Software Problems

2 May 2020

By Jerry Stickman

Hello Stickman,

I have been using Winpoker for ages to practice my video poker. My computer doesn't have an RNG, so how does Winpoker pseudo-RNG select the cards? Somewhere I read that it depends on where the cursor is at on the screen.

Also, how many possible four to a royal flush hands can be dealt? I did 4 to the fourth power, times 4 suits for 1024 hands. My Winpoker program has suddenly been dealing an unusual amount of these hands on the deal. Could it have a virus?

Just one last observation about video poker: Playing "perfect" is a lesson in frustration. I know you will say it's selective memory, but why do 4 deuces appear only after you switch games to a JOB game? haha

Dave

P.S. I play the darkside at 4am when I'm the only player at the table.


Hi Dave,

Thanks for the questions.

To tell you the truth I am not sure how the Winpoker RNG works. It could be the cursor position, but I suspect it is something that is a bit more volatile – such as the internal clock. It is always changing where the cursor in Winpoker could stay in the same position for the entire playing session.

I strongly suspect that the RNG uses something like cursor position or clock only as a “seed” number, meaning a starting point. From there a mathematical randomizing routine is probably used.

Regardless, it is not important for your purposes. Keep in mind that this program is for instruction and practice. I do not expect its RNG to be of the same quality that is required for a casino game in a regulated gaming jurisdiction (Vegas, A.C., Tunica, etc.).

Nor should it be. Do not worry about how good the RNG is. All that you should be trying to do with Winpoker is to make sure that you are playing each hand that is dealt perfectly.

Now let’s talk about the number of hands containing four cards of a royal flush. The simplest way I have seen of calculating this is as follows.

There are four suits and five different missing cards in each suit. Multiply that by the number of remaining cards that cannot complete the royal flush (47 cards remaining) and you have the answer. Put in a formula = 4 * 5 * 47 = 940. There are 940 possible hands containing four cards of a royal flush. Your estimate of 1,024 is very close.

In summary, as I stated above, do not put a lot of faith in the industrial quality of the RNG. Don’t worry about what cards are showing up. Worry about saving the proper cards of those that do appear.

As far as the desired hand appearing shortly after switching games - been there and done that. It is, indeed, selective memory.

And by the way, nothing wrong with playing the darkside at 4 AM. Most people at the table at that time won’t even be aware of it.

May all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He authored the video poker section of "Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!" You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerry@aol.com