Everyone went in one direction yesterday. I went in another.

Sherbourne & Howard Streets

Yonge-Dundas Square

In case haven’t mentioned it before, over the past few years I’ve been working on an open-source project called CypherPoker.JS

It’s a decentralized, soon to be anonymous, truly peer-to-peer Texas Hold’em platform that incorporates blockchain technologies and a unique cryptosystem named SRA (based on a MIT research paper from the late 70s), which remove the need for trusted third parties and the things that go along with them: rakes / high fees, censorship susceptibility, etc.

To the best of my knowledge, to date there’s nothing out there like this.

The “.JS” part means that the software is written in JavaScript for the modern browser, Node.js, and Electron. Basically, it runs on almost any device or operating system and yes, there’s a web demo you can try right now (or download the desktop version if you prefer).

A Short History

After building the core game engine and a basic but extensible UI I incorporated Bitcoin, pumped up the software’s peer-to-peer capabilities, and most recently added support for Bitcoin Cash. Because creating a team was the plan from the get-go I spent plenty of time documenting everything along the way.

There’s plenty more in store for CypherPoker.JS but it’s at a point now where I’m not sure I can continue to do it all on my own in a reasonable amount of time.So I’m reaching out to YOU, that person who thinks that this is a pretty kick-ass concept-turned-prototype that they’d like to be associated with. It has the potential to transform the online gaming industry, not just poker. Yes, this is that early stage project you’ve been waiting to join.

“I’m in! What can I do?”

Now, I get that not everyone’s a coder or designer and there are many shoes that need to be filled if this project is going to continue to grow at a healthy rate. Here are some suggestions:

• Exposure / Hype

Most social networks have a way to bring posts to prominence. These may include sharing, re-posting / cross-posting, liking, upvoting, plussing, starring. or otherwise showing approval or providing additional exposure. There’s a good chance that you can do that you can do one of these things right now and that it’s probably really easy.Also watch for new releases, updates, and upcoming stuff. Share whatever you think is interesting.

• Developers & Interactive Designers (UX / UI)

Modern (ECMAScript 2017) JavaScript, HTML5 / CSS3, browser, Node.js, Electron. Make GitHub pull requests with any important / useful / cool things. Some suggestions.

• Players & Testers

Give it a try! Make a free test account (no sign-up required), get some free testnet Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash and make a deposit (instructions on the site). Once the deposit is confirmed you can transfer it to other accounts, including new ones that you create. Be aware of this outstanding issue if you want to use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash proper.

If you find problems, feel free to post them on the subreddit (or DM), tweet about them, or post them directly to the GitHub issues system where they should eventually end up anyway (you can use a free account). I also do email.

• Evangelism

Spread the gospel of peer-to-peer poker.Get to know its deeper inner truths. Play it, praise it, grow the flock!

• Donations

Those would help a lot, actually. My laptop’s been acting up and I’ll probably need a new one soon. I also don’t have regular internet access; makes working on this project challenging.

Bitcoin: 18yWpM7CnYox58YMJ2iVa1aJZCs1sufPhg

Bitcoin Cash: bitcoincash:qrgzc6nf6275er7k04tjwauf4ptm9mw9qcaq6fceup

• Host a Node / Distribute the Code

If you have some web server space or Node.js / PHP+MySQL hosting please consider hosting a node. Limits have been built into the software (e.g. max database size), so you don’t have to worry about it unnecessarily eating up resources. DM or email me for details.

• Sponsorship

Tournament funding and advertising are two immediate ideas that spring to mind but if you have any other sponsorship ideas I’d be happy to discuss them. Please contact me via DM or email.

• Quid Pro Quo

Perhaps you need a hand with one of your projects? Maybe you’d like a few guest blog posts? Possibly there’s some other reciprocal arrangement you’d like to propose?Contact me via DM or email to hash out the details.

If ever there was a reason I don’t post to TCL as often as I should this would certainly be it. It’s online Texas Hold’em that uses cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and its younger cousin Bitcoin Cash, for betting.

You may recognize the project from the link to the right and I’m sure I’d mentioned it in a previous post or two.

