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One license for personal or commercial use on one Windows computer, including the tournament clock, management for 1 to 30 tables, High Hand display, custom chip sets, voices and the other features shown on this site. It is a one-time purchase, not a monthly subscription.

Yes. The full-feature trial starts automatically without a key or internet connection. You get four hours of cumulative use while the app is open, across launches. Settings shows the remaining time. At expiry a reminder appears and your current session keeps running; activation is required before the next launch. Your games and settings are kept.

No. The same $29 USD one-time computer license covers personal or commercial use, with every feature and support for 1 to 30 tables. There is no separate commercial upgrade.

One license allows one activated computer. The audience window and browser-only viewing TVs served by that same computer are included. Buy another license for a second organizer computer, or contact support when you need to transfer a license to a replacement computer.

After successful payment, your purchase confirmation page shows the code. Save it with the email address you used at checkout. We also queue an email containing your code and download instructions; check your spam folder if it does not arrive.

Yes. Use the same purchase email and activation code. A reinstall on the same Windows installation normally recognizes the same computer. Replacing the computer or reinstalling Windows may require a license transfer through support.

Use the support page with your purchase email and order details. We can help locate a purchase, investigate a problem or review a refund request. Do not include card numbers, passwords or your full activation code in a support message.

No. The four-hour trial keeps time already used. Updating preserves your existing usage and gives you any time remaining in the four-hour allowance. The running session can finish when the trial expires; activation is required before the next launch.

Version 0.4.23 automatically upgrades an existing activation when online. Keep the same purchase email and code. Windows protects a private device key, preferably in a compatible TPM, and the software checks hashed computer identifiers. Copying a tournament backup does not copy the license. A hardware change, replacement computer or Windows reinstall may need a support-assisted transfer. Update older installations within 30 days of this release; new activations require the current installer. A running tournament continues even if an online check fails.

THE RIVER is a native Windows application for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on x64 computers. The installer uses C:\Program Files\THE RIVER — Tournament Clock Software and requires administrator permission. There is no native Mac, phone or tablet version.

No. The trial needs no internet connection. First activation of a purchased license requires internet. The app keeps a signed local activation and periodically checks it online, with up to seven days of use without a connection between successful checks in version 0.4.23 and later. It normally renews hourly while connected. Tournament timing and built-in voices run locally. A lost internet connection does not interrupt an active tournament.

Yes. All features are included, whether you run 1 table or 30. You do not need thirty tables to use THE RIVER, and there is no smaller feature set for a single-table game.

Support for 1 to 30 tables from one organizer computer. Each table can have 2–10 seats, for a maximum of 300 seated players. Table seating and management are in Settings, then Tables & players. Optional Dealer controls let trusted staff register players and record actions from a browser on the same private network, using a separate dealer code.

Balancing suggestions use table counts and available capacity. Review them between hands and check the players’ blind positions yourself. You can cancel a suggestion and choose a different move manually.

Player registration and High Hand names have on-screen letter buttons. Clock recovery has a number pad for minutes and seconds. A mouse or touch input can handle these tasks; some general setup fields still accept normal keyboard input.

Yes. Import PNG, JPEG, WebP or BMP images into multiple named chip sets, with up to 24 unique denominations per set. Set their values and labels, then choose which set appears on the clock.

Yes. Every blind, ante, starting stack, level duration and break can be edited. The library includes starter structures and editable WSOP Hold’em schedules. Once a game is linked to a reusable setup, saving an edit updates that setup automatically.

No. Eight voice profiles are included. They run on your computer without a voice-service subscription. You can also choose alert sounds and type custom announcements.

Yes. Host sound starts on by default, and each TV has its own sound button. Leave the optional Mute host computer checkbox unchecked. Enabling or muting sound on a TV does not mute the host. Host mute is not restored from an older saved preference when the software opens.

Yes. Version 0.4.18 and later tries to start TV sound automatically. If the browser blocks autoplay, select the large Enable TV sound prompt near the top once with the remote. Desktop-site mode should not be needed for the sound control. Each TV has its own Sound on — turn off button. In the software, go to Settings > TV Broadcast to use Test broadcast sound and optionally mute the host computer. You do not need to mute the host to use TV sound in another room. This affects audio from the software only, not Windows system volume. Stopping broadcast restores computer audio.

Some TV browsers require a remote click before allowing audio. The software tries to start sound automatically unless you muted that TV, but cannot override the browser policy. If prompted, select Enable TV sound; Full screen can also unlock sound unless you chose mute. After a brief connection loss, enabled sound resumes with future announcements; missed or old announcements are skipped. Test your TV browser before an event.

There may be a small delay between the computer and different TVs. In the same room, use computer mute or enable sound on one TV to avoid an echo. Sound uses the same local viewing PIN and does not record your microphone or other computer audio.

