Poker isn’t a complicated game. The rules and mechanics are pretty basic, but the nuance runs deep. The origins of poker go back more than a thousand years by some estimates, in large part because of this simple elegance.
We like to get under the hood of games here at Gala, so we’re going to take some time in this series to delve deep into some specific mechanics and ideas that make poker poker.
While it may seem simple from a player-perspective, the “engine” powering poker is amazingly powerful… so that’s a good place to start. The classic deck of playing cards… one of the most useful analogue randomness engines ever created!
The Magic of Playing Cards
The possible combinations of deck order in a 52-card deck is equal to 52!, or 52 factorial. This means 52x51x50x49, etc. Factorial growth can get out of hand very quickly, so 52! is a MASSIVE number.
There are 1326 different possible combinations of hole cards you can be dealt in Hold ‘Em
There are 2,598,960 possible combinations the five cards on the table can be in as they are revealed
There are 9,122,409,676,719,740,029,270,368,190,464,000,000 (9.122 undecillion!) possible combinations for how the entire 23-card board could play out for a game with 9 players.
There are roughly 8×1067 possible combinations for a deck of cards to be shuffled in – that’s roughly 80unvigintillion!
Let’s use an analogy to illustrate the above… after all, 80 unvigintillion is more atoms than are in the entire Earth… or more molecules in the entire universe! We could use a better way to visualize it.
Let’s say hypothetically that every solar system in the universe has 100 planets on average (crowded, right?). Each of these planets has 100 billion people on them, and there’s 1 million solar systems in each of 1 billion galaxies across the universe. Every person on each of those planets has 1000 decks of cards that they shuffle 1000 times every single second since the beginning of the universe.
On average, each of those 10 octillion people (1028) shuffling cards will NEVER have shuffled to the same deck setup twice in the ~ 436,117,077,000,000,000 seconds since the universe began. In fact, they’d be way off.
All those people would’ve theoretically explored around 4×1051 possible combinations (4 sexdecillion). They would need to repeat the entire experiment around 20 quadrillion times (2×1016) before they had enough repetitions to even possibly cover all combinations. Unfortunately, that’s probably long after the heat death of the universe.
Looking to have your mind blown by some more card math magic? Check out this oldie, but goodie!
Fifty Two Cards
The standard deck of playing cards has 52 cards – 13 of each suit: 2-10, jack, queen, king and ace. For our purposes we will ignore joker cards, as they are a non-standard addition to the deck and aren’t used in many games.
Playing cards themselves have unclear origins, but it’s widely thought that they began to emerge as dominoes in the 10th century in China. The classic tiles were eventually replaced by more decorative paper cards, which people crafted games around. The silk road spread the cards first to India and Persia, eventually winding all the way across to the far edges of Africa and Europe.
It’s important to note that these weren’t deck of cards as we know them, and there was no standardization for what was a playing card deck. People simply played games made for the cards they had access to. They’d adapt existing games to their deck or make new ones. Since gaming often happened in small communities or families, this was perfect at the time.
In the 16th century in Europe what we think of as a standardized deck began to surface. First there were many different decks, but popularity began to focus on a 52-card deck with four suits created in France – largely resembling the one we still use. Spurred by the spreading of coffee houses across the continent, standard decks were massively helpful as gaming left the home and often found its way to a cafe table.
Poker and the Standard Deck
Poker also has an unclear origin, but we do know that it began to gain popularity in the 19th century. There were lots of different rules and games, but many of them were designed around the most popular type of deck at that time… that’s right, the 13×4, 52-card standard!
The rest is all about industrialization creating worldwide standardization. On June 28th, 1881, the Russell, Morgan, and Co. printing company manufactured their first 52-card deck featuring a familiar design on the back with filigree embellishments and two bicycles. The company would rebrand their company name to the popular name of their Bicycle line of cards before long.
It was their printing that popularized the inclusion of two jokers and two advertising cards (later one would be swapped out for a rules card).
This pretty much brings us to where we are today, with the amazing 52-card analogue game engine that is a deck of cards being spread the world over.
