Random Number Generators (often abbreviated as RNGs) are the backbone of all virtual casino games, and video poker is no exception. The RNG is a special programme used to determine the outcome of the game, as it simulates a perfectly shuffled deck of cards and thus ensures every video poker hand ever dealt is completely random.
When it comes to casino games, randomness is extremely important because it guarantees fair play is always at hand, if you’ll excuse the pun. In this way, all video poker players have an equal chance of forming a qualifying winning hand.
Yet many less seasoned players have not acquired a proper understanding of how these RNGs work, and this has led to a good number of misconceptions about video poker, all of which are equally ridiculous. In the following article, we will explain how Random Number Generators work in video poker and lay to rest the biggest misconceptions surrounding the game.
How Random Number Generators Work in Video Poker
As explained above, the sole purpose of the RNG in video poker is to ensure the result of each hand is based on the random selection of cards from a standard 52-card deck (i.e. when no jokers are in play). This software generates long random numerical sequences and transforms them into shorter numbers by means of complex algorithms, with each number corresponding to a specific card.
The RNG shuffles the cards in the deck incessantly. When players hit the Deal button, the software randomly selects five cards from the deck, which constitute the initial hand. It then continues to shuffle the remaining cards until players decide which of the initial five cards to keep and which to discard.
The shuffling of the deck ceases the very moment the Draw button is pressed, at which point the software picks the requisite number of replacement cards from the top of the remaining deck. It is important to mention that, provided the RNG has not been tampered with, all cards in the deck have an equal probability of appearing both in the initial deal and in the draw. In other words, the odds of receiving any given card are the same as they would be if players drew from a perfectly shuffled deck.
Moreover, the odds of forming any qualifying winning hand are known and can be calculated with great accuracy. For example, the probability of creating the highest-ranking hand, the Royal Flush, is estimated at around 40,000 to 1. This calculation is straightforward: you simply multiply the odds of forming the hand by its corresponding payout to determine the game’s expected return.
One key point players should remember is that the RNG produces hundreds of random numbers every second. There are billions of possible outcomes for any given set of cards. In fact, the outcome of a hand is predetermined the moment the player presses the Deal button. After players receive their initial five cards, the replacements for any discards are already selected from the top of the remaining deck, right after Deal is pressed.
The number of credits you bet does not affect the outcome either – the odds remain the same regardless of your stake. Bet size is completely irrelevant to the RNG. In addition, the RNG never stops working; its frenetic activity continues even when no one is playing that particular video poker game, until a player hits Deal again.
Randomness Control
Some players are preoccupied with the fairness of video poker games and argue some of them are rigged in favour of the casinos. While this might be the case in some instances where the gambling operators are not licensed and are therefore unreliable, the RNGs in reputable and regulated casinos are highly controlled and strictly monitored pieces of technology.
The whole idea behind the RNG is to ensure absolute randomness and fairness in all available games, not just video poker. Players have no cause for concern as long as they play at online casinos that bear the seal of approval of a strict and highly recognised regulatory body such as the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission.
Additionally, all online casino games, video poker included, undergo rigorous tests for randomness performed by independent, third-party auditors to ensure there is no conflict of interest. Some of the most respected testing agencies in the online gambling industry include eCOGRA, iTech Labs, Gaming Laboratories International, and TST (Technical Systems Testing). Their testing facilities are recognised globally. Some of the key aspects of these tests include identifying the RNG’s algorithm, searching for any weaknesses within it, and resolving any issues that are found.
Such tests are performed on a regular basis to keep players up to date with the results at all times. More importantly, many of the most renowned online casino operators share these results with their player base by publishing them on their websites. So, if you are a video poker fan and you see the certification seal or logo of one of the above-listed testing agencies on the website of your preferred online casino, you have practically nothing to worry about where randomness is concerned.
Understanding Randomness in Video Poker
The Oxford English Dictionary defines randomness as the property of ‘being done or chosen without somebody deciding in advance what is going to happen, or without any regular pattern’. Let us explore further how randomness and odds work in the game of video poker. In advanced video poker literature, the odds and house edge are invariably based on a truly random game.
In a random game of Jacks or Better, the probability of obtaining any four of a kind (quads) is approximately 1 in 423 rounds. However, a player should not expect to get this hand after exactly 422 rounds of play because a specific hand is never due in a random game. The software randomly deals each new hand from a fresh 52-card deck so that each hand has a 1 in 423 probability of being quads.
It is irrelevant how many rounds have passed without producing four of a kind. The odds of getting this hand (or any other, for that matter) remain the same on every single round. We humans are prone to apophenia, our brains’ tendency to find patterns within random, unrelated data.
In a truly random game, four of a kind will indeed occur once in every 423 rounds in the long term. However, there is no way for the player to know exactly how many rounds will pass between one set of quads and the next. The only certainty is that the more rounds you play, the closer you will come to the game’s long-term statistical averages.
Video poker players sometimes feel they are due to receive a particular hand, but this is not the case. The odds of getting a Royal Flush, a straight or any other hand rank are the same on the first round as they are on the thousandth. It is impossible to predict with certainty which hand will come next in a randomly dealt game.
