CVBJ Version 4.0 Changes
Previous users can find a list of the major changes here:
Ø A new table format has been added with six seats and ultra-real graphics. Cards are dealt diagonally. This replaces the five-seat ultra-real format.
Ø Animation changes have been made that allow you to use any or all of the seats in the six and four seat ultra-real formats.
Ø Lucky Ladies and Blackjack Switch have been added to Unusual Games.
Ø The abilities to add strategies for Lucky Ladies, Royal Match and Red/Black have been added. Balanced and unbalanced counts are supported. The strategies may use the primary counting system or a side count. Errors are tracked and Cassie warns when you make an error.
Ø A method of specifying options to the unusual games has been added.
Ø Knock-Out Blackjack, KISS I and Mentor have been added. You can now specify counting systems where Tens do not count the same as face cards - required for KISS I.
Ø Three additional types of dealer errors have been added making seven. Your ability to notice these errors is tested. I believe this remains an important, overlooked area of practice.
Ø A new method of calculating True Counts has been added to the standard methods. This uses a table of cards remaining versus multipliers and/or divisors. This allows exact specification of a TC conversion technique and allows unusual divisors. For example, Mentor uses remaining double decks. And some people rationalize to 100 cards.
Ø And yet another method of TC calculation has been added. Here, a table of rounds and players can be used to specify a conversion factor based on rounds. This is commonly used in single deck games. A new remove discard tray option forces you to use this type of technique.
Ø True Edge betting has also been added with the ability to specify in detail how bets are calculated.
Ø Double Exposure strategies are now supported. These are quite a bit more complex as you need to look at both dealer cards. A DBX strategy has been included compliments of Mike Shackelford. Counting strategies are also supported.
Ø Hole-carding (seeing the dealer’s card) has been supported for 12 years. In V4, hole-card strategies are supported. These are more complex than double-exposure strategies since it matters which card is the upcard even though you see both. In fact three strategies are used: hole-carding with a high dealer upcard, hole carding with a low dealer upcard, and the strategy used when you don’t see the downcard. Your decisions are checked against all strategies, errors tracked and warnings provided by Cassie. Counting and indexes are also supported.
Ø CPU time has been significantly reduced to reduce heat, fan noise, electricity costs and battery usage.
Ø CV now contains a complex, user customizable technique for measuring the amount of heat your style of play may bring you in a casino. Preferential shuffling will take place should you generate too much heat.
Ø There is now greater control over the seats and other players. You can select annoying strategies for other players as a distraction. You can also set players to randomly change their playing styles.
Ø Hand Interaction strategies are now allowed. Here, you are given the ability to buy other player’s Splits and Doubles. Cassie will warn you when you make an error.
Ø Two new types of deck biases have been added. The problem with playing the game is that 95% of hands are easy. You really don’t make great use of your practice time. Biases force unusual conditions more often than would normally occur. Version 3 has high positive and negative counts and hands with many cards. Version 4 adds difficult hands and automatic repetition of hands that you have had trouble with in the past. So, the game adapts to your errors making better use of your time. A randomize bias is also available that periodically switches randomly between the five bias types to give you a real workout.
Ø As an added distraction, the randomize player speed feature has been changed. Now, other players are each assigned different playing speeds; as you would expect in a real casino. Periodically these speeds change. This is designed to throw your rhythm.
Ø Composition Dependant indexes can now be specified. Up to 400 per strategy. They are used in both the play and the drills.
Ø You can now specify Double Down for Less strategies. The card counter catching programs do not take note of whether you are doubling for the full amount or for less. Making a DD for Less bet when a DD is not the correct move is inexpensive and can throw the software. Cassie will warn you when you make a DDLess and it is not called for or vice-versa.
Ø Redouble, Triple Down, and the UK No 4,5,10 Split rules have been added.
Ø The Show Last Hand function now resets the discard tray and shoe graphics to their earlier states and provides the Running Count and True Count as of the previous hand.
Ø The new Show Last Error function resets the graphics and displays the error hand and dealer hand as of the last error. You can click on a button to see the strategy tables and the counts and modify the counting calculation options to see the effects of changes.
Ø A Repeat function has been added to the Full Table, Flashcard and Counting drills. This provides the ability to exactly repeat a drill that gave you problems.
Ø You can now set the number of hands in Full Table drills including the Backcounting two tables drill.
Ø A new Flashcards drill Count Down and Halt mode has been added to determine how many hands you can evaluate in a specified time.
Ø The Flashcard dills have long included an undocumented feature used by one of the famous teams. Gorilla Mode is now available in V4. In this mode, a Gorilla Player is tested on the correct times to look for a playing decision signal from a counting partner.
Ø A Blurred cards option literally makes the cards look as though you are wearing an incorrect prescription glasses. This is designed to improve your ability to play quickly and with distractions. This can be used in conjunction with the V3 No numbers on cards feature for additional difficulty.
Ø More Early Surrender indexes are supported.
Ø Many people alter their Wong-in and Wong-out points depending on deck depth. A new easy method of specifying different points is provided. This was possible in V3 but required use of the complex Multi-Betting strategies.
Ø You can now specify that Running Count is used for decisions with indexes that are zero.
Ø Every few years I redesign the drills to keep them from becoming to boring. This release I tried something new. ITests (Internet Tests) are a set of standardized, pre-configured drills. When you complete an ITest you will be able to see how your Rating compare to other people using the same ITest. The top 20 ratings for each ITest are kept on the Internet and can be downloaded and displayed at the touch of a button. At the same time, your rating and nickname will be added to the list if you are in the top 20.
Ø A 24 lesson tutorial in basic strategy and card counting has been included thanks to the Gamemaster.
Ø Two additional drills have been added to the Discard Tray Drills. These drills test your ability to convert Running Count to True Count.
Ø You can now alter Cassie's voice.
Ø Various other minor changes to enhance realism.
Ø NOTE: All tournament features have been removed from V4. A new Tournament Edition is under development that is a complete rewrite of tourny functionality. In the meantime, V4 includes a copy of V3 which can be used until this new application is released.