Thinking Cards
It’s easy to forget in these days of digital calculation and instant algorithmic analysis that we were very clever for millennia before computers. There are tons of games that use the 52-card deck of playing cards, and it’s not hard to see why.
Playing cards ensure fairness and pure randomization across a wide variety of game mechanics. Not only are they so amazingly random, but every card looks the same. This creates the opportunity to make games with incomplete information mechanics that don’t sacrifice any of the power of randomization.
In the future, we’ll dive into more poker-specific topics in this series. Still, the groundwork we’ve discussed here today is important, because poker would not be what it is without the classic deck of cards. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that no games would be what they are without our history in playing cards. Humans have been playing games for countless eons, but the deck of cards may be our crowning achievement in it… even if it is one of the most simple and elegant.
Tune in for more deep dives coming up as we get beneath the cards into the nuances of poker mechanics and keep Thinking Poker!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of Treasure Tapper, a new Telegram clicker game designed to reward you with free tokens simply by tapping into the treasure trove! Treasure Tapper combines fun and rewards, offering an engaging way to stack tokens while enjoying a light-hearted game.
Playing Treasure Tapper is as simple as it gets. Just tap on your screen to collect $TREZ tokens. The more you tap, the more tokens you collect.
Collect even more $TREZ as you complete quests! It’s an exciting way to accumulate rewards while having a blast with friends and fellow community members.
Features and Benefits
Easy to Play: Start tapping and collecting tokens immediately.
Exciting Rewards: Each tap brings you closer to valuable tokens.
Community Fun: Join a community of players and see who can tap the most.
Free to Play: No hidden costs, just pure fun and rewards.
Why Play Treasure Tapper?
Treasure Tapper is perfect for those looking to add a bit of excitement to their daily routine. Whether you have a few minutes to spare or want to compete with friends for the highest score, this game offers endless entertainment. Plus, the tokens you collect are really yours!
Join the Adventure
Ready to start your treasure-hunting journey? Join us on Telegram and start tapping your way to riches with Treasure Tapper. Don’t miss out on the fun and rewards waiting for you!
Imagine a world where no single entity holds all the power or control over information, decisions or assets. This is the essence of decentralization, and web3 is making it a reality.
In simple terms, decentralization means distributing control and decision-making from a central authority to a network of nodes or participants. This concept is central to the functioning of many technologies and systems in the web3 ecosystem, including blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
How Does Decentralization Work?
To understand decentralization, let’s compare it to centralization:
Centralized Systems
In centralized systems, a single authority or a small group controls the entire system. For example, in traditional banking, a central bank holds money for users, and all transactions must go through this central authority. Similarly, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have central control over user data and content, and web hosting services like Amazon Web Services have centralized responsibility for hosting content on the internet.
Decentralized Systems
In decentralized systems, control is distributed across many nodes or participants. This means that no single entity has complete control, and decisions are made collectively. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Distributed Network: In a decentralized network, multiple nodes (computers or participants) work together to maintain the system. Each node has a copy of the entire network’s data, and they communicate and validate each other’s transactions.
Consensus Mechanisms: To ensure that all nodes agree on the state of the network, decentralized systems use consensus mechanisms, which validate transactions and maintain the integrity of the network.
Transparency and Immutability: Decentralized systems rely on transparent and immutable ledgers, such as blockchain, where all transactions are recorded and cannot be altered. This ensures trust and security in the system.
Why is Decentralization Important?
Decentralization is a foundational principle in the web3 world for several reasons:
Enhanced Security
In centralized systems, a single point of failure can compromise the entire system. Decentralization distributes risk, making it much harder for hackers to attack or manipulate the network, or an unexpected event like a power outage to cause major problems.
Increased Transparency
Decentralized systems operate on transparent protocols and public ledgers, ensuring that all transactions and activities are visible to all participants to build trust and accountability.
Censorship Resistance
Decentralization removes the power of central authorities to censor or control information. This is particularly important for freedom of speech and access to information.
Democratic Governance
Decentralized systems often use governance models where decisions are made collectively by the community or stakeholders, rather than a central authority. This democratizes control and aligns the interests of all participants.
