THE BOOKIE JOINT
                              General  Information

    The BOOKIE JOINT is a BBS game designed to allow you to bet football games
 just as you would if you were in a Las Vegas casino.   The "Bookie" issues a
 periodic (usually weekly) schedule of games for you to bet.  You may bet as
 many of these games as you like up to the limit of your account balance.

    All bets are placed against a "point spread" or "betting line" which is an
 estimate of the difference in the score between the two teams in each game.
 For example, Team #1 is favored to beat Team #2 by 4 points.  The "spread" or
 "line" for this game would be Team #1 (-4).  That is, Team #1 MINUS 4 points.
 If you bet on Team #1, and they win by MORE THAN 4 points, you're a winner.
 If Team #1 wins the game, but by 4 points or less, or loses the game, you're a
 loser.  Actually, if Team #1 wins by EXACTLY 4 points you lose an amount equal
 to 10 per cent of your bet.  The "Bookie" collects this 10 per cent on all
 NON-WINNING bets.  The example above would be a tie, so you lose only 10 per
 cent of your bet, not all of it as you would if Team #1 won by less than 4
 points or lost the game.  Points spreads will vary from game to game.  Some
 may not have a spread at all (an EVEN game) in which case the winner of the
 game is also the winner against the spread.

    The Bookie keeps track of the number of times you win, lose, or tie as well
 as your account balance.  If your account balance reaches zero, you're out of
 money and unable to place any more bets.  Remember that the Bookie takes an
 amount equal to 10 per cent of each NON-WINNING bet as well as the amount of
 the bet itself.  If you bet $100 and your team loses AGAINST THE SPREAD, the
 Bookie collects $110.  If it's a tie, you lose $10.  If your team is a winner,
 you would have $100 added to your account balance.

    The object of this game is to have the largest account balance at the end
 of the football season.  A typical season consists of weekly games played from
 the beginning of September until about the end of January.

    The SysOp will answer any questions you may have about The Bookie Joint.