Random Number Generator for Video Poker Machines

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Video poker machines also use an RNG program. This acronym is short for Random number generator. With the RNG program in place, that unpredictability and randomness exist in the game. This ensures that the right of both players and the casino owners are protected. Fair play is present.

The RNG program of a video poker does two things, it generates numbers and uses this number output to shuffle it’s electronic deck.

Another similarity it shares with the RNG of a slot machine - is that the RNG of a video poker machine is constantly running or generating random numbers a hundred times a second. These millions of random number sequences are being produced, even if there is no player, start or deal button pushed.

Just like the RNG of slot machine, the RNG of the video poker, is made just for this particular game.

Physically, you’ll find the RNG program is a microchip inside the video poker machine. This microchip uses a specially created software program with the use of an algorithm to generate the random numbers. An algorithm is both a mathematical and computer science term. It’s a problem-solving procedure, which contains specific steps or solutions on how to solve specific problems.

How does the RNG work?

This design or algorithm decides the results - or to put it plainer - when its’ won, based on a given set of numbers. The entire game is put into motion with the help of a seed, or the source of the random number. However, the RNG will always choose from the 52 combinations that can be generated from a deck of 52 cards.

Here’s one example of how an RNG for a video poker works. Called the Knuth shuffle or Fisher-Yates shuffle, the program generates a seed from the RNG. It then performs some mathematical computations, and it is then given the number. Let’s say it’s 10, the program will put search for this number and put it at the top of the deck. It’s just one simplified version of the many versions created from the two algorithms invented by computer genius Donald Knuth.

There is a newer and more stable algorithm is called Mersenne twister. It was introduced in 1997 by Makoto Matsumoto and Takuji Nishimura.
Suffice it to say, that has a colossal period of 219937 - 1. This means its a Mersenne prime, hence its’ name. Just for clarification, a Mersenne prime is a prime number that is one less than a power of two.

Expressed mathematically, here’s what happens to the randomness found in the 52 card deck. There are over 8.065817517 x 1067 possible unique sequences (approx. 8 x 1067, or 2225) to an entire deck. Moreover, the Mersenne twister algorithm has three features that have made it adaptable and popular for use in video poker games.

1. It produces a fast generation of very high quality random numbers. It’s claimed to answer the defects found in the Knuth shuffle and other algorithms.
2. It produces statistically random numbers in all the bits of it’s output.
3. It has a high dimensional equidistribution. This means there is very little serial correlation between the values or numbers produced.

So - when a video poker game uses the Mersenne twister for drawing the cards. When it uses a variation of the Knuth shuffle for shuffling the cards, then you know randomness exists.

For the only way you’ll be able to determine the results of the next card draw, is if you’ve been given a copy of the RNG software program of that game.