Category : A Collection of Games for DOS and Windows
Archive   : PFPCK6.ZIP
Filename : PFPICKS6.DOC

PRO Football Picks (tm)
_______________________

























ALC Software
_______________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS


License Agreement / Warranty / Credits ....................... 1

Getting Started
A. Using PRO Football Picks ............................... 2
B. General Instructions ................................... 2
C. Installing PRO Football Picks .......................... 3
D. Team Names ............................................. 4
E. Online Help System ..................................... 4
F. Pull-down Menus ........................................ 4
G. Using A Mouse .......................................... 4
H. Rule Changes In 1994 ................................... 5

Main Menu Sections ........................................... 5

Data Section ................................................. 5
A. Data Entry ............................................. 5
B. Missing Data ........................................... 7
C. Team Schedules ......................................... 7
D. Turnovers .............................................. 8
E. View Database .......................................... 8
F. Import Data ............................................ 8

Prediction Section ........................................... 9
A. Game Data To Be Entered ................................ 9
B. PFP Analysis Screen .................................... 10
C. Placing A Bet .......................................... 11
D. Post-Season Game Selections ............................ 11

Reports Section .............................................. 11
A. Current Week's Bets Report ............................. 12
B. Current Week's Picks Report ............................ 12
C. Year To Date Bets Report ............................... 12

Settings Section ............................................. 13
A. Date Of Games .......................................... 13
B. Vigorish ............................................... 13
C. Home Field Advantage ................................... 14
D. Previous Games Used .................................... 14
E. Last Year's Stats ...................................... 14
F. Delete Import File ..................................... 15
E. Screen Colors .......................................... 15
F. Current Settings ....................................... 15

Misc Section ................................................. 15
A. Calculator ............................................. 15
B. Calendar ............................................... 16
C. DOS Access ............................................. 16

Technical Support, Comments & Questions ...................... 17

Benefits Of Registering ...................................... 17

Appendix A: Error Messages / Trouble Shooting
Appendix B: Planned Future Enhancements
Appendix C: Registration Information
Appendix D: Registration Form


LICENSE AGREEMENT

PRO Football Picks(tm) (PFP) v6.0 is Copyright (C) 1994 by ALC Software, ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE.

PRO Football Picks (tm) is NEITHER public domain software NOR free software.

Non-registered users are granted a limited license to use PRO Football Picks
(tm) on a trial basis to determine whether PRO Football Picks (tm) will meet
their needs. Any further use of PRO Football Picks (tm) requires
registration. Use of non-registered copies of PRO Football Picks (tm) by
any person, business, or corporation or other entity is strictly forbidden.


The following rules also apply:

No user may modify PRO Football Picks (tm) or its related data files in
any way.

PRO Football Picks (tm) must be copied in unmodified form, complete with
this license, VENDOR.DOC file and this documentation file.

PRO Football Picks (tm) may not be listed in advertisements, catalogs,
or in any other manner which describes it as "FREE SOFTWARE". Shareware
is "Try-Before-You-Buy" software, it is not free.

PRO Football Picks (tm) is not to be "rented" or leased.

No fee (greater than $9.00), charge or other compensation may be
received for the distribution.

PRO Football Picks (tm) may not be distributed with any other product
without the express written consent of ALC Software.



WARRANTY

THE AUTHOR SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO DEFECTS IN THE DISKETTE AND
DOCUMENTATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF
PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE
BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.



CREDITS

Technical Guidance: Michael Callahan, Frank Genese, David Hamel
Documentation: Sandy La Chant, Matthew Lobman
This manual on disk was created using the BOXER Text Editor.
Trademarks: MS-DOS, DOS and Microsoft are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe Incorporated.


- 1 -

USING PRO FOOTBALL PICKS (tm)

PRO Football Picks (PFP) - Version 6.0 was designed to be used purely for
entertainment purposes and not with the intent to aid in breaking of any
local, state or federal laws. The authors do love the game of football and
hope you enjoy using the program.

Files Included with PRO Football Picks (tm) - Version 6.0:


INSTALL.EXE Installation Program For PRO Football Picks v6.0.

* PFPICKS6.EXE The PRO Football Picks main program Version 6.0.
This is the non-registered (Shareware) version.

* SCHED94P.DAT All current year data for teams is stored in this
file, including the schedule for the 1994 season.

* PFP1993.DAT Includes the game scores, spreads and all pertinent
final statistics for the 1993 football season.

PFP.TXT Help information used for on-line help screens.

* PFP.IDX Help index file.

* TEAMS.DAT Team Data File

* PFP-OPN.DAT Screen data file.

* POST94.DAT Post-Season data file.

PFPICKS6.DOC PRO Football Picks documentation. (This file!)

VENDOR.DOC Vendor Distribution Rules in ASCII format.

ORDER.FRM Registration Form In ASCII format.


To run PFP, the above seven files marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
These files, as well as the others, are copied either to the disk or
directory specified when the install program is run. The files:
PICKS94P.DAT, BETS94P.DAT and CONFIG.DAT are created by PFP as needed.
These files contain PFP's pick information, the users bet information and
the PFP's configuration information.


GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

PRO Football Picks(tm) (PFP) is a Professional Football Handicapping
program. The program will provide statistically determined picks and track
your hypothetical bets. It is NOT designed to break any Federal, State or
Local laws. Any reference to bets are assumed to be hypothetical unless the
user is able to place bets legally. Use of PFP constitutes your acceptance
of the License Agreement and Warranty outlined on page one of this manual.




- 2 -

PFP is designed to pick winning teams, taking into account the "Betting
Line" (spread). PFP has been used since the 1986 season and has had a
WINNING SEASON EVERY YEAR except for the 1987 season. The additional
statistical data needed to properly use the program can be obtained in a
number of ways: The local daily newspapers; in USA Today, (the American
Conference statistics on Wednesday and the National Conference statistics
on Thursday); in Winning Points Sports Handicapping Publication; or
downloaded directly from the ALC Software Bulletin Board System (BBS).
(See Appendix C, Item #8 for more information on downloading from the BBS.)

PFP will run on all IBM PC or true compatible computers. It can be run from
a floppy diskette or a hard drive. Since computers access hard drives
faster than floppy diskette drives, PFP will run faster from a hard drive.
Use the PRO Football Picks Installation Program to install the program to
either another disk or to your hard drive. Then put the original copy in a
safe place. DO NOT USE THE ORIGINAL DISK!

The user can exit PFP at any time during the program by pressing the F10 key
and any data entered to that point will be saved. DO NOT press CTRL-ALT-
DELETE to "get out" of the program. ALWAYS USE F10. When F10 is pressed at
any point in the program, PFP will ask for verification to exit the program.
If you are done with your session, then answer "Y". If you want to access
DOS and then return to PFP then you may want to use the DOS Access menu
choice in the Misc menu.

Throughout this manual, [Enter] will be used to represent the Enter Key
(ÄÙ).


INSTALLING PRO FOOTBALL PICKS

To simplify correct installation of PFP, there is an installation program
which guides you step-by-step through the PFP installation process. You
must have at least 250k of disk space available to install PFP.

To install PFP From a Diskette:

1) Exit or quit all programs and go to the DOS prompt (for Example C:\).

2) Insert the diskette in the disk drive A (or B).

3) Make the disk drive the current drive by typing A:[Enter] or B:[Enter].
At the prompt (Usually A> or B:\>) type the command: INSTALL [Enter]


To install PFP From a Directory:

1) Exit or quit all programs and go to the DOS prompt (for Example C:\).

2) Make sure the directory containing the files is the current directory.
Then type the command: INSTALL [Enter]


Once the installation is complete and successful, you are ready to run PFP!




- 3 -

TEAM NAMES

The names of the 28 Professional Football teams are referred to in PFP by
the city or state where the team plays. In cities or state where there are
two teams, the teams will be referred to in abbreviations. For New York
this will be NY Gnts and NY Jts and for Los Angeles this will be LA Rms and
LA Rdrs.


ONLINE HELP SYSTEM

To use the online help system, press F1 at any point in the program. A
scrollable pop-up window appears displaying information related to the
operation about to be performed. If a down arrow appears in the bottom
right corner of the help window, there is another page of information
available. Use the Up and Down arrows, Page Up or Page Down keys to page
through the help information. Press any other key to exit the help system.


PULL-DOWN MENUS

PFP's pull-down menus operate in a CUA-Compliant style of operation. The
Alt-letter keys are assigned mnemonically to the first letter of the choices
on the Main Menu Bar. To select a menu, either use the Alt + First Letter
of a choice or the Left and Right arrow keys to arrive at the desired menu
of choices.

Once the pull-down menu has been activated, items can be selected quickly
with Up and Down arrow keys, the Home and End keys, or the first letter of
an entry to move the cursor bar to the desired menu item. Press [Enter] to
execute the desired command. Each menu records the item last selected so
that a future visit to that menu begins with that item as the default.
Shaded menu choices are inaccessible.


USING A MOUSE

For mouse users, PFP supports the use of a Microsoft compatible mouse. The
use of a mouse is optional - all mouse actions can be performed with an
equivalent keyboard command. Numeric entries CAN NOT be made with the
mouse.

Generally, clicking the Left mouse button is the equivalent of pressing
[Enter] and clicking the Right mouse button is the equivalent of pressing
the Escape key.

The icons along the right edge of the menu choice frame are designed to be
used with a mouse. The up and down arrow icons are used to scroll
vertically through the choices in the box. The "elevator" icon can be
dragged up or down to move quickly through a large number of menu choices.








- 4 -

RULE CHANGES IN THE 1994 FOOTBALL SEASON AND PFP

PFP has been modified to be compatible with the changes made for the
1994 season. The changes are as follows:


Phoenix has changed its name to Arizona. The 1993 team schedule will
refer to Phoenix as Arizona.

The 16 game regular season will be played over 17 weeks with each team
having one open week when they do not play. The teams and their open
weekends are as follows:

Week #4 - Arizona, Dallas, NY Gnts, Philadelphia

Week #5 - Denver, Kansas City, LA Rdrs, San Diego

Week #6 - Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Pittsburgh

Week #7 - Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Seattle, Tampa Bay

Week #8 - Buffalo, Miami, New England, NY Jts

Week #9 - Atlanta, LA Rms, New Orleans, San Francisco

Week #11 - Indianapolis, Washington

This means that after the fourth week, it is possible that teams playing
one another, will have played a different number of games. This is
considered by PFP in its analysis.

