Page 8 - October 2003 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Understanding the Random Number
Generator by Bill Burton
balls with slot symbols. In each bowl, we will have one ball with the jackpot symbol on it, two balls with a Bar, three balls with a cherry and four balls that are blank. Imagine the rng in the slot machine as the person drawing the winning combination.
Here is the breakdown of the number of times out of a thousand that could result in a winning combination:
T he Random Number Generator (rng) in a slot machine has been called many things: The Brains, the Heart, the Boss and even the God because it has the power to control one’s destiny. While most players know that there is a computer chip picking the numbers,
they do not fully understand how it works, and this can lead to some of the many myths and misconceptions about a slot machine. One of the most common myths is that a machine has a cycle that can let a player know when it is due to hit. Many “snake oil salesmen” will try to sell you a “slot system” for doing just that. Save your money: It can’t be done.
• 3 Jackpot 1 • 3 Bars 8 • 3 Cherries 27
(1 x 1 x 1) (2 x 2 x 2) (3 x 3 x 3)
Inside the slot machine is a microprocessor similar to the one in a home computer. Instead of running a program like Word or Excel, it runs a special program — the rng — that generates numbers to correspond to the symbols on the reel of a slot machine.
You might say that the rng is in perpetual motion. As long as there is power to the machine it is constantly selecting random numbers every millisecond. The rng generates a value between 0 and 4 billion (approx. number) that is then translated into a speci c set of numbers to correspond to the symbols on the reels. The outcome of each spin is determined by the number selected by the rng. This number is chosen when you hit the spin button or deposit a coin.
The rng uses a formula known as an algorithm that is a series of instructions for generating the numbers. The scope of this is beyond most of our mathematical knowledge, but can be checked for accuracy. This is done by the casino control boards and other testing laboratories to make sure that the program performs as it should so the player will not be cheated.
While all of this may sound reasonable, it still does not give the layman a basic understanding of how the rng works. Although this is not precisely how the rng operates, it should give you a basic understanding of the principles of how the winning spins are determined.
Reel-type slot machines have a number of spaces on each reel that contain a symbol or blank. These are referred to as the physical stops. Most of the old mechanical machines had reels that could hold 20
symbols while the modern slots have reels with 22 physical stops. Microprocessing technology allows new slot machines to be able to accommodate a large number of “virtual stops” which I will explain in a future article.
For this example, let’s simplify things and imagine that there are only 10 stops on each reel. With 10 stops there can be 1,000 different combinations. We get this number by multiplying the number of symbols on each reel, assuming a three-reel slot (10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000). The 1,000 combinations that can be attained are known as a cycle and this is the word that sometimes confuses a player into thinking that the machine has cycles of winning and losing.
The odds of a three-number combination being picked are one in a thousand. Theoretically if you play 1,000 spins you should see each of these number combinations once. However, we all know that this is not the case. If you played a million spins you would see that the numbers would even out to be closer to the actual probability. This is similar to ipping a coin 100 times. Although the odds are 50-50 you are unlikely to see 50 heads and 50 tails after 100 spins.
Many of you have seen a daily pick 3 lottery drawing. This is a perfect example to relate to the rng picking a combination on the slot reels. They have three glass bowls or drums each containing ten balls numbered 0–9. The balls are mixed up and when the top is lifted, a ball pops up the tube showing you the rst number. This is repeated for the second and third number to give you a three-digit winning combination.
To use this as an example of the operation of the slot machine, let’s replace the numbers 0–9 on the
Total wins: 37
There are 963 losing combinations consists of
• 3 blanks
• 2 blanks and a symbol.
• 1 blank and two different symbols. • 3 mixed symbols.
The rng picks these combinations of numbers thousands of times each second.
Now imagine a string of blinking lights where only one bulb can be lit at a time. The electrical current is zipping from bulb to bulb down the string. When you push a button the current stops moving and the bulb in that position lights up. In this example the light represents the three-digit number just picked by the rng. If you hesitated a second before pushing the button the results would be different. This is the same as getting up from a machine and seeing someone else sit down and then hit the jackpot. The chances are astronomical that you would have hit the spin button at the exact same millisecond.
I hope this simple example has given you a basic understanding of the rng and how it operates to determine the outcome when you play.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever!”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com. He also writes for several national gambling publications. He is the author of Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available for $15 postage paid, at Bill Burton, P.O. Box 310299, Newington, CT 06131-0299 or online at: http://www.BillBurton.com. Bill Burton’s website is located at: http://casinogambling.about.com.
Page 8 October 2003
Column: Bill Burton About Gambling