Documentation

How we shuffle the cards

In most computerized solitaire games, the shuffling of a deck is done by picking random numbers between 1 and the number of cards in the game.

That is NOT what we do.

When you want to play a game with real cards, you take a fully, or partially, ordered set of cards (depending on if you won or not).  Then, assuming you use the "bridge" style of shuffling, where you:

  • Split the deck in half.  Well, somewhere near half.
  • Sort of fan them together, attempting to alternate one card at a time.

It's a bit sloppy.  You don't do it anywhere enough to generate true randomness.   Subconsciously, better players take advantage of knowing that complete randomness in the next uncovered card doesn't exist in real life.

Our shuffling aims to reproduce this effect, by taking the same two steps, but using a controlled random number for the split, and for how many cards from one side falls into the pile from each side each time.  In a single deck game, we perform this shuffle 7 times, more in multi-deck games, but not a lot more because you get ansi to play the next game.

This is why players find our games to be more like the physical card experience.

More Articles …

  1. In-Game Controls
  2. Updates and Known Issues
  3. Voice Commands