There are 2 weeks off between the league championships and the Super Bowl.
(Last year there was 1 week off.)


MAIN MENU SECTIONS

The Data Section allows the user to Enter, View or Import Team statistical
data. The Prediction Section allows the user to choose games to have PFP
handicap. The Reports Section allows the user to view or print reports.
The Settings Section allows the user to change the default settings. The
Misc Section gives the user access to a calculator, calendar and DOS. F10
either selected on the menu or pressed at any time in the program exits PFP.


DATA SECTION

The Data Section menu offers five choices. Each gives the user access to
the statistical database and will be discussed in detail below.


DATA ENTRY

The Data Entry command is used to MAKE CHANGES to the required data for one
specific team. If you are entering data for an entire past week, use the
Missing Data command in the Data Menu.


- 5 -

Select the team for which you want to enter data. Select a team by:
entering the first letter of the team you want, use the Up or Down arrows,
Page Up or Page Down keys, Home key or End key. The Home key will bring the
user back to the top of the list, the End key will bring the user to the end
of the list. Page Up and Page Down will move through the selections one
page at a time. Once the desired team is highlighted, press [Enter].

PFP will the check the database for that team and inform the user whether
the necessary data has been entered for each week. The chart produced will
list each week number and have a symbol next to it. Explanation of the
symbols are as follows:

- = Team Does Not Play That Week
= Data Not Entered And It Should Be
û = Team Played And Data Entered

If a week is marked with a check (û) and it is necessary to change the data
entered, select that week and PFP will allow changes. The week number
marked with the "-" is inaccessible.

Once the week is selected, enter the requested data for the team selected.
All data is required except for the turnover data which is optional. It is
important to understand that PFP will make a more accurate prediction with
turnover data supplied. DO NOT enter turnover data for some teams and not
for others as this will cause PFP to make inaccurate assumptions. Required
data is as follows:

Yards Rushing Offense - Rushing yards gained by the Offense
Yards Passing Offense - Passing yards gained by the Offense
Yards Rushing Defense - Rushing yards gained against the team's Defense
Yards Passing Defense - Passing yards gained against the team's Defense
Points Scored For - Points scored by the team you are entering data for
Points Scored Against - Points scored against the team you are entering
data for
Turnovers - Giveaways - Turnovers lost by the Offense
Turnovers - Takeaways - Turnovers recovered by the Defense


If you have entered data for this team before, the number in parentheses [ ]
will be the number previously entered. The user can change the number or
press [Enter] and the number in parenthesis will be retained.

If an error was made in entering data there is the opportunity to change the
requested information at the end of each team's data entry. Simply enter
"N" when PFP asks, "Data Correct? (Y/N)" and a line pointer will appear.
Use the arrows keys to move the pointer to the data that was entered
incorrectly. Press [Enter], enter the correct number and press [Enter]
again. Repeat this as many times as necessary to have the correct data
entered. Once the data is correct, enter "Y" to the "Data Correct? (Y/N)"
question and the databases will be updated.

A planned enhancement for this year's registered version is once the data
has been entered for one team, PFP will automatically enter the data for the
team they played. It will not be necessary to re-enter the same data for
the other team.



- 6 -

A clock is provided in the lower right corner of the Data Entry Screen. If
you are like many users and wait until the last minute to enter the data
required to run PFP, the clock is there to let the user know just how much
time is left until opening kickoff!


MISSING DATA

The Missing Data command will supply the user with a menu of teams which
require the necessary data to be entered for the prior week. When the
Missing Data command is chosen, PFP will utilize the date set in the Date
Of Games setting in the Settings Menu, as the current week and check the
data for the prior week's games. At that point the user can select a team
from the menu of teams and enter the required data.

Once all the data has been entered for the past week, PFP will state all
data has been entered and you will be unable to access the Missing Data menu
choice. Should you need to make a change in the data for one of the teams,
choose the Data Entry choice in the Data Menu, select the team and make the
correction(s).

In the first week PFP will give the message "All Games Entered For Week 0"
as the first week there is no data to be entered. No games have been played
yet this season!

When selecting the Missing Data command during the post-season, PFP will
state "All Games Entered..." even though post-season data has not been
entered. PFP will not allow post-season data to be entered. The reason for
this is that PFP is designed to make the post-season predictions based on
the regular season data.


TEAM SCHEDULES

The Team Schedules command will supply the user with the 1993 or 1994 team
schedules. The 1993 schedules will be complete.

The team's record is given against the other teams on its schedule for that
year both straight up and Against The Spread (ATS). The chart explanation
is as follows:

Date = Date Of The Game Played
Opponent = Team Played Against
PF = Points Scored For The Team
PA = Points Scored Against The Team
Spread = Spread of that game. (NL = No Line)
ATS = Win, Lose or Tie Against The Spread

If the Opponent is in capital letters then it is the home team. If the
Opponent is in lower case letters, it is the visiting team.

Note: The Registered version of PFP will automatically update each team's
record Against The Spread throughout the current season.