Randomness manifests itself constantly when one plays video poker. Sometimes players will hit many strong hands within a short period; at other times they will experience a scarcity of them. This phenomenon is entirely due to randomness and there is no escaping it. The best course of action is to embrace this characteristic of the game and maintain a sufficiently large bankroll to withstand these inevitable dry spells.
Widespread Misconceptions about Video Poker
Now that we have explained what Random Number Generators are and how they work in video poker, we shall proceed by dispelling some of the most widespread myths surrounding video poker games, their fairness and their randomness.
Video Poker Cards Generator
Expected Value and Expected Return
What Video Poker Games Pay Best
Tens or Better Video Poker
Jacks or Better
Betting the Maximum Affects the Odds
Some players fall prey to the misconception that their bet size affects the odds of getting a winning hand. Yet, there is no such thing since the purpose of the RNG is simply to produce outcomes on the basis of completely random numbers – the size of your bets is irrelevant to this piece of software.
Betting the maximum number of coins has zero impact on the hand you will ultimately be dealt. Nevertheless, maximum-credit bets are recommended for a completely different reason. With a five-credit bet, you may collect 4,000 coins for a Royal Flush – sixteen times the 250 coins paid for a one-credit bet. However, the odds of hitting a Royal Flush remain 40,000 to 1. This disproportionate increase in the payout for five-credit bets is precisely what reduces the house edge in the long term.
If you do not have sufficient funds and you wish to bet fewer coins, you can do so without worrying about your winning chances. The only thing that will be affected will be the potential return you can enjoy when landing a winning hand.
There is no Need to Use Strategy
Like any casino game, the outcome of a video poker variation depends largely on luck. That said, players’ decisions also affect the result after the draw. This is why it is a huge mistake to ignore strategy and discard cards at random.
Mastering the correct strategy will enable you to gain an edge over the house and to achieve better results in the long run. Of course, even when you employ optimal strategy you may still lose, as the cards are dealt randomly and no one can predict the outcome of every round. Nevertheless, playing without any strategy at all could cost you more than you expect.
Cards are Shuffled Only when Players Hit the Deal Button
One of the biggest misconceptions about video poker is that the cards are shuffled only when the player clicks on the Deal button. This could not be further from the truth, however, since the game’s RNG is actually shuffling the cards 24/7 until the Deal button is pressed, at which point the programme stops at whatever shuffle combination it reached in the millisecond the button was hit. Because of this, there is no way for players to guess correctly which cards the next hand will contain.
Video Poker Games Can be “Hot” or “Cold”
Another misconception is that video poker machines can be “hot” or “cold”. This results from some players’ false belief that video poker games follow a specific pattern. However, this idea is unfounded since the RNG is always at work, even when no one is playing the game, and constantly shuffles the cards, which makes it impossible to predict which cards you will be dealt next. With around 2.6 million possible card combinations in a 52-card deck, the cards you receive on the deal or thereafter are truly random.
Strategy Varies with Single and Multi-Hand Video Poker Games
Some players prefer to engage in multi-hand video poker. Less-experienced players often believe that the more hands they play simultaneously, the better their odds of collecting a payout. This is not necessarily so – even if the odds of winning do increase, they are offset by the greater volatility inherent in playing multiple hands at once.
Other video poker novices are convinced that the chances of being dealt a high-ranking hand increase when they play more hands at once, which prompts them to change their strategy. Such a change is completely unnecessary because each duplicate hand is dealt from its own separate deck. In other words, the odds of getting a specific hand do not change. Therefore, changing your strategy when playing multiple hands is not justified – optimal strategy remains the same for both single- and multi-hand play.
The RNG is Programmed to Generate Winning or Losing Cycles
One of the main purposes of using an RNG for online video poker games is to ensure the randomness of every draw. If the software had any predetermined outcomes, this would mean the games were not free of bias and one could take advantage of that. Many believe that video poker games might be programmed to generate winning combinations at certain points. This, however, could not be further from the truth.
Instead of winning and losing cycles, the software uses an algorithm that generates random numbers, which are then processed as specific cards from the deck. Consequently, every hand on both the first and the second draw is completely random, and there is no way to predict when a winning combination will appear.
Every Video Poker Machine is the Same
There is a variety of video poker machines that offer different payouts and incorporate distinct rules. In addition, sometimes a game may look like video poker but may actually be a VLT (Video Lottery Terminal). This type of machine does not utilise an RNG, which means the outcome is determined differently.
At first glance you may be fooled, as VLT machines often look like standard video poker games. The tricky part about this type of casino game is that your decisions do not affect the final result. VLT machines are very similar to lottery tickets, as there are predetermined outcomes that randomly play out when you insert your coins.
You may be led to believe that you can keep or discard cards dealt on the first draw, but as soon as you press ‘Draw’ again, the cards on the screen will form a winning hand only if you happen to be one of the predetermined winners.
Despite the different system used in VLT machines, they are still random, and one cannot exploit the way winners are chosen. That being said, you should be careful when you are looking for a genuine video poker variant that uses an RNG to determine winners.