#08: How do you beat Boomer?

Just like beating a person, you try to win each point in the game. If you win 4 points before Boomer wins 3, you win that game. If you are tied at 3 points each, it is “deuce” and the game continues until someone is 2 points ahead. Then you alternate serves and the next game starts. This continues until someone wins the set by winning 6 games (before the other gets 5 games), then the 2nd set starts. This continues until someone wins 2 sets. If you win 2 sets before Boomer does, you’ve beaten Boomer. If all of this seems obvious to you, that is because you’ve played tennis before. The only difference is that you are playing a robot that prompts you on where to stand, where and when to serve, and where and when it is about to serve to you. Boomer can be used with no instructions other than “Turn Boomer on, then look at the menu to play a game”. I’ve used Boomer to teach total beginners where the deuce and ad court are, how to alternate serves, where to stand when Boomer is serving, how a game is scored, and how a set is scored; everything they need to know to play Boomer or another human player.

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