CV Blackjack Version 5 Announcement
This is the tenth major upgrade since CVBJ came out in 1993. As always,
an upgrade path is available. Please see the end of this page for upgrade
pricing and demo downloads. If you are not familiar with the previous
release, you should probably go to the CVBJ
Main Page.
Changes
Below you will find a list of the major changes in V5:
Error Handling
 New
error screen - Optionally, when you make a playing error, a screen will
pop up with detailed error information. From this screen, you can find
additional information about the play in question more easily than in
Version 4.
Cost
of Errors - Not only are your errors caught, but the cost of the errors
is estimated and tracked. This is done differently for Basic Strategy
players and card counters as the current count is taken into account in
the calculations. Errors are summed by type of decision and graphed in
a mini-chart on the error pop-up separately for playing the game and Flashcard
drills. The cost of errors is also kept by player hand and dealer upcard
and can be displayed along with the number of errors and strategy tables.
Dealer
Errors - An eighth dealer error type (failure to pay side bet) has been
added. Failure to detect such errors is very expensive. Also, additional
situations have been included for the other error types to increase the
number and situations of dealer errors that you must catch. Dealer errors
can be more expensive than playing errors and are an oft overlooked part
of your overall win rate.
Dealer
Error Screen and Costs - A new screen pops up when you make a dealer error
with additional info and the cost of dealer errors are now estimated.
A mini-chart of the total dealer errors by type is provided. Dealer and
Player error summaries can be summarized together.
Error
Logs - Error logs are kept and can be viewed for Flashcard drills and
play. Columns can be sorted and rows can be selected in several manners.
From the error log, you can click to view the specific error tables related
to that error.
Games
Custom
Bonuses - It has been a losing battle keeping up with all the new rules
and games by separately programming each one. Thus, the ability to create
new side bets and bonuses has been rewritten to provide far more flexibility.
The user can now create absurdly complex new side bets using standard
Windows options.
Game
library - A library of rules is now included to which the user can add
new games. This also makes it easier to quickly update CV with new side
bets. The library now includes: Over/Under 13, Double Exposure, Spanish
21, SuperFun 21, Royal Match, Bust Out, Lucky Ladies, Blackjack Switch,
21+3, Big Slick, Bonanza BJ, Dare any Pair, Field of Gold, High Tie Bonus,
Lucky Lucky, Match the Dealer, Pair Square, Perfect Pairs, Super 7s, and
Sweet 16. Many are new.
Specialty
Strategies - The side bet strategies screens have been replaced with a
new generalized side bet strategies screen. There exists far more flexibility
and the ability to store strategies in a new library.
Graphics
 Table
- The table graphics have been replaced with more realistic looking
felt tables.
Chips
- The chips have been replaced with nine new sets of realistic chip
graphics. Chips are rotated in different directions for added realism.
Screen
sizes - A seventh screen size is now supported. CV graphics are not stretched
as in normal games. Instead, different sets of graphics are used for different
screen sizes.
Discard
Trays - 319 new discard tray images have been included for the game and
drills. These provide substantially higher resolution and more styles.
Stats
Dynamic
Stats Window - A separate, fully configurable statistics window with mini-graphs
is provided for people with larger screens. This is particularly useful
on the new wide screen monitors. You select which statistics to display
and 0 to 4 charts can be displayed for bankroll, count and error tracking.
Drills
Flashcard
error screen - Optionally, the new playing error screen will pop up when
errors are made in the Flashcard drills. The clock will be paused so you
can examine the error in more detail. Errors are also included in the
error log and the number and cost of errors are summed and costs charted.
Progressive
Speed Drills - All drills now include an option to automatically increase
the speed each time you restart the drill during a session.
Discard
Tray Drills Count Range - You can now set the range of counts that will
be displayed in these drills to avoid wasting time on counts that are
of little concern.
Hand
value Drill - The 38th drill flashes hands and you enter the value of
the hand (e.g. Soft17, Hard15.) This is harder than it sounds at high
speed.
Side
Count Drills - The Counting and Full Table drills now support testing
of the new custom side bet strategies.
Random
hands in Full Table Drills - You can now set these drills to randomly
change the number of hands.
Useability
Bet
Bar - A fifth method of betting is available. View-Bet Bar will bring
up a bar with buttons for betting built from the current betting strategy.
The bar can be horizontal, vertical or any rectangle and moved anywhere
on or off of the table.
Bet
by Half Count - You can now create a betting strategy that varies bets,
number of hands and Wonging by half of a count. So, you can change your
bet at a true count of 1.5.
CVCX
Import - If you have the CVCX simulator/calculator, you can import an
optimized betting strategy created by CVCX.
Excel
Export - You can now export playing and error logs to Excel.
Printing
Support - The printing subsystem has been replaced to support browsing
of multi-page reports. Printing of strategy tables, error tables and cost
of errors tables can now be done in one report.
Mini-Speeds
control - You can pop-up a small set of speed controls to allow you to
fine-tune speeds while the game is playing.
Manual
- The manual has been expanded to 150 pages.
Miscellaneous
Discard
Double - The Discard Double rule is now supported.
Dealer's
Choice - With this option, rules, decks and penetration (and therefore
strategy) randomly change to keep you on your toes. You set the set of
games that you wish to practice. This function is available in both the
game and the Flashcard drills.
Insurance
- You can now set decimal Insurance indexes.
Et
cetera - Numerous minor improvements.
If you are interested in the additions to the previous version, see the
CVBJ V4 Announcement page for more info.
Demo
Downloads
Pricing
CVBJ price remains at $90. Upgrades from Version 4 are
$35 and are delivered on a CD. Anyone purchasing prior to that all the
way back to V1 in 1993 can purchase an upgrade for $45 that will include
a new CD and manual. See the Orders Page
for more info. Upgrades are at the end of the CV catalog.
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