Release of FREE BJ Simulator!

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Praying Mantis

Member
ET Fan has released a FREE BJ simulator, SimSimp, that can be downloaded at:

http://www.blackjackforumonline.com/content/SimSimp_Beta.htm

It is free code that can be utilized and tweaked by anyone that knows a little code. Even if you're like me and can't write a single line of code...it works right out of the box!

Though it is very similiar to one at BJMath, it has many more features and is much faster. Best part...it's FREE! (Norm must be crying in his beer)(Just kidding)

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zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
Norm, tell us about the LIMITATIONS...

... of this new DOS-based simulator. Other DOS-based simulators have been around for years and are of little use by neophytes like me who NEED a friendly Windows-type enviroment wherein we can point&click our way around.

Is ET's new SIM app noticeably better than previous similar DOS apps? zg
 
B

BradRod

Well-Known Member
In BJ....

...as in real life I expect you get what you pay for. I just invested in CVData. Haven't really gotten into it yet. But am looking forward to it really helping my play.
 
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Norm Wattenberger

Active Member
[email protected]

No. SBA and Omega II are both DOS based and vastly superior. Although SBA has a Windows front-end for most of its functions. As for limitations, if you look at the CVData and CVCX feature pages on my site, SimSimp contains zero of the listed features. And it cannot calculate SCORE.

A few people have suggested that I am upset at free 'competition.' On the contrary, SimSimp is more likely to increase interest in BJ simulation which can only increase my sales. Particularly when people become frustrated with SimSimp. But, that is not necessarily good. I have never suggested to anyone that they buy CVData. Unless you are willing to invest a great deal of time at BJ simulation, you are likely to make errors. And in this case a little knowledge is definitely dangerous. OTOH, everyone should have CVCX. But then, the heart of CVCX is free and online now.

 
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Praying Mantis

Member
Are YOU the Norm I was referring to?

"I don't see what this has to do with me."

Are you sure I was referring to you? Of course I was.

Thicken your skin Norm...just having a little fun (even said 'just kidding').

Lighten up...this program is NOTHING to worry about, but your responses about it, make you look very defensive.

Regards,

PM
 
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Norm Wattenberger

Active Member
My responses

are honest. If you want to see a defensive response; look at ET Fan's response. He tells me I'm short-sited because I would learn something if I released my code. But, he attacks me for giving him suggestions. Does he want them or not:) Pats on the back may be easier to read - but they aren't helpful.

 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
Hey Norm can I get a refund on my CVData?

Just kidding!!!

Although releasing your source code would have benefits for the BJ community, it would not have benefits for you therefore I wouldn't even suggest it.
 
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Norm Wattenberger

Active Member
Surely

I once processed a refund for someone six months after he bought CVBJ. I think I was impressed by his gall. Sort of like a guy that licks his plate clean at a restaurant, then says it was unsatisfactory and refuses to pay:)

Although releasing your source code would have benefits for the BJ community, it would not have benefits for you therefore I wouldn't even suggest it.

I tend to doubt it would have benefits for the community. CVData is table driven. It does not much resemble normal code. It is designed for easy maintenance. But only by me:) Clearly not designed for open source. I did rewrite the random number generator and posted it in case ET Fan or someone else wishes to use it yesterday. I think that is useful.

But thanks for the comments.

norm
 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
RNG's

Ah yes I've written a few RNG's myself. Back in my Commodore 64 days I got myself some unwanted attention by innocently releasing a RNG based funware cryptography program that exceeded the export standards of the time.

But I'm wondering how strongly random a RNG has to be for the purpose of simulating BJ. It's not like a shuffle is random, and I'd think speed would be more important. Have you observed any differences in short to medium term results using different strengths of RNG's?
 
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stainless steel rat

Well-Known Member
the main issue is "period"

that is, how many unique random numbers does the RNG produce before it cycles around and starts over. This can wreck sims. Of course, uniformity is also important along with other characteristics, but the "weak" rng's have a very short period. No point in running a 2B round sim, if the result is the same as a 100K round sim repeated 2000 times...
 
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Norm Wattenberger

Active Member
A few problems

1. Most simple RNG's have very obvious patterns. Many also degrade. After running for awhile, the patterns become more dramatic.

2. Many simple 32 bit RNG's actually only have 16 random bits. An example is the well-known congruential RNG using 69069.

3. When you wish to look at data like EV at high TC's; you need to run billions of rounds. LCG RNG's have famously low periods. If I remember correctly, Excel's repeats after 30,000 or so numbers.

These days there exist excellent 64 bit RNG's. May as well use one.
 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
Sounds like the makings of a horrible joke

When I did my RNG's I allowed the user to select how many bits were desired and combined the appropriate number of 8-bit data streams, *without* allowing any coupling between the streams. If you allow them to couple they can get in sync with one another and shorten the period.

Unfortunately the only things in the universe that are probably random are individual quantum mechanical effects and the human mind. QM is hard to access but humans aren't when you have a keyboard. So when I wanted a real random number for a seed or something, I would ask the user silly questions ("What is your favorite ice cream, etc?") and use the system clock to measure the time delay of the keystrokes and get my number.
 
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