Question of the Day - 05 July 2025

Bob Dancer writes, "There’s just one RNG per machine. The game being played doesn’t matter; the RNG produces a stream of numbers and the game software interprets them based on the rules.”

In other words, whether a machine contains a single video poker game or 100, one random number generator runs in the background, continually generating random numbers at a very high speed (up to millions per second). 

The RNG doesn't "know" which game is being played — 100 Play Deuces Wild or single-line Super Duper Double Double In N Out Triple Red Hot Bonus Poker Plus Ultimate X Gold Deluxe. It just delivers card values. The game rules (paytables, wild cards, number of decks) interpret the resulting hand or hands accordingly.

Using one RNG simplifies the system, ensures uniform randomness for all games, and is easier to test and audit by the manufacturers and regulators. 

Of course, for players, whether a machine uses one RNG or 10,000 is immaterial. The RNG ensures that the cards, whether five or 500, are dealt randomly and fairly.