Innovation and Interoperability
Decentralized platforms encourage open-source development and innovation. They allow different systems and applications to interoperate seamlessly, creating a more connected and versatile ecosystem.
Real-World Examples of Decentralization
1. Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are prime examples of decentralization. They operate on decentralized networks where transactions are validated by a network of nodes, rather than a central bank.
2. Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi platforms provide financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading without traditional intermediaries like banks. They use smart contracts on blockchain networks to automate and secure transactions. While centralized exchanges such as Coinbase and Binance require user account verification and other forms of KYC, decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap can be used anonymously.
3. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
DAOs are organizations governed by smart contracts and run by a community of stakeholders. Decisions are made through a voting process, ensuring that control is distributed and democratic.
4. GalaChain and $GALA
GalaChain, the blockchain ecosystem for gaming and entertainment, uses $GALA as its native token. Even though it was created by a centralized company (Gala), GalaChain is decentralized because it is powered by a decentralized infrastructure of Founder’s Nodes whose operators receive $GALA rewards and have governance rights on certain ecosystem decisions.
With 2024 updates like the release of the open source GalaChain SDK, the Gala Creators self-service portal and GalaSwap, a platform where users can exchange tokens, the Gala ecosystem continues to move toward greater decentralization and community control as it grows.
The Future of Decentralization
As Web3 technologies evolve, decentralization will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the internet and beyond. Here are some trends to watch:
1. Decentralized Web (Web3)
IN general, web3 aims to create a decentralized internet where users have greater control over their data and digital identities. This could lead to a more open, secure and user-centric web.
2. Interoperability
Decentralized systems will increasingly need to interoperate with each other, enabling seamless transfer of assets and information across different platforms and blockchains. With so many different projects, innovators and blockchains, Interoperability is one of blockchain’s greatest challenges. With a goal of becoming the first billion user blockchain, GalaChain has taken these challenges seriously and implemented extensive plans to address them and lower their impact in the long term.
3. Scalability
One of the challenges of decentralization is scalability. Future innovations will focus on making decentralized systems more efficient and capable of handling large-scale applications. When web3 was a small community, it was relatively simple for companies to present proof-of-concept ideas and applications. However, as the fabled “mass adoption” draws nearer, increasing pressure on these blockchains and applications will make it clear which were built effectively to scale.
4. Regulatory Developments
As decentralization gains traction, governments and regulatory bodies will need to create frameworks that balance innovation with security and compliance. With so many different regulatory bodies involved in economic decision-making throughout the world, this area is full of unknowns. Gala takes an incredibly proactive approach to regulatory compliance, welcoming regulation and striving to adhere to all applicable laws throughout the world.
Decentralization: More than a Buzz Word
Decentralization is more than just a trendy way of saying web3; it’s a philosophy that promotes security, transparency and democratic governance for systems that have historically lacked freedom and/or efficiency-. By distributing control and decision-making, decentralized systems offer a robust alternative to centralized models, paving the way for a more open and inclusive digital future.
Stay tuned for more blogs in our explainer series, where we’ll dive deeper into the fascinating world of Web3 and its key concepts!
June is finishing strong in The Walking Dead: Empires. Monthly events are underway, and the best of the best are rising the ranks on the leaderboard. There’s still some time left in the Survivor’s Trial event, so craft like your life depends on it. After all, it just may!
These weekly events will be continuing next month, with increased rewards for each leaderboard!
The beginning of monthly events isn’t the only thing to be excited about. We’re happy to announce that, starting soon, you’ll be able to acquire specific Hero Cards during limited-time sales. First up will be one of the most beloved characters from AMC’s The Walking Dead: Glenn!
Expand Your Empire with Glenn
Glenn’s tragic death in AMC’s The Walking Dead hit many people hard (us included! 😭). Starting today, however, Glenn can live on in your empire… still protecting those around him and fighting to survive.
Glenn is adaptable and resourceful. He’s capable of doing what’s necessary when confronted with the horrors of this world, while also maintaining compassion and cautious optimism.
With the Glenn Hero Card, you can play The Walking Dead: Empires in Glenn’s shoes. Lock and load to defend your base as you gain experience and build towards a better tomorrow.