- 7 -

TURNOVERS

The Turnovers command will supply the user with a chart, by conference, of
the current turnovers for each team. The chart explanation is as follows:

GA = Giveaways
TA = Takeaways
+/- = Net Turnovers (Takeaways - Giveaways)
Gms = Number Of Games Of Data Entered
Avg GA = Average Giveaways per Game
Avg TA = Average Takeaways per Game

Turnovers are only for the current season and are updated as the user enters
the data in the Data Entry / Missing Data Sections.


VIEW DATABASE

The View Database command will allow the user to see the data entered for a
team. This is helpful if you would like to audit a team's database for
errors. The chart explanation is as follows:

Date = Date Of The Game Played
Opponent = Team Played Against
Spread = Spread of that game. (NL = No Line)
PF-PA = Points Scored For - Points Scored Against
Offense = Rushing Yards/Passing Yards/Giveaways
Defense = Rushing Yards/Passing Yards/Takeaways


IMPORT DATA

If you find Data Entry tedious and you have a modem, Registered Users are
able to pay $55 fee per season to download the weekly statistics directly
from the ALC Software Bulletin Board System (BBS). Also included on the BBS
will be special articles of interest, ALC Software's picks, as well as top
handicappers picks. Full instructions on how to use the BBS will be
included in the registration manual. The ALC Software BBS will be on-line
as of August 17, 1994. The BBS Number is (516) 625-0098. Settings are 8N1.
Up to 14400 bps.

Use the Import Data menu choice to update your current database with the
statistics from a file downloaded from the ALC Software Bulletin Board
System. The Import Data selection will only be available if the download
data file is present for PFP to import from. If there is no file present,
the Import Data choice will be shaded. Make sure the downloaded update file
is in the same directory or on the same disk as the other PFP files.

Once the data has been imported, PFP will compare the imported score data
against the bets made as well as PFP's picks and update the respective
databases. Depending on the number of bets/picks made, this may take some
time.






- 8 -

PREDICTION SECTION

The Prediction Section allows you to choose games to have PFP handicap. The
user will be presented with a menu of the games to be played in the upcoming
week. To select a game for PFP to analyze, highlight the game by either:

Entering the first letter of the visiting team
Use the Up or Down arrows
Use the Page Up or Page Down keys, Home key or End key

Page Up and Page Down will move through the selections one page at a time.
The Home key will bring the user back to the top of the list, the End key
will bring the user to the end of the list. Once the game is highlighted,
press [Enter] to select that game.


GAME DATA TO BE ENTERED

Once a game is selected to be handicapped, PFP will list the teams playing,
the last spread entered for that game, the date of the weekend the game will
be played and the week number it represents. NL means the game has not been
handicapped therefore No Line has been entered. PFP will allow the user to
run a game more than once in order to handicap the game with a different
spread, vig or Home Field Advantage. It is important to understand that PFP
will remember the data entered the LAST time the game is run. For PFP to
handicap a game three pieces of information are requested:

The spread for that game.
The total (under/over) line for that game. (Optional)
The vig for your bets on that game.

Note: If vig is set to auto vig (in the Settings Menu), PFP will enter the
vig for you automatically.

For those new to football betting, we would like to answer the questions:
What is the spread? Why does it exist? Why don't we just bet on which team
we think will win the game like we did in elementary school? Well, unless
the teams are very equal in ability, not too many people would bet on the
underdog. So to bet the favorite, points are added to the final score of
the underdog team to make things equal. These points are called the spread.
It is the professional oddsmakers job to determine what that "magic number"
is. In theory, if the spread were exactly right, the number of people who
bet on both teams would be even and the sports book would be guaranteed its
4.5% of the action. If the sports book is not receiving an even
distribution of bets, the spread will be adjusted in an effort to do so.

PFP will always ask the user to enter the spread for the Home team. PFP
will accept 1/2 point spreads which should be entered as .5. (Ex: 7 1/2
point spread should be entered as 7.5) If the Home team were a 7 1/2 point
favorite, you would enter the spread as -7.5. If the Home team were a 7 1/2
point underdog, you would enter the spread as 7.5.

When entering a spread PFP features an automatic 1/2 point entry. When you
press the decimal point, PFP will automatically enter .5 it is not necessary
to press the "5" key.



- 9 -

Next you will be asked for the under/over line. Entering this spread is
optional. Under/over or totals, for those who are not familiar with the
term, is the sum of the points scored by both teams at the end of the game.
For example, if the final score is 21-14, the under/over or total for that
game is 35 points. PFP will calculate the predicted total for the game and
display it. If the under/over line has been entered PFP will display its
under/over play as well.

If the Vigorish setting in the Settings Menu is set to Manual, it will be
necessary to enter the vig percentage at this point. The user can manually
enter any amount from 0% to 99%. If vig is set to Auto, PFP will enter the
vig percentage automatically.

PFP ANALYSIS SCREEN

Once all the necessary game data has been entered, the data analysis will be
displayed in the following chart:

Team Pts/Yd Sum/Avg #GMS Net TO
---- ------ ------- ---- ------

The teams will be listed with the Home team in capitals. The Pts/Yd number
is the final score prediction based on the points per yard calculation. The
Sum/Avg number is the final score prediction of the game based on the sum of
the averages calculation. The #GMS listing tells the user how many games
have been used in the analysis. This number will only be different for each
team if Last Year's Statistics are not used and the teams have played a
different number of games to that point in the year. Net TO is the net
turnovers using the formula: Total TakeAways - Total GiveAways. Positive
numbers are better than negative numbers.

