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Subject: Computer solitaire question From: Mark Cohen Date: 27 Nov 01 - 04:33 PM This has been bugging me for a while, and I'm sure some of you bright folks out there will have an answer. I have developed a habit of playing solitaire on my Palm, using the program SolFree; it started when I was recovering from surgery. I've noticed that very often a particular hand will tend to be "loaded" with, say, all the 4's, 9's, 10's and Queens, and I'll never see a 5 or a 7. I also noticed this on the Microsoft version but it doesn't seem to happen when I use real cards. Is this a characteristic of the nonrandomness of the program, or is it just old Doc Probability laughing at me? And why am I spending time on this? Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: MMario Date: 27 Nov 01 - 04:38 PM happens to me all the time whether with "real" cards or the virtual deck. but Mark - you *do* realize solataire will cause hair to grow on your palms, then you'll go blind. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Liz the Squeak Date: 27 Nov 01 - 05:09 PM I frequently get loaded with all red cards none of which will go.... all red on both deck and turnovers... bummer! LTS I'd rather just get loaded! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 27 Nov 01 - 06:00 PM You guys! Quit wasting your time on solitaire. Play Freecell instead. I'm up to thousands of games, hanging in there at 86%. My best streak is 80 in a row. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: vectis Date: 27 Nov 01 - 06:33 PM My Backgammon program offers a double and when you accept it promptly throws itself doubles and bounces one of your pieces onto the bar. The moral: never accept a double even when well in the lead. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Bernard Date: 27 Nov 01 - 06:43 PM How do I get correction fluid off my monitor screen? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Jim Dixon Date: 27 Nov 01 - 07:05 PM Mark: The FIRST problem you need to solve is finding an appropriate web site where problems of this type are routinely handled. Somehow I think a folk music web site is not the first place I'd start looking. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Mark Cohen Date: 27 Nov 01 - 07:19 PM That's OK, Jim, this is the only site I allow myself the time for. I tend to think of the 'Cat as a collection of friends and acquaintances who all like folk music. I would probably ask the same question at a song circle, if we had song circles here. I prefer the often offbeat answers I expect here to the dry, factual answer I might find somewhere else. And there's always the chance that a statistician might turn up. I think vectis has the right idea, by the way, because I've heard on more than one occasion that some computer games, especially backgammon, "cheat". I notice this "apparent nonrandomness" (which could, of course, be random) more in SolFree than in the MS version, so I suspect it has something to do with the program itself. And, Mmario, the realities of living as a newly single person in a "family town" that happens to be on an island in the middle of the Pacific leaves me no alternative but to keep shaving my palms, as long as I can still see them. Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: John Hardly Date: 27 Nov 01 - 09:58 PM Mary, I was so entirely hooked on Free Cell!!!!!!! My best streak was 169 and I was just talking to a friend saying "I think I can now win every game."... ...my streak ended the next day. (I sometimes wonder if I sabotaged my own game just to finally have it "over with"!) I used to have the number of that game around here-I'll see if I can find it somewhere. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: John Hardly Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:01 PM ...I forgot to add. My newest addiction is playing "macho hearts"-----you must try to shoot the moon with every hand and the only way to win a game is a perfect game---me 0 points, 4 moons shot in a row. I have 5 wins so far. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:04 PM WOW John, that's the most I've heard of! Congrats! My best year was several years ago. This year I can't get past 28. I think I try to play faster as time goes by. But it tells me a lot about myself...I would make a lousy surgeon. I get impatient and just do anything to get it over with. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: John Hardly Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:17 PM I've had streaks over 100 3 times......very sad testament to an addictive personality! Oh, and Mark, when solitaire was my main game-I'm with you---I saw patterns all the time. Just like with the hearts--when I'm playing macho style I can almost guess what cards are going to be passed me. Random indeed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Mark Cohen Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:37 PM Mary, why do you think that would make you a lousy surgeon? That's a medical in-joke, like this one: Four doctors were out duck hunting. The internist looked up and said, "Rule out goose, rule out turkey, rule out chicken...must be a duck." BLAM! The pediatrician said, "Ducky-wucky! Bang! Bang!" The pathologist shot a duck, ran over to it, dissected it, took out his microscope, checked through his book, and said, "Yep, it's a duck!" The surgeon barely looked up, went BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! then said, "Gotta be a duck in there somewhere." Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Coyote Breath Date: 27 Nov 01 - 11:16 PM I find that when aces come up they are more the ace of diamonds than any other and oft times (did I actually write that?) any way mostly I notice color turn ups like red and red and red and sometimes ten or twelve cards I can do nothing with. I won't finish a "hand" if I don't score at least 35 points before reaching into the deck. When I do otherwise I NEVER clean off the table, much less win. Here's a question: What is the highest score (un-timed) possible? I have never gotten past 720. also if you take a card from the deck and place it on the top row thingy you get a score but if you have a card "down below" that you can rest it on first you get an even higher score. I'll bet you all knew that. I didn't. Also I don't play cards. Also I don't get out much. And it IS a folkie thing, sort of, after all there are numerous songs which refer to card playing and or cards themselves and so forth. Jack O' Diamonds |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Nov 01 - 11:22 PM LOL.......Great joke Mark! I don't play any of the games so I am no help at all. Somehow, I can't believe the "randomness" is the same....especially when I read the "Cheats and Codes" stuff for all the video games.......little stuff built in by programmers that aren't in the instruction manuals. Backgammon, a game at which I used to win a fair amount of money at, cannot be duplicated by a computer because a part of it is the human factor......looks, posturing and the like, designed to play your opponent as well as the dice. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Chip2447 Date: 28 Nov 01 - 12:05 AM My current addiction is computer cribbage, although I perfer "real" cribs. I think that I'm something like 49 and 2 versus this particular program. Methinks it's time to either play online against real people or find a better program. Chip2447 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Liz the Squeak Date: 28 Nov 01 - 01:21 AM I had a great computer Mah Jongg game, but the last machine destroyed it and I've never been able to get it back.... It was a proper game, not this silly matching pairs business.... although that is amusing in it's way..... I'm a Freecell feind... they hate me at work because so few of them have the patience to learn how to play it. When various stressful things have happened, I've sat up all night playing it. I don't keep a count of my scores though. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: gnu Date: 28 Nov 01 - 04:32 AM If you haven't actually cleared the statistics, they may still be there under "Game" or try the F4 key. I was way up there when I was working at my last job but the guy I work for now is a real slave driver. I'd call him a prick but then I'd have to fire me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Snuffy Date: 28 Nov 01 - 08:44 AM I must be a rank amateur. My machine at work says Won - 9307, Lost 3043, 75%, best winning streak 38.
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Fibula Mattock Date: 28 Nov 01 - 08:53 AM I'm not sure how much the effect of pseudo-random numbers would show up in solitaire, but I found a nice site about random numbers in general: www.random.org if that's of any interest. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Computer solitaire question From: Mrrzy Date: 28 Nov 01 - 01:30 PM Liz the Squeak, you play Mah Jongg??!? What an excellent game. I have a CD one by Berrie Bloom - look that one up, if you can't find your other one... it's a GREAT game, and almost plays the way we play in real life. This Thanksgiving I got up to quadruple Ren Chon, nearly 14000 points! No wonder we never play for money.... (sorry for the thread creep) |