In the software (version 0.4.15 or later), open Settings > TV Broadcast. Choose Full HD or 4K, then Start TV Broadcast. On the TV, open Silk or another browser and type the exact http:// address shown in the software. Enter the six-digit viewing PIN if enabled. Your actual computer address will differ from examples.

Yes. Multiple TVs can view the same tournament while your existing HDMI screens continue working. The software renders one shared picture, but each additional TV uses local network bandwidth. Start with Full HD; the practical number of TVs depends on your computer and Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.

No. Browser-only TVs displaying the clock are included with the licensed organizer computer. A second Windows computer running the software as an organizer still needs its own license. The broadcast shows the current tournament, rather than running separate games on each TV.

No. The TV viewer only displays the clock. It cannot start, pause or edit the tournament, and it cannot access tournament files. Viewing PIN protection is enabled by default and can be turned off for a trusted local room.

The clock picture travels over your local network. Keep the computer awake with the software open, and connect the TV to the same local network. The normal license activation and periodic checks still apply. No cloud streaming subscription is required. In version 0.4.17 and later, each TV can enable announcements and alerts with its own sound button. The software also offers an option to mute the computer while broadcasting.

Use http://, not https://, with the exact IP address and port shown in the software. Allow THE RIVER — Tournament Clock Software on private networks if Windows Firewall asks. Guest Wi-Fi or client isolation can block devices from communicating. Network addresses can change; stop and restart the broadcast to refresh them. Do not disable your firewall or forward the port to the internet.

The viewer shows a connection warning instead of silently leaving a frozen countdown on screen. It tries to reconnect. A restarted broadcast may ask for its viewing PIN again. Broadcasting starts off each time the software opens. Check the TV or Fire TV sleep and screensaver settings before a long event.

It adds picture-rendering work and local network traffic. Full HD updates twice per second, while 4K updates once per second to limit processing. All viewers share the prepared picture, but additional TVs each use bandwidth. Performance depends on the computer, network and TV browser; test your room before an event.

Close the software, find the downloaded installer in your local RiverTournamentClock updates folder, then right-click it and choose Run as administrator. You can also download the installer from this site. No uninstall or settings deletion is needed. Version 0.4.18 includes the launch repair and shutdown wait; the software stays open with the game saved and paused if Windows cancels or refuses launch permission. An older affected updater needs one manual installation of that repair release. Program Files installation still requires administrator access.

The app checks for a new release when it opens. The bottom of Settings shows your installed version and a Check for updates button. You can also use Tools, then Check for updates, or Settings, then Updates. A notice lets you read what changed, download the verified installer or leave it until later. Installation asks you to pause and close the clock first.

No. Close THE RIVER and run the newer installer once. A normal upgrade replaces the program files while keeping your separately stored tournament settings, games, activation and custom resources.

No forced installation happens during play. You choose when to install. Since the app installs in Program Files, Windows may request administrator permission for the update.

THE RIVER saves the running clock periodically and reopens the saved game paused. Use Set level and time to restore the exact remaining minutes and seconds if needed. A sudden shutdown can leave the saved countdown a few seconds behind.

Use Export everything and Import everything to transfer games, setups, structures and custom resources. A tournament backup does not transfer the computer’s activation. A replacement computer still needs a license transfer or its own license.

After the clock saves and closes, Setup quietly uninstalls the registered old program, checks old native program files were removed and installs the new version. Tournament data and settings stay in their existing local data folder. If installation is interrupted after removal, run the downloaded installer again. Antivirus approval is separate and can still be required.

Yes. In version 0.4.20 and later, enable Dealer controls in Settings and share its local address and separate eight-digit code only with trusted staff. Dealers can register players, record purchases, eliminate or seat players and pause/resume the clock. Your TV Broadcast remains view-only. Both devices need the same trusted private network; dealer traffic uses local HTTP without encryption. Never forward the dealer port to the internet. Access starts off each time the software opens, and disabling it disconnects every dealer.

Version 0.4.21 adds two controller views: Game with player names and Game with no player names. Match the host game’s Player tracking setting. For no-name play, choose Simple counts on the host. The dealer then has Add player / buy-in, Rebuy, Add-on and Player out buttons with no player selection. Dealer actions apply immediately without repeated confirmation pop-ups. Rebuys and add-ons use normal prices, fees and cutoffs; Player out reduces the remaining count without reversing money. No-name actions cannot change a game that tracks names. Named games still use player selection so the correct seat and purchase history are kept.

Version 0.4.22 adds Previous level and Next level alongside Pause and Resume. Move one schedule row, including breaks, and restore its full duration while keeping the clock running or paused as it was. The first and last rows do not wrap. Dealer actions now apply immediately without repeated confirmation pop-ups. Duplicate-request protection, stale-screen checks and normal purchase rules remain.