User manual SAITEK PRO BRIDGE PROFESSOR

[. . . ] CONTENTS Welcome Table of Contents 1. 0 2. 0 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 3. 0 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 Introduction Operating Reference Installing the Batteries Display Keys Starting Up The Professor as Tutor Dealing Bidding Playing the Hand Hints 1 2 2 2 3 4 8 8 8 8 9 10 4. 0 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 5. 0 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 Additional Features Changing the Position Status of the Hand ­ View Info Review Bids, Review Play ­ History Seeing the Other Hands ­ View Hands Redealing Replaying a Hand ­ Fast Forward Sound Changing the Bidding System Technical Information Care and Maintenance Troubleshooting Guide Technical Specifications ENGLISH 11 11 11 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 17 1 ENGLISH 1. 0 INTRODUCTION The Pro Bridge Professor has been developed with the specific purpose of helping you to improve your bridge game. The computer program has been written in a way that allows you to concentrate on your bidding, or on playing out the contract, or you can play complete hands and cover both. You can begin from any one of 600 illustrative hands that you can specify, or you can let the computer choose one of the hands at random from its library. These have been specially designed to demonstrate particular points of skill and are divided into three groups for your convenience: 1-112 beginners, 113-512 intermediate, and 513 to 600 advanced. [. . . ] If you were part way through a hand, when you selected Stop, then when you switch On again, the computer will be ready for you to continue that hand. If you do not touch a key for about nine minutes, the computer will "beep" once and switch itself Off. This will preserve the batteries if you should accidentally leave the computer On. Once again, the computer will remember the situation, so to continue the hand, just press GO/STOP and continue from where you left off. 16 LCD ­ On the top of the computer behind the display is a rotary control which may be used to adjust contrast of the display. Increasing the contrast will cause a very slight increase in the consumption of battery power. However, in certain light conditions it will make the screen much easier to read. 3. 0 THE PROFESSOR AS TUTOR 3. 1 Dealing Initiate the deal when the display is alternately flashing "dEAL" and the abbreviated name of the bidding system. The computer memory contains a library of 600 hands and you may either select a specific hand that you know you want to practice, or you may let the computer choose one of the hands at random. To call for a specific hand enter the number of the hand (1 to 600), followed by ENTER. 8 2. 4 Starting up Having put the batteries in, starting the If you simply use the Enter key without first entering a number, the computer will choose a hand for you at random from the library, and display the chosen number in the center of the screen. At that moment it will also show which sides, if any, are vulnerable by displaying VULNER and the team name NS, or EW, or both in the center of the screen, just above North. South will be flashing to show your presently selected position, and this is your opportunity to change positions if you should wish to do so by pressing POSITION. Once you are ready to start bidding, press ENTER. 3. 2 Bidding As soon as Enter has been pressed, the computer will display your hand and bids for any positions which precede you in the bidding round. When it is your turn, your position will flash until you make your bid. Press the appropriate value key and suit key, for your bid, and the computer will then make bids for the other three players. However, if you attempt to play the incorrect card, because, for example, you press the wrong key or because it is not the most reliable way or common way to win the contract, the computer will sound the error tones and wait for you to play the correct card. The four played cards will remain visible for you 10 to study until you press ENTER to initiate the next round. The rounds proceed in this manner until all the cards have been played. The last round too will remain displayed until you press ENTER, at which point the tricks made, and the contract, will show alternately until the Enter key is pressed. A hand played without errors will result in the Victory tune being played and cards flashing around the LCD. RECALL CONTRACT PRESS ENTER VULNER EW SOUTH NT South as dealer, the contract is 3 NT RECALL PRESS TRICKS ENTER VULNER EW WEST SOUTH NORTH/SOUTH pair takes 9 tricks EAST/WEST pair takes 4 tricks Figure 3 Normally, if you have consecutive cards in a suit, it does not matter which card you play, because the computer utilizes an element of its program called the tranposition manager (for positions North and South only) to accept any of them as being the correct card. However, if you are playing a hand where the card you choose to play is a part of a signalling technique, this freedom is denied, and you must play the correct card in the pre-programmed sequence. [. . . ] If you wish to just practice playing out the cards, this is the way to skip the bidding process. 4. 7 Sound Sound is used as a part of the learning interaction and to help accurate use of the keys. 13 ENGLISH ENGLISH Whenever a key is pressed, there will be an audible response. For a valid key, the computer will acknowledge with a brief "beep". Where the key selection concludes a bid or a card play, if your choice is correct, you will hear a short high-pitched tune. [. . . ]