Check through an array and identify matching numbers - php

Question

I am working on a scratch card game where by a user purchases a scratch card from me/my store and can then redeem said card by scratching off numbers and matching 3 pictures to win a prize
Like physical scratch cards I want the prizes to be pre configured so that I know when a prize will be won, but obviously the users dont, this is so I can limit the prizes, so it is not true random, but will be random in terms of who wins the prize..
I know how I will setup the prizes but I need to check each data value in an array to ensure that there is not 3 matching numbers, unless they have actually won..
So far I have this (I will neaten it up and shorten the code down soon)
$numbers = array(
0 => rand(0,9),
1 => rand(0,9),
2 => rand(0,9),
3 => rand(0,9),
4 => rand(0,9),
5 => rand(0,9),
6 => rand(0,9),
7 => rand(0,9),
8 => rand(0,9)
);
Which just randomly generates 9 numbers and
echo "<table>";
$i=0;
for($x=0;$x<3;$x++){
echo "<tr>";
for($y=0;$y<3;$y++){
echo "<td>" . $numbers[$i] . "</td>";
$i++;
}
echo "</tr>";
}
Sorts them into a 3x3 table
I know there is the command in_array() which will sort through the array looking for certain values but I dont want to run an endless loop checking each value to see if I get a match, because it's labor intensive and would be messy as well.
I'm looking for a suggestion anyone might have so I can sort through the array and see if any 3 numbers exist, if they do, and they're not suppost to (ie the user hasn't actually won a prize) then one should be changed to a new number.
So thank you in advance for your help guys I look forward to your suggestions
Luke
**** EDIT **
+More info
To pick the winners I will use a database query such as this
$stock = $conn -> query("SELECT DISTINCT * FROM codes WHERE Available = 1 AND 0 = FLOOR(RAND()*Chance) ORDER BY RAND()");
Each code will have a set chance to win and if it matches up it will be shown, depending on the code won a certain prize will show
$stock = $conn -> query("SELECT DISTINCT * FROM codes WHERE Available = 1 AND Win = 1);
'Win' will be a table in the database which each time someone plays the game it goes down by 1
So each code will have the table Win which when it hits 1 it will pop out the in the next game
These are two ways I can think of doing it which I think will work, both ways roughly allow me to control when and if someone wins but the second solution is obviously a more accurate way of doing it

Answer 1

how about not changing a number if a triple one occurs, but preventing a triple one occurs.
function createScratchRange()
{
$result = array();
$options = array_merge(range(0,9), range(0,9));
for ($i = 0; $i < 9; $i++)
{
$key = array_rand($options, 1);
$result[] = $options[$key];
unset($options[$key]);
}
return $result;
}
and you might want to be able to create winners:
function createWinner()
{
$winningNumber = rand(0,9);
$result = array();
$possibleNumbers = range(0,9);
unset($possibleNumbers[$winningNumber]);
$options = array_merge($possibleNumbers,$possibleNumbers);
for ($i = 0; $i < 9; $i++)
{
$key = array_rand($options, 1);
$result[] = $options[$key];
unset($options[$key]);
}
// looks random now.. but no winning numbers... Lets just stick them in there.
$keys = array_rand($result, 3);
foreach($keys as $key)
{
$result[$key] = $winningNumber;
}
return $result;
}
and for testing:
var_dump(createScratchRange()); // this will never give 3 identical numbers in the array.
var_dump(createWinner()); // this will ALWAYS give 3 identical numbers, but never 2 sets of 3 identical numbers