One thing that makes CypherPoker.JS truly unique is that it’s peer-to-peer, meaning that players can play directly against one another without any trusted middleman to “deal” the cards, hold buy-ins, and make sure games are played correctly / fairly.

The challenge in peer-to-peer online poker is a lot like playing the game over the phone against someone you don’t really trust and without relying on some other person to conduct the game — let that problem of how that would work percolate on the old noodle for a bit. Spoiler alert: it’s possible using clever math.

The other thing that makes CypherPoker.JS unique is that it’s a white-label software product which simply means that it’s well-documented and built to be altered, re-branded, and re-packaged: one’s very own, online, public and / or private poker room(s). Because it’s peer-to-peer there’s basically no extra hardware or services to invest in (a website is entirely optional), and because the it’s open-source the software is free. I’m sure that there are people out there who would still find a way to complain about the $0 price tag but in all fairness those people are dumb.

This is the second iteration of the project and it uses JavaScript, the popular programming language of web browsers. There’s a bunch of JavaScript behind the scenes right here at TCL too; it’s what makes websites do stuff instead of just sitting there.

But it doesn’t matter if you know anything about JavaScript because I wrote the thing to be used, not (necessarily) admired for its programming elegance.

You can use CypherPoker.JS right in your web browser or you can download an installer for Windows and play that way. Linux and macOS are also supported but since I don’t have any extra computers lying around that run those operating systems you’d need to build the software by hand using my Do-It-Yourself in 5 easy steps! guide.

No Bitcoin? No problem! Just select the “testnet” version of the cryptocurrency for a 100% free alternative.

I mean, really, at this point you have no excuses to not try it out.

I usually do a lengthier post on Medium detailing each new version and in the most recent one I eulogize a dearly departed friend (hence the bracketed homage).

There’s also a dedicated subreddit where you can ask questions or post comments. I love chatting about the project so I promise that there’s literally no question / comment too basic that you could post and that I wouldn’t happily and courteously answer.

Finally, there’s a GitHub repository where the actual project lives:

https://github.com/monicanagent/cypherpoker.js

It comes with a nifty project board where I visually organize the project’s progress:

https://github.com/monicanagent/cypherpoker.js/projects/1

Everything on this board comes from a master list of bugs / tasks:

https://github.com/monicanagent/cypherpoker.js/issues

… which are organized in dated milestones:

https://github.com/monicanagent/cypherpoker.js/milestones

Once a milestone is complete I update the web demo:

https://monicanagent.github.io/cypherpoker.js/demo/web/

… and I add download links for the desktop version of the software:

https://github.com/monicanagent/cypherpoker.js/releases

So, other than the nice pictures and witty prose, is there any reason why you’re still here?

A large swath of Yonge Street is in the process of being demolished to make way for sterile, corporate homogeneity. Most of the businesses along the lengthy strip didn’t leave by choice.

You might be tempted to think it was the government-imposed 100% — i.e. double — tax increase (with more planned), that drove so many businesses either out of the area or into bankruptcy but “think tanks” like the C.D. Howe Institute beg to differ; Toronto has very “competitive” property tax rates, they say, it’s just that they’re difficult to estimate because of complexity, obscurity, and lack of transparency.

You may think that taxing property “owners” twice — i.e. double — for simply living on a piece of land throughout the city would be similarly problematic but the eminent Ryerson University along with some councilors believe that the city could easily squeeze another 20% from taxpayers who have the audacity to live in a home that they “own”.

Bloody “free” market strikes again!

362 Yonge Street

Krispy Kreme Kat knows a lot about fat. Regarding type II, ask Thing One or Thing Two.

McCaul and Elm Streets

Returning from a meetup where we’d imbibed some adult refreshments, Sarah and I found pieces of a discarded mannequin by the side of the road. A few blocks later inspiration struck.

120 Bloor Street East

These days the Goddess of Mercy is going for a cool three grand — Chinatown special!

Spadina & Dundas

There’s something very Edward Gorey-esque about Allan Gardens that keeps me coming back. Maybe it’s the moody Victorian atmosphere that they invoke, or maybe it’s the holiday weekend crowds — they can be murder. For Sarah it’s all about those sinister turtles.

Wellesley Street East & Wellesley Place