...........................................................................
:                   $$$  *P*A*T* *P*O*K*E*R*   $$$                        :
...........................................................................
			         v1.0

This is the first release of PAT POKER...

PAT POKER is a Five Card draw Video-Poker game I created using QBASIC.
Includes a Double or Nothing (HI-LO) feature, a Save Game feature, and
a Video Screen.

The PATPOKER.ZIP file should contain these 3 files:

PATPOKER.BAS    ---  The PAT POKER QBASIC file (actual game)
PATPOKER.TXT    ---  This Text file you're reading
PATPOKER.ICO    ---  An icon I created for running PAT POKER from Windows

===========================================================================

How to Play:

PAT POKER plays just like any poker game out there.  To load it up, run
QBASIC.EXE (it should be under C:\DOS) and press the 'File' menu.  Find
PATPOKER.BAS and double-click on it.  After it's loaded, press F5 to start
playing.

After it says "PAT POKER" on the screen press <ENTER> to deal the cards.
You should also notice where it says "COINS" in the top-right corner.  This
will keep track of how many coins you have.  It costs 1 coin for each game
you play and if you run out...GAME OVER!  After the cards have been dealt,
use the 1,2,3,4, & 5 keys to toggle the cards you want to hold on and off.

NOTE: If the red light is on, it means you are going to 'HOLD' that card.

When you're done selecting your cards, press 6 to draw the cards you didn't
want to hold.  After you recieve you're cards you'll find out it you won or
lost.  If you lost it will ask you if you want to play again.  If you won,
it will tell you what the win was and how many coins you will recieve.

You then have the choice to 'COLLECT' the coins you've won or you can press
your luck with the HI-LO feature.  HI-LO is a double or nothing option in
which you choose HI (cards 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace) or LO
(cards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).  After you choose, it will deal you a single
card.  If that card is between the limits of what you chose, it will double
the amount of coins you will win.  If the card isn't what you picked, you
won't win any coins.  You will have the option of doing HI-LO as many times
in a row as you want and it will keep doubling, but if you don't get the
right card, you won't win any coins!  When you're done, just choose COLLECT
to collect you're coins.

You can keep playing the game until you're bored or you run out of money!

The stats at the end of the game will tell you the following:

1). TOTAL GAMES PLAYED - this is the total number of games you have played.
    If you started a new game, it will start counting from 1.  If you have
    loaded a saved game, it will continue from however many games you played
    all the times before.

2). YOU CAME OUT x COINS - this tells you how you did that session.  If you
    have more tokens than you started the current session with, it will say
    "You came out (number) coins on top!".  If you have less tokens that
    what you started at the begining of the session it will say "You came
    out (number) coins under!".  And if you have the same amount you started
    with, it'll say "You came out even..."

===========================================================================

Winning Cards:


PAIR - Any 2 cards that have the same rank. the 2 cards must
       be Jacks or Higher (Jack, Queen, King)                       1 coin

2 PAIRS - Any 2 pairs, each with 2 of the same ranked cards.        2 coins

3 OF A KIND - Any 3 cards with the same rank.                       3 coins

FLUSH - all five cards with the same suit.                          4 coins

STRAIGHT - all five cards in sequential order.                      5 coins

FULL HOUSE - Any 3 cards with the same rank and the other 2 cards
             with the same rank.                                    6 coins

FOUR OF A KIND - Any 4 cards with the same rank                    10 coins

STRAIGHT FLUSH - all five cards in sequential order and all with
                 the same suit!                                    20 coins


===========================================================================

Alternate Controls:

If you don't like playing by using the keyboard (ex. pressing "C" to
collect, "H" for HI-LO, "Y" to deal again, etc.) you can play by using the
keypad.  The controls are as follows:

0 - Can be used to say "Yes" to deal again. You will have to press "N" to
    say "No" though --&-- also used to draw cards after you chose the
    cards to hold.

1-5 - Used for selecting holded cards.

6 - can also be used to draw cards after you chose the cards to hold.

7 - Chooses option on the left when there are two.
    (ex. "Collect" on the 'Collect or HI-LO' menu.)

8 - Chooses option on the right when there are two.
    (ex. "LO" on the 'HI or LO' menu."

==========================================================================

Saving & Loading a Game:

PAT POKER also features the option to save your game and continue later
with the number of coins you had before!  When you're done playing and
answer "N" to the 'Deal Again?' question, you will be asked if you want
to save you're game.  If you do, press "Y", if you don't press "N".
If you answer "Y", you will be asked to enter a filename.

NOTE: filename doesn't require an extension (.xxx).  Just enter whatever
      you want and keep it under 8 characters.

Whatever you type in for your filename, a file will be created in the
directory where PAT POKER is located.  The Save game feature will save the
amount of coins you played and a running total of the number of games
you have played overall.

When you load up PAT POKER you will have the option to press <ENTER> to
start a new game or you can press "L" to load a game.  When it tells you
to enter the filename to load, type in exactly what you typed in to save
you're game (doesn't matter if it's in all CAPS or not).  It should then
say "GAME LOADED".  If it says "FILE WAS NOT FOUND" then that means you
didn't type in the right name.  If you forget what the names of the games
you have saved are called, just check under File Manager.

===========================================================================

Running from Windows:

To run this game from windows, make an item with the following command line:

C:\DOS\QBASIC.EXE /RUN C:\DOS\PATPOKER.BAS

NOTE: This is assuming that QBASIC and the PATPOKER.BAS file is located in
      the C:\DOS directory

This command line will load QBASIC and automaticaly run the PATPOKER.BAS
file.  You can also use the PATPOKER.ICO icon I included with the .ZIP file.

===========================================================================

Stuff to Know:

* When you're playing PAT POKER, if you want to speed up the cards when they
  are dealt to you, press <ENTER> to automaticaly make the next card appear.
  (NOTE: this does not affect the card you will be given.)

* Whenever the game is just sitting there and it doesn't tell you what to do
  press <ENTER> to continue. Some examples of this are when you first start
  and it says PAT POKER on the video screen, after the video screen shows an
  animation, after it tells you how many games you played, etc.

* When you're done playing the game, by saying "No" to Deal Again you can
  get how many games you played and if you made money, lost money, or came
  out even.

===========================================================================

Requirements:

All you need to run this game is the following:

* VGA monitor (256 colors)
* Microsoft QBasic v1.1 (probably works with other versions, but I never
                         tried.)

===========================================================================

Questions, Comments?

If you want to say anything to me you can contact me at the following
e-mail adresses:

If you're on Compuserve:      74454,1421
If you're on anything else:   74454.1421@compuserve.com

***************************************************************************
YOU MAY DISTRIBUTE THIS GAME IN IT'S ORIGINAL .ZIP FILE.  YOU MAY NOT
DISTRIBUTE A .ZIP FILE YOU ALTERED IN ANY WAY.  THANK YOU!  :)
***************************************************************************

Have fun playing PAT POKER...