The play is PFP's pick for that game. In order for there to be a play, one
team must "cover" (that is, when the spread is added to the predicted score
of the underdog or subtracted from the predicted score of the favorite, that
team must beat the predicted score in both calculations) for PFP to pick
that team. If a game does not meet this criteria, a "No Play" prediction
will be rendered. In this instance, the user can use the Pts/Yd and Sum/Avg
scores to help determine their preference.

The PSR (Pick Strength Rating) is the numeric representation of the strength
of PFP's pick. The higher the PSR, the stronger the play. If there is no
play, the PSR will be zero. The pick with the highest PSR is considered the
Best Bet of the week.

Note: The PSR is only displayed in the Registered version of PFP.

U/O is PFP's under/over prediction and recommendation. If the under/over
spread is over the number predicted, bet under. If the under/over spread is
under the number of points predicted, bet over. If the numbers are the
same, good luck! Note: A higher number of weeks used for analysis will
produce a more accurate under/over prediction. The number of weeks used for
analysis can be set in the Settings Menu under the Previous Games Used
choice.

HFA is the Home team's Home Field Advantage value set in the Settings Menu
under the Home Field Advantage choice.


- 10 -

PLACING A BET

After the game has been analyzed by PFP, the user will be asked to place a
bet. You can place up to two bets per game. If a spread has been entered
for the under/over, PFP will allow bets on either a Team, Under or Over. If
not, PFP will only allow a team bet. Assuming an under/over spread has been
entered, select "1" to place a team bet, "2" to bet on under the under/over
line and "3" to bet on over the under/over line.

If a team bet is desired, PFP will need to know which team the user would
like to bet on. Both teams in the game will be displayed. To choose your
team, press "1" if you want to bet on the home team or press "2" to bet on
the visiting team.

PFP will then ask how much you want to bet on your specified bet. You may
bet as little as $1 up to $32,750. This should be is a sufficient betting
range for all users! If the user does not want to bet, but just pick a team
as his/her opinion, you may bet $0 by pressing [Enter].

Upon confirmation of your bet, PFP will save the bet and update the amount
Bet This Week (BTW) posted in the Game Analysis screen.


POST-SEASON GAME SELECTIONS

After the final week of regular season play, PFP will list the generic
game's name for the games being played that week of the post-season.
Highlight the Game for PFP to handicap and press [Enter]. The user will
then be asked to enter the teams playing in the selected game.

Enter the teams for the selected post-season game. The visiting team should
be entered first followed by home team. While entering the post-season
teams PFP will check to see if the team has already been entered as playing
in another post-season game or the user has selected the SAME team as both
the visiting team and home team. If either of the above occurs, PFP will
notify the user of the error.

While handicapping the Super Bowl ONLY, PFP will automatically set the HFA
to zero as neither team will have the HFA at a neutral site. For the Super
Bowl, the HFA must be zero.

Once the teams for a specific game have been entered, PFP will display those
team names and spread in the game selection box instead of the generic
game's name. Game data to be entered and PFP's handicapping are identical
to regular season play.


REPORTS SECTION

The Reports Section allows the user to view or print reports. In this, the
Shareware version of PRO Football Picks, you will only be able to view the
reports and they have been simplified. The Print section will not print the
reports. The registered version of PFP offers full printed reports.





- 11 -

There are three types of reports, each described in detail below:

1) The Bets Placed By The User For The Current Week
2) PFP's Picks For The Current Week
3) A Summary Chart Of The User's Year To Date Bets

Note: The current week is the date set in the Date Of Games setting of the
Settings Section. If the user wanted to view bets or picks for a different
week, the desired date would have to be set in that section.


CURRENT WEEK'S BETS REPORT

This report will list the amount bet, the team bet on and the team bet
against. If the bet was a bet on a specific team, the spread will be listed
in the column next to the Team Bet column. If the bet is an under/over bet,
a "U" will appear in the U/O column for an under bet or an "O" will appear
for an over bet. The under/over spread will be listed to the right of the
U/O column. Once the final score for the game has been entered, it will be
listed in the score column with the score for the team bet on listed first.
A "W" for win, "L" for lose or "T" for tie will be in the last column
representing the outcome of your bet. For a financial summary of year to
date bets, consult the YTD Bets report.

To delete a bet, move the highlight bar to the game to be deleted and press
Enter. Upon confirmation by the user, PFP will delete the bet. Note: You
can only delete a bet for a game where the final score has not been entered
and therefore has not been reviewed by PFP. The Shareware version of PFP
version of PFP will not allow the user to enter post-season final scores.
Therefore, PFP will not review your post-season bets.


CURRENT WEEK'S PICKS REPORT

This report will list PFP's picks for the current week. It will list the
team selected, the spread for that team and the other team in the game.
Once the final score for the game has been entered a "W" for win, "L" for
lose or "T" for tie will be in the last column representing the outcome of
the pick. Note: The Shareware version of PFP will not allow the user to
enter post-season final scores. Therefore, PFP will not determine the
outcome of the picks for the post-season.

