Here is a suggested scenario for duplicate match play. There are no official rules for this; duplicate play is impractical without a computer. The intent of duplicate play is to get a better comparison of skill levels by removing some of the luck of the cards from the game. You'll either love or hate duplicate play. You are not playing against the computer per se, but against others playing with exactly the same cards as you. Whether you think the computer plays well or poorly, at least it plays consistently, which is exactly what you want here.
Agree beforehand on a random seed, number of games, and option settings. Typically, you should disable any program options that would help players. That is, turn off hints and scoring details, disable autoplay/autoscore, and disallow use of the dog-eared deck. Set the penalty level and match point weights as desired. Turn on logging of games and messages. Most importantly, insure that first deals are alternated. To start each match, set the random seed as agreed on, then click on New Match. Play the agreed on number of games. Afterward, append statistics to the log file. The log files hold session histories for later comparison. The matches can be played serially on the same machine or simultaneously on several machines. Just insure that players cannot view each others' sessions.
You can also generate a session history of the computer vs. itself by turning on autoplay and autoscore, and then standing on the F10 key for the duration of the match. This can be used as a "par" session (e.g., if you are the only player besides the computer).
The best match point differential determines the best player in this scenario. E.g., a 12-game match score of 10/14 for net of -4 is better than a 12-game score of 11/16 for a -5 net. The 10/14 match had no skunks, while the 11/16 match had several. As a tiebreaker, extend the match a few games at a time as needed. Or instead use best total game point differential. The running point differential is shown in the window title and in the log file.
Getting match scores of 10/14 and 11/16 with the same cards may be unlikely. But you'll be surprised at how often the match point results will vary. Close games and near-skunks are critical, as they should be. Purists will prefer not to use game point differentials as a tiebreaker, since playing strategy should be based solely on win/loss/skunk considerations.
If you lose a duplicate match to someone, you can argue that there is still some luck involved and that, at best, it only shows who did a good job of figuring out the computer's style of play. If you win, gloat.
These command-line parameters may help with setting up and managing duplicate matches:
| /LOCK | Locks all option settings and disables New Match and Change Player. |
| /PLAYER=Name | Starts program with specified player name. |
| /DEFAULTS=Options | Sets default options (applicable only for a new player name). The options list format matches the INI file Options entry. Any space terminates the list. A short list is assumed to have trailing zeroes. |
Examples:
CRIBBAGE /Lock /Player=Practice
CRIBBAGE /Lock /Player=Smith /Defaults=31415926,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,2,0,0,0,0
The first example starts the program with Practice as the player and locks all loaded settings until the session is ended.
The second example starts the program with Smith as the player and locks option settings. If Smith is a new player (not in INI file), the initial Seed is set to 31415926 and the five on/off options (0,0,0,0,0) are turned off. The next six technical settings (0,1,0,1,0,2) indicate 2-3-4 Weights, Penalties but No Muggins, Normal Game (121 Points), Alternate First Deals, Default Sequence, and Log Games and Messages (to default Smith.LOG in the Windows directory). The last four zeroes indicate Default Deck, Hide Patter, Disable Sound, and Default Green. If player Smith inadvertently closes the program then restarts with the same command-line parameters, the defaults are ignored and his session continues with the settings and state now loaded from INI file.
Note that 0/1 represent off/on settings and 0/1/2/... represent option submenu settings. The order of the settings matches the top-to-bottom menu display order. If you are unsure of the Defaults parameter, set up options from the game menu as you would like them, exit the program, and then inspect the Options entry in the INI file.
The intent here is to help a director orchestrate the chaos at tournament start and funnel most problems to that point in time. The director can step players through a last minute edit of player name and initial seed in the launching PIF or Program Properties section. These are the two values you most likely wish to hold off specifying until just before the match starts. The command-line can be set up beforehand modeled after the second example. Once the director has verified that everyone is getting the same cards on the initial match cut, things should proceed smoothly -- hopefully.
Each player should be instructed to stop and minimize the program after the agreed on number of games. Log files can be collected (after statistics are appended) for review.
These command-line parameters are my best guess as to what is needed for duplicate match play tournaments. If you try this and have any suggestions for improvement, let me know.