Get started leveling up your Glenn. Your empire is just beginning, and building a strong foundation is crucial.
Sale Details
The sale began on Friday, June 28th at 8am PT. The sale for each Hero Card will continue until supply has run out, or the Card is removed in anticipation of new Hero Card releases. Don’t worry: We’ll give plenty of warning before removing any Hero Cards.
For this sale, only the Common and Ancient versions of Glenn will be available:
Common: $4.99 Each | 2000 Supply Ancient: $249.99 Each | 50 Supply
This item fulfills directly to GalaChain and is playable in-game right away!
Get ready. This Friday, Glenn enters your empire.
More to Survive
Glenn is the first Hero hitting our store, but he certainly won’t be the last. Expect to see regular releases of all your favorite characters in the coming months. Share your thoughts and feedback with us so we can adjust our plans and schedules accordingly.
The Public Development Build of The Walking Dead: Empires is just getting started. Expect to see regular sales for Hero Cards alongside new events and more. As we expand content and get prepped for a full release, we appreciate the time you’ve spent playing and providing feedback.
The path has been long, adventurer. Do you see it on the horizon? Mirandus awaits!
The world of Mirandus isn’t simply discovered… it’s crafted specifically for the mighty Exemplars who eagerly await their adventures in this new world. Bringing this complex world to life requires incremental victories and building on the successes of yesterday to create more robust mechanics and an engaging Mirandus tomorrow.
We’re not at the end of this journey yet, adventurer… but your destination grows closer each day.
Watch the full Town Hall to get more info on the latest updates!
Small Steps Heading Towards Big Leaps
In the third quarter of 2024, we hope to hit some major goals that may seem incremental from the outside looking in, but are absolutely essential to the next steps in opening Mirandus for exploration.
Our first milestone target will be July. During this period we hope to fully test the infrastructure and processes of our release pipeline. By this point, we’re planning to have refined the core set of gameplay mechanics and for engineering analytics to have identified main weaknesses and priorities as we move towards live servers.
As we approach the end of the quarter, we hope to reach our second milestone in September. For this benchmark, we’re planning to have a workable system in place for all basic crafting recipes, including related and art and gameplay integrations. These recipes and items will expand over time. This initial system will serve as the foundation for testing and optimization before being filled out with additional items.
A Strong End to 2024
As the year comes to a close, we’re going to get more ambitious in the milestones we’re hoping to reach. We’ll build on the fundamentals we’ve established in Q3, and Mirandus will start to look more like a real world.
For our third milestone in October, we’re hoping to have a solid first pass on combat and analytics. Again, these systems will start off very basic. Getting a solid foundation on these, however, is absolutely necessary to building a fun game.
By the end of December, we hope to hit our fourth major milestone. At this time, we hope to have a very basic version of deed and building placement within the game. This will likely be limited to buildings dealing with food, armor and weapons to start. We also hope to have a functional UI for store management and the full ability to get people into the game… for longer than just a few hour playtest!
Into the Future
Game development is never quite a straightforward A to B path, and we acknowledge that unexpected issues may come up that could require us to deviate from this roadmap. We do believe, however, that these goals are realistic and achievable over the next six months.
Beyond 2024, the focus can move beyond fundamental systems as we begin giving the world of Mirandus more depth. This is when the full realization of Exemplars and Materium in game will begin, as well as refining enemies, bosses and dungeons.
2024 will be the year of establishing the foundation. 2025 will use that foundation to create everything that makes Mirandus Mirandus.
The Journey and the End of the Path
Boiling the development of such a large project as Mirandus down to some itemized milestones belies the actual progress that ironing out seemingly inconsequential systems can create in MMORPG development.
In a world as vast as Mirandus, every system relies on those underneath and around it to function and create a fun and engaging experience. While 2024 may seem less exciting than what’s coming on the horizon, the work we do in the next six months hopefully results in Exemplars discovering all that the wild land of Mirandus has to offer in 2025.
We’ll keep you updated regularly as we move through the year. Hopefully knowing where we’re headed makes you as excited as we are as we craft the world of Mirandus for the arrival of Exemplars!