The PSR is the numeric representation of the strength of PFP's pick. The
higher the PSR, the stronger the play. The pick with the highest PSR is
considered the Best Bet of the week. Note: The PSR is only displayed in
the Registered version of PFP.

YEAR TO DATE BETS REPORT

This report is a financial summary of the user's hypothetical bets, year to
date. The chart will only list bets where the final scores of the games bet
on have been entered. The chart lists Team, Under and Over bets separately.
This will help the user easily determine which type of bet has been most
profitable for him/her. It lists dollars won, lost and the vig paid on the
lost bets. The amount listed in the bottom right corner of the chart is the
year to date total profit/loss for all bets entered in PFP.


- 12 -

SETTINGS SECTION

The Settings Section allows the user to change the default settings. With
the exception of the Date Of Games setting, all changes made to settings
are saved for the next time you run PFP. Each choice is explained below.


DATE OF GAMES

The Date Of Games command allows the user to set the date of the games for
the week to be handicapped. This date is EXTREMELY important as it is used
throughout the program. PFP will automatically read the system date on your
PC and set the correct date. The correct date will be the date of the next
calendar Sunday when games will be played. If the user wanted to analyze or
review a different week's games, the Date Of Games setting must be changed
to the desired week.

When selecting the Missing Data choice in the Data menu, PFP checks the
database for missing data one week prior to the date set in the Date Of
Games menu.

To View/Print PFP's picks or View/Print bets for a week other than the
selected week, change the Date Of Games setting to the desired date.

The post-season choices are abbreviated as follows:

Wild Card = The Wild Card Games (Week #18)
Div. Ch. = The Division Championships (Week #19)
Conf. Ch. = The Conference Championships (Week #20)
Super Bowl = The Super Bowl (Week #21)


VIGORISH

The Vigorish or "vig" choice will allow the user to set the vig percentage.
Professional oddsmakers who take bets (where it is legal) usually charge a
percentage if the bet made with them is a losing one. This percentage is
called vigorish (also called "juice") and is usually 10% on a straight team
as well as total bet. To place a $10 bet, you would have to put up $11 ($10
plus $1 vig) to win $10. The sports book will also take another $11 from
someone who feels the team playing against your team will win, for a total
of $22. If you win you get your $11 back plus $10 winnings for a total of
$21. If you lose you get... Regardless of which team wins, the sports book
makes $1 or 4.5%. ($1 divided by $22 = .04545 or 4.5%) This is how they
make their money. Should the user be making bets with friends (who usually
don't charge a percentage!) then the vigorish would be set to 0%, or
even-money bets.

PFP will add the vig to the amount bet. For example, if the user desires to
make a $10 bet at a 10% vig, he/she would enter the amount bet as $10. If
the user loses, the amount lost, tracked by PFP, will be $11.

There are two settings for vig entry, Manual and Auto. If Auto(matic) vig
is selected, PFP will enter the vig set by the user automatically each time
a game is handicapped. The user can set Auto Vig from 5% to 10% or 0%. If
you are paying a vig greater than 10%, you should find another place to bet!


- 13 -

However, if a higher vig percentage is paid, use the Manual vig setting and
PFP will prompt the user to enter the vig amount each time a game is
handicapped. Any amount from 0% to 99% can be entered manually. If the
user makes many different bets with different people at different vigs, the
Manual vig setting is ideal. If the user makes many bets at the same vig,
Auto vig will be very convenient.


HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

The Home Field Advantage (HFA) is the assumed number of additional points
the Home Team will score because they are playing in their home stadium.
The default is 3 points since three points is the amount used by most
linesmakers when determining the line. If you feel the team has a stronger
HFA than 3 make the change here. Likewise if you feel the team has a weaker
HFA than the assumed 3 then make it lower.

After choosing the team for which you would like to enter the HFA, PFP will
display a box of HFA values ranging from zero to nine points. The HFA value
highlighted in the box is the current HFA setting for the team selected. To
change the setting, select another value. To keep the current setting press
enter.


PREVIOUS GAMES USED

The Previous Games Used setting allows the user to set the number of games
PFP will go back into its database to get data for its analysis. Any number
of weeks can be used between 4 and 11. The default is 11 weeks. As the
season progresses, it is recommended that a smaller number of weeks be used
for analysis. If a change is made to the previous games used setting, PFP
will continue to use that setting as the default. Suggested setting
guidelines are as follows:

Week #'s Previous Games Used Setting Last Year's Stats?
-------- --------------------------- ------------------
1- 5 11 YES
6-17 5-9 NO
Playoffs 4-7 NO


If Last Year's Statistics are used, then PFP will get whatever number of
games is necessary from the previous year to have the required number of
games for its analysis. If Last Year's Statistics are not used, then PFP
will just use the current year. In this instance, there may not be an even
number of games used. The #GMS listing in the prediction screen will tell
the user how many games have been used in the analysis.


LAST YEAR'S STATS

If this setting if checked (û) on the menu PFP will use the prior year's
statistics in its calculations. If not checked, PFP will just use the
current year's statistics. It is recommended that at least four weeks of
data is used for PFP to give an accurate analysis.



- 14 -

NOTE: You will not be able to turn off Last Year's Stats during the first
three weeks of the season, they must be used to supply PFP with enough data
to analyze.


