This is how I imagine the mining system to work...
There is a certain block value that needs to be "cracked" next.
1. You take a hash of the current block's value plus the number 0 (as the nonce).
2. If the resulting hash is less than the value of the target number, you "win".
3. If it is larger than the value of the target number you add 1 to the nonce and then hash the block's value plus 1.
4. Repeat step 2.
Tell me if I am wrong on the above please, that will answer the question I am about to ask!
Are we all generating the exact same hashes? Is there no random "salt" that we each add to the hash strings to make then unique?
Couldn't a "cheater" safely assume that the first 10 million nonces were going to be wrong, and start at 10 million and 1st nonce to get a "head start" on everybody else that is mining?
Just trying to wrap my head around Satoshi's genius.