a leader is announced. Most of the questions asked by the game have default answers provided. To use the default answer, just press the ENTER key. Much of the time, however, the default answer is not the best answer. To change to the correct answer just type it in. The letter 'c' can stand for either "check" or "call," but there is no conflict. If you press a key in response to a question and there is no response from the game, either the response you have chosen is not one of the options, or you need to press an ENTER also, as in the case of no. of chips wanted. The computer makes a medium pitched beep when someone opens, and a higher pitched beep when someone raises. The game is set up to run by typing 'HE' at the dos prompt. But if you type 'HE P' at the prompt, special features that were included to aid in debugging the program will be invoked when the program is loaded. After each player's name (except Doc), 'L', 'M' or 'T' will be displayed. These are intended to reveal the players style as 'Loose,' 'Medium' or 'Tight.' In addition the players' hole cards will be displayed whenever the right hand shift button is pressed. These "peeking" features were left in the program, because they can be useful in understanding the behavior of the simulated players. Using them a lot will ruin the fun of playing the game, however. You can play the game with either two or three blinds. If you add an 'S' to the command line, as in HE PS or HE S, the game will provide for three blinds. If you leave off the 'S' there will be only two blinds. 'S' is used as the option-mnemonic for 'S'ummer rules. * Novice Guide for 1st 2 cards of 9 to 11 handed hold'em - 1/19/93 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Novice Guide - top 122 hole card hands, by winning potential: Group 1 pairs: AA, KK Group 2 pairs: QQ, JJ, TT suitd: A(K-Q) unstd: AK Group 3 pairs: 99, 88 suitd: A(J-7), K(Q-9), Q(J-T), JT unstd: A(Q-T), K(Q-J) Group 4 pairs: 77, 66, 55 suitd: A(6-2), K(8-3), Q(9-7), J(9-7), T(9-7), 9(8-7), 87 unstd: A(9-7), K(T-9), Q(J-T), JT Group 5 pairs: 44, 33, 22 suitd: K2, Q(6-2), J(6-2), T(6-5), 9(6-5), 8(6-5), 7(6-4), 6(5-4), 5(4-3), 43 unstd: A(6-2), K(8-7), Q(9-8), J(9-8), T(9-8), 98 Group 6 suitd: T(4-2), 9(4-2), 8(4-2), 7(3-2), 6(3-2), 52, 42, 32 unstd: 97, 87, 76 Novice Guide - How to play the hole card groups by position: Early - 1st 2 positions to left of big blind. 1. Play groups 1-3, often 4. 2. Nearly always raise with groups 1 & 2. 3. Raise often with group 3, sometimes with group 4. Middle - 3rd, 4th, 5th positions to left of big blind. 1. Play groups 1-4, 5 if unraised. 6 if lots of calls. 2. If no raise, raise with 1-3. 3. Almost always re-raise with 1-2, sometimes 3. Late - button and 1 position to right. 1. Play groups 1-4. 5 & 6 if no raises or if lots of players. 2. Raise if no one has raised. 3. Re-raise with 1-2. Blinds. 1. If no raises, play anything. Raise with 1-4. 2. Re-raise with 1-3. * Novice Guide - Playing in a Card Room 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Novice Guide - Short Bankroll: The above rules require enough money, about 100 times the minimum bet, to ride out a typical, temporary, bad run of luck. If you have a lot less, then in order to stay in the game, play as tight as the other players in the game will let you get away with. Only loosen up if you find the others dropping out too often against you, or you have built up your stake to an appropriate level. Novice Guide - Image: You can only win money if there are people willing to gamble with you. Be pleasant, congratulate others when they win. Never bellyache about your "bad luck." And, don't blame the dealer. Try to appear loose in your play by bluffing and getting caught. Make at least one foolish raise when you are sure to be called, e.g. there are at least 3 others in the pot at the showdown. But, ONCE IS ENOUGH, don't overdo this, your image will last a lot longer than your money. Once in a while, especially against good players, bet "on the come" or "semi-bluff." That is, occasionally, when you have a good drawing hand, either after the flop, or on the turn (after the 4th common card), bet as if you had already made the hand. Convince yourself, and then act accordingly. Sometimes, everyone will drop and you will be able to win without making your hand. Other times you will be called, but will make your hand on the next card. This will go a long way toward making you hard to read, and will help you build bigger pots when you really have already made your hand. Novice Guide - When to Fold 'em: As an initial guideline, don't call any bets on the Flop, unless you can beat the middle common card paired, or have a strong drawing hand. A strong drawing hand is 4 to a flush, 4 to a straight, or two overcards (cards higher than the highest common card.) But don't get too automatic about this. Presume that anyone who raises on the flop, or later, has two pairs or better, depending on the individual, unless you "know" that he is bluffing or betting on the come. Don't draw to an inside straight unless your potential winnings are at least 15 times what it will cost you to draw. The odds are about 11 to 1 against a successful 1 card draw, but you are going to lose or tie sometimes when the draw is successful. Novice Guide - When to Walk Away: If you've been playing 20 minutes or more, and you haven't spotted the chump(s) in the game. Get out, it's you. Never play for any length of time in a game when all the players are as good or better than you, unless you're willing to pay for the learning experience. If you have lost for eight sessions in a row, find another, easier game. You are being outplayed. Avoid wild games where two or more players are "cooperating" to build large pots when only one of them has good enough cards to justify raising. It is possible to win fast in such a game, but you can also lose fast. Skill is minimized. Never play when you "need" to win. Either financially or emotionally. You will almost always lose when you are desparate, it affects your judgement and intuition in a bad way. Similarly, never play when you are tired, angry or upset. At least take a break. Go outside, get some fresh air. Have a cup of coffee. Novice Guide - When to Run: Get out of the game immediately if you think someone is cheating. Don't make any accusations, or explanations, just leave. Novice Guide - Improving Your Skill: Pay attention to the play at all times, especially when you have dropped out of a hand. Try to understand how your opponents play different kinds of hands. The more you "instinctively" know what kind of hands your opponents have, the better you will play your