DELETE IMPORT FILE

If this setting if checked (û) on the menu PFP will delete the PFP94.DAT
file used to import and update your database with the most recent
statistics. The data file will only be deleted after a successful import.
This is useful if you choose to download PFP94.DAT directly into the PFP
directory as some communications software will rename the file being
downloaded if a file with the same name already exists in the download
directory. If that is done, your import will be done using an older data
file.

If the setting is not checked, PFP will leave the PFP94.DAT file in the
current directory after the data has been imported. The default setting is
not to delete the import data file.

NOTE: For more information on how download this data file from the ALC
Software BBS, please see IMPORT DATA.


SCREEN COLORS

Screen Colors will only be available if the computer running PFP has a color
monitor. There are eight color combinations available. Once a combination
is chosen, PFP will use that as the default.

When starting PFP from the DOS prompt, you can force a black and white color
scheme if you have a monochrome display by starting PFP as follows:
PFP /M [Enter]


CURRENT SETTINGS

Displays the current settings in effect. All the current settings displayed
can be changed in the Settings Menu. The Week Number setting is based on
the date set in the Date Of Games setting.


MISC SECTION

The Misc Section gives the user access to a calculator, calendar and DOS.
Each choice is explained below.


CALCULATOR

The calculator command displays a calculator "pad" for an expression to be
evaluated. Operators supported are:

+ addition
- subtraction



- 15 -

* multiplication
/ division


Upon entering the calculator, PFP automatically turns on the keyboard's
numeric lock for easy use of the numeric keypad. The calculator will handle
a chain of calculations, as follows: The equation (3 + 2) * 5 would be
entered as: 3 + 2 * 5 [Enter]. Once a calculation is complete, select "A"
for Another Calculation or press the Escape key to turn the numeric lock off
and exit the calculator.


CALENDAR

The Calendar command displays a window with a calendar for the current month
and year, as read from the system clock. The current date will be
highlighted. The Left and Right arrow keys move month to month. Up and
Down arrow keys move year to year. Press [Enter] to return quickly to the
current month. The Escape key is used to exit the calendar display.


DOS ACCESS

The DOS Access command provides the capability to return to DOS without
exiting PRO Football Picks. With enough memory, other programs can be run
from DOS before returning to PFP.


CAUTION: PFP is still active while you are at the DOS prompt. You must type
EXIT and press [Enter] to return to the active copy of PFP. Do not try to
return to your currently active copy of PFP by entering PFP. This only
loads another copy of PFP into memory.


NOTE: Do not invoke any program from within PFP which installs itself as a
memory resident utility. This restriction applies to all Terminate and Stay
Resident (TSR) programs, including the DOS PRINT command. These programs
should be run initially from the DOS command line to ensure they are
properly installed. In addition, while PFP is active, do not use the DOS
commands: CHKDSK /F or DELETE or REN commands on the PFP program files.
This restriction is not due to any limitation of PFP, and is in fact sound
advice for any other applications which allow access to DOS during their
execution.















- 16 -

TECHNICAL SUPPORT, COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

If you have questions or comments there are four ways to get technical
support from ALC Software:


1) Call our technical support line, 7 days a week, at (516) 625-1440 from
5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Eastern Time.

2) Send us a message on CompuServe. Our address is 71201,3071. We call
in daily.

3) Call our BBS at (516) 625-0098 modem settings should be 8N1. You can
call any time and leave a message with your question to the SysOp.

4) Write to us at: ALC Software, Technical Support Department, P.O. Box
#8481, New York, N.Y. 10116-4654.


We are very interested in your comments on how to improve PRO Football
Picks. We are constantly upgrading and improving PFP. See Appendix B for
planned future enhancements.




BENEFITS OF REGISTERING

If you enjoy using PFP, Please Register! PRO Football Picks (tm) is the
product of years of programming and fine tuning. Registered user get
special benefits. This includes:


 An Enhanced, Registered Version Of PRO Football Picks (tm)

 A Professionally Printed Manual

 Bulletin Board System Download Statistics Option

 Version Update Notices & Reduced Upgrade Pricing

 A Feeling Of Satisfaction For Doing The Right Thing




Individual PRO Football Picks (tm) registration, licenses you to use this
product on a single computer. SPECIFY 5 1/4" OR 3 1/2" DISKS.



See APPENDIX C For Detailed Registration Information.






- 17 -

APPENDIX A


Error Messages / Trouble Shooting


Error Message: "Please Correct DOS System Date"

Solution: The system date for your computer is not current. To correct this,
from the DOS command line, type, DATE mm/dd/yy [Enter]
where mm/dd/yy is the current date.


Error Message: "File Not Found"

Solution: Make sure that the file specified is on the disk or in the current
directory you are running PRO Football Picks from.


Error Message: "Disk Is Write Protected"

Solution: The disk you are running PRO Football Picks from is write protected.
If this is a 5 1/4" disk, remove the tab from the upper right
corner of the disk. You will be able to see through the notch in
the disk. If this is a 3 1/2" disk, slide the tab in the upper
right corner down so you can not see through the hole.


Error Message: "Printer Is Not Ready"

Solution: Check if the printer is on or on, but not on-line, check if there is
paper in the printer as well. If you discover the problem and want
to continue to print, press any key, otherwise press Escape to
discontinue printing.


