FAQ
Questions, answered.
Real answers, not marketing. If yours isn't here, the Support page has a contact form.
Installing & platforms
Does it work on Windows?
Yes. HouseClock runs on Windows 10 and 11, and on macOS. Windows builds are available for 64-bit machines, and the macOS build is offered separately for Apple Silicon and Intel.
The application is the same on both platforms — the same structures, payouts, announcements, and multi-screen routing.
Why does macOS say it can't verify the developer?
While the app is unsigned, macOS shows a Gatekeeper prompt the first time you open it. It is expected and does not mean anything is wrong with the download.
Open it once by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) the app and choosing Open, then confirming. After that first launch, it opens normally like any other app. The Download page has step-by-step instructions.
Is there a mobile version?
No. HouseClock is a desktop application for macOS and Windows, because it is built to drive the large screens in a poker room from one computer.
Your phone is not part of the setup, and it doesn't need to be — the board runs on the machine, and phone numbers on the cash waitlist never leave the manager's screen.
Running an event
Does it need internet?
No. HouseClock runs entirely offline. Once it's installed, a network outage never stops a tournament, and nothing you do during an event depends on a connection.
The only time the internet is involved at all is when you first download the app or check for an update.
Can I run two tournaments at once?
Yes. You can run multiple live sessions at the same time — two tournaments and a cash game side by side, for example — each with its own clock, structure, and prize pool, each autosaved independently.
Any session can be routed to any screen, so the two tournaments and the cash waitlist can each occupy the screens you choose.
Can I edit the blind structure mid-tournament?
Yes. You can insert levels or breaks, change level lengths, and correct the ladder while an event is live, without disturbing the running clock.
You can also extend or shorten the current level directly when the floor makes that call.
What happens if the computer crashes during an event?
The clock is timestamp-based and every session autosaves, so when you reopen HouseClock it resumes at the exact second — not where the clock was last drawn, but where it actually should be given the real time that has passed.
A closed laptop, a power loss, or an app crash are all handled the same way: reopen, and the event is where it should be.
How do I get it on my TVs?
Connect your screens to the computer the way you already do — HDMI, DisplayPort, or a video-over-network setup that presents them as displays — and HouseClock routes any session to any screen from that one machine.
You can show the same session on several screens, identify which physical screen is which from the console, and save a layout that restores automatically when a screen is reconnected.
Money & payouts
Can I use my own payout structure?
Yes. HouseClock ships payout schedules that scale with field size, and you can override any place manually when the director's word is final.
House rounding to $1, $5, $25, or $100 is applied with the remainder going to first, so the ladder always sums to the exact prize pool.
Does it do ICM chops?
Yes. At the final table you can make a deal by even split, chip chop, ICM, or lock-and-split. Each method is calculated against the money still in play and always sums exactly to the remaining prize pool.
The result is shown clearly so it can be read back to the table before anyone agrees to it.
Data, privacy & support
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Everything HouseClock stores stays on the computer it runs on. There are no accounts, no cloud sync, and no telemetry. Player names and phone numbers never leave the machine.
The website you're reading this on is the same: it has no analytics or trackers, and the only data it ever handles is a form you choose to send us.
Can I use this for a charity event?
Yes. HouseClock is free to download and use with every feature included, which makes it well suited to charity and club events.
The staff-fee and house-fee fields let you account for a charity's take separately from the prize pool, and the payout math keeps the numbers defensible.
How do I get support?
The Support page has a getting-started walkthrough, a hotkey reference, and fixes for the common issues — no sound, a TV not being detected, and resuming after a crash.
If you still need a hand, the contact form on that page reaches us directly. Multi-room operators and series organizers can ask about venue licensing for priority help.