own. At least classify each opponent as loose, average, or tight. If you do this "automatically" you'll have information available to color your guess about the contents of their hands when you need it. Be aware when any of your opponents is low on chips. Don't mistake a raise from someone who goes "all-in" as showing strength. They may just have decided that they don't have enough chips for the next hand without re-buying, and so are eliminating having to make any more decisions on this hand. Similarly don't ever try to bluff someone who is low on chips, they'll call for sure. They have little to lose. Some players use going "all-in" as a strategy, they can stay all the way to the showdown, without putting up many chips. They get the excitement without the risk. They don't win much either. Give your opponents credit for knowing what they are doing. You will face a lot of players more experienced than you are. Some will be professionals. And, even fools get just as many good hands as you do. So never assume your opponents don't have a reason when they raise. Call their raises only if you have a good hand, or if you "know" they are bluffing. Re-raise, if you have a super hand. Never show your hand when you fold. Almost never show your hand when you bet and everyone else folds. Except for those occasions when you have a weak hand and want to give the impression of loose play. Try not to show your hand when you call and are beaten. Return your cards to the dealer face down. The other players have the right to see your cards on a show down, but they have to ask. Pretend your hand is so bad you're embarrassed to show it. Don't check and call. If you have a weak hand, check and if someone bets, drop. If you have a hand worth calling a bet with, don't check, bet it. If you have a good hand and want to get two bets in the round, check and raise. If you are "under the gun," betting first, and you check with the intention of dropping if anyone bets, but nobody does; on the next round, bet, no matter what you have. This will pay off over time. Similarly, if you are last to act and everyone has checked to you, sometimes bet without regard to the contents of your hand. If you get raised, and your hand is weak, drop. You'll win more than you lose. But don't overdo this, some of the better players will take advantage of you with check raises when they have you beaten. Analyze the common cards on every hand. You should know what hands are possible or just one card short of being possible. For instance if 3 cards of one suit are present, a flush is possible. If 3 cards whose face values are not more than 4 apart, a straight is possible. Whenever a pair shows, a full house is possible. Whenever it seems like someone has caught on to your "style," look for a chance to take advantage of their "knowledge," by doing the unexpected. Practice, practice, practice. Play in real games as often as possible. When you can't play against people, play this game. Read poker books. (Bibliography below). Print out this guide. While playing this game, refer to the 1st 2 card rules, above, until your first two card play is automatic. Then vary it in real games so the other players can't be sure. Use the trainer program, below, to help you memorize the card groupings. If playing in real games, or reading books by professional card players, makes you feel anything you've read in this guide is off the mark, good! You're on your way to becoming a better player. * Novice Guide - Trainer for Card Groups 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 This program is intended to be used to assist in the memorization of the groupings of the top hole card pairings. It uses the file, "he_table.txt." The version of he_table.txt that is supplied is a copy of the groupings listed in the "Novice Guide - Top 122 hole card hands by winning potential" above. He_table.txt can be adjusted to your own particular preferences with a printable-character-only word processor. The rules are simple. "Group" must begin in the leftmost column, on the first line. A(K-T) represents AK, AQ, AJ, AT. Additional groups may be added, up to and including "Group 9." No more than 1000 bytes are allowed in the whole table. Each group must have a colon before any cards are listed for that group. Essentially, the game presents you with randomly sorted card pairs whose groups you are asked to identify. It keeps track of your mistakes until a deck of 52 cards has been exhausted. At the end of the deck those cards on which you made errors are presented again for review. A running score is kept on the screen to let you know how you are progressing. The score consists of your correct answers as a percentage of your total answers. There is a window on the screen that you can toggle open or shut. It is normally closed during the first presentation of the cards and automatically opened during the review. When it is opened the correct group definition is presented in its entirety. You can scroll other groups onto the screen with the page up/dn keys. * Poker Books - Bibliography 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 ACCORDING TO DOYLE, by Doyle Brunson, pub. Gambling Times Inc. (1984) Anecdotes about poker. The point of view of a top professional. BIG DEAL, by Anthony Holden, pub. Penguin Books (1990) His struggle to make it as a professional. Entertaining. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WINNING POKER, by A. H. Morehead, pub. Simon & Schuster (1967) Information and advice about poker. Nothing on Hold'em. GAMBLING IN PARADISE, pub. CardRoom DataBase Entreprises (1989) Geographical listing of card rooms in the West. HOLD 'EM - BOOK ONE, by Andy Nelson, pub. PokerBook Press (1991) Information for beginners. HOLD 'EM POKER FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS, by D. Sklansky & M. Malmuth, pub. David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth (1988) Information and advice for advanced players. This book has been a major influence on hold 'em, everywhere. MIKE CARO'S BOOK OF TELLS, by Mike Caro, pub. Gambling Times Inc. (1984) Information and lots of pictures on "tells." Excellent. SCARNE'S GUIDE TO MODERN POKER, by John Scarne, pub. Simon and Schuster (1980) Information and advice about poker, especially on avoiding being cheated. SUPER/SYSTEM, by Doyle Brunson, pub. B & G Publishing Co. (1989) THE book on playing modern poker. Expensive, but worth it. THE THEORY OF POKER, by David Sklansky, pub. David Sklansky (1992) Information about his poker theory. WINNING POKER FOR THE SERIOUS PLAYER, by Edwin Silberstang, pub. Cardoza Publishing (1992) Information and advice on playing modern poker.