Problem: Don't See Mouse Cursor or Mouse Works Inconsistently

Try: Make sure the mouse is installed correctly. Does it work with other
programs? Check the cable connections on your PC.

Load Mouse Driver Software (Did you run it before running PFPICKS6?)
"Driver" is a software program that came with your mouse.



Still Having Problems? Get In Touch With ALC Software Technical Support!


(516) 625-1440 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Eastern Time

(516) 625-0098 BBS 24 hrs./day (Starting 08/17/94)
Leave A Message For The SysOp

71201,3071 Leave A Message On CompuServe





APPENDIX B


Planned future Enhancements For Registered Version 6.1: (Ship Date 08/17/94)


 Pick Strength Ratings For All Picks

 Data Entry For One Team Automatically Updates The Database For The
Team They Played, Avoiding Double Entry Of The Same Statistics.

 Greatly Enhanced Betting Report & PFP Picks Report

 Printed Betting Report, Betting Summary Report & PFP Picks Report

 PFP Will Automatically Update Each Team's Record Against The
Spread In The Team Schedules Section For The Current Season.

 PRO Football Picks Windows Icon








PFP Version 7.x for the 1995 Season

Anticipated Release Dates
-----------------------------------

Shareware Version (v7.0) 05/09/95

Registered Version (v7.1) 08/17/95








Order Winning Points Sports Handicapping Publication

Through ALC Software At A Special Discounted Price!

For Information Call ALC Software At (800) 252-2770






APPENDIX C


Registration Information:

1) To order by credit card, have your MasterCard or Visa handy and call
toll free, (800) 252-2770. This line is for Credit Card orders only.
Or fill out the Registration Form on the next page with your credit
card information and Fax it to us at (516) 625-4045. This line is for
Fax orders only.

2) To order via CompuServe, use a text editor to fill in the ORDER.FRM
file and send it via CompuServe to ALC Software address 71201,3071.
Payment will be accepted via MasterCard or Visa.

3) During the 1994 football season, save time by using your credit card,
or sending either a money order, bank check, cash or certified check.
We will ship the same day we receive the order. Otherwise...

4) For Personal Checks, please allow 2 weeks to process your order.

5) We offer overnight delivery, please add $11.00 for postage. Overnight
Mail service to Canada from the United States takes two days. We offer
2nd day delivery, please add $4.00 for postage. The US Postal Service
does not offer 2nd day service to Canada.

6) Canadian orders must be either postal money orders in United States
funds, or checks drawn on a United States Bank.

7) After the 15th week of the season, (December 10, 1994) you have
the choice of which REGISTERED version of PRO Football Picks you
will receive. If you request Registered Version 6.1 for the 1994
Season it will be sent according to the terms above. Should you
request Registered Version 7.1 for the 1995 Season, the anticipated
ship date is August 17, 1995. If no version is specified, Version 6.1
for the 1994 Season will be shipped.

8) If you have a modem and would like to Download the weekly statistics
from the ALC Software Bulletin Board System (BBS), add $55 for the
entire season. Also included on the BBS will be special articles of
interest, ALC Software's picks as well as top handicappers picks. Full
instructions on how to use the BBS will be included in the registration
manual. The anticipated start date for the ALC Software BBS is August
17, 1994. The BBS telephone number is (516) 625-0098. Settings
are 8N1. Up to 14400 bps.

9) New COLLEGE Football Picks v2.1 from ALC Software! This program tracks
and handicaps 80 Conference I teams. CFP uses the same interface as
PFP. Predicts winning teams as well as under/over predictions. Tracks
both straight and under/over bets! CFP Software & Manual $40.00.
Download the weekly College statistics from our BBS for only $40.00 for
the entire season.



To register, send the completed registration form on the following page to
ALC Software, P.O. Box 8481, New York, NY 10116-4654.



PRO Football Picks v6.0e Registration Form
------------------------------------------

Send To: ALC Software Orders: (800) ALC-2770
---- -- P.O. Box # 8481 Info: (516) 625-1440
New York, N.Y. 10116-4654 Fax: (516) 625-4045
CIS: [71201,3071]


Registration Name _______________________________________



Address _______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________


Day Phone # ( )_________________ Evening Phone # ( )_________________


Where Did You Get This Copy Of PFP ? _______________________________________


Disk Type 5 1/4" ______ 3 1/2" ______ Do You Have A Modem? ________


PRO Football Picks v6.1 @ $40.00 (Includes Standard S&H) ___________

COLLEGE Football Picks v2.1 @ $40.00 (Includes Standard S&H) ___________

Download Weekly PRO Stats From ALC Software BBS Add $55/Season ___________

Download Weekly COLLEGE Stats From BBS Add $40/Season ___________

Overnight Mail Add $11 or 2nd Day Mail Add $4 ___________

New York State Residents Must Add 8 1/2% Sales Tax ___________

Total Amount Enclosed $___________


Payment By: Check / Money Order ______ (U.S. Funds Drawn On U.S. Banks Only)


Cash ______ Visa ______ Master Card ______


Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date __________


Signature Of Card Holder _______________________________________

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Save Time! We Offer Same-Day Processing On Cash, Money Orders Or Credit Cards.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------