I've touched on this in several of my posts about the Shufflemaster Blackjack Machine but it also applies to machines that play other card games such as video poker.
Here goes.
Does the gambling public, who supports the industry, have a right to know whether the cards behave strictly randomly or whether the machines are programmed to rig the cards at the outset or alter them during play to achieve a predetermined result favoring the casino?
I am not asking whether the public has the right to examine the source code of the programs. The answer to that is no. I assume that legally would fall under the category of trade secrets.
I am asking whether the public has the right to be told by those in charge simply whether the game is fair or whether the outcome may either be predetermined like most slot machines or may be altered at will if the machines determines it has been paying off too much.
My understanding is in the case of most slot machines (such as the ones with the bars) the display looks legitimate but the exact sequence to be predetermined before the wheels start turning.
In the case of legitimate table games (with live dealers) the outcome is not predetermined.
What I am not sure of is whether the blackjack machines play like legitimate table games (with nothing altered behind the scenes to assure a casino win) or whether they play like most slot machines (where cards can be rigged to assure that result).
Example: you are playing one of these machines and are dealt a 10 and a 2 versus a 6.
You stand with your stiff 12. That is what basic strategy says you should do.
The dealer has a 10 in the hole, for a total of stiff-16.
The next card the dealer is supposed to reveal is a 10, which would break "him."
Will the dealer in that case -- and every similar case -- deal the 10 and accept the loss?.
Or .....
Is the machine programmed to (at whim) bypass the fatal 10 and instead give the dealer any card which would make the dealer's hand (ace though 5) and thus make the dealer a winner?
I am hoping that someone who posts here actually knows a little about these machines and how they work. My gut feeling though is that if someone knows about any hanky-panky that exists that I and others here will not find such information in a post.
But I still feel it's worth a shot.
The big question again is whether they play a "legit" game or whether they are rigged.
Of course my main question here -- the subject of this thread -- is whether the gambling public has the right to know which is truly the case.
I assume that several people avoid these games because they do not think the machines are on the up-and-up.
I would think that if the machines are strictly on the up-and-up and if that is the law then that should be publicized. The skeptics might then be inclined to try them out.
On the other hand, I suppose that if it became known that the machines are not playing legitimately and are rigging the cards (and even a single instance of rigging would make the game fraudulent in my view) that the number of players would drop appreciably.
As I get set to post this message I must tell you that though there is a chance that someone here knows the answer to my questions I am not terribly optimistic of a definitive reply, unless the reply is "happy-days-are-here-again-flat-out" that the machines play total legitimately and are required by law to do so.
Still I figure "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks in advance for your input on this.
Here goes.
Does the gambling public, who supports the industry, have a right to know whether the cards behave strictly randomly or whether the machines are programmed to rig the cards at the outset or alter them during play to achieve a predetermined result favoring the casino?
I am not asking whether the public has the right to examine the source code of the programs. The answer to that is no. I assume that legally would fall under the category of trade secrets.
I am asking whether the public has the right to be told by those in charge simply whether the game is fair or whether the outcome may either be predetermined like most slot machines or may be altered at will if the machines determines it has been paying off too much.
My understanding is in the case of most slot machines (such as the ones with the bars) the display looks legitimate but the exact sequence to be predetermined before the wheels start turning.
In the case of legitimate table games (with live dealers) the outcome is not predetermined.
What I am not sure of is whether the blackjack machines play like legitimate table games (with nothing altered behind the scenes to assure a casino win) or whether they play like most slot machines (where cards can be rigged to assure that result).
Example: you are playing one of these machines and are dealt a 10 and a 2 versus a 6.
You stand with your stiff 12. That is what basic strategy says you should do.
The dealer has a 10 in the hole, for a total of stiff-16.
The next card the dealer is supposed to reveal is a 10, which would break "him."
Will the dealer in that case -- and every similar case -- deal the 10 and accept the loss?.
Or .....
Is the machine programmed to (at whim) bypass the fatal 10 and instead give the dealer any card which would make the dealer's hand (ace though 5) and thus make the dealer a winner?
I am hoping that someone who posts here actually knows a little about these machines and how they work. My gut feeling though is that if someone knows about any hanky-panky that exists that I and others here will not find such information in a post.
But I still feel it's worth a shot.
The big question again is whether they play a "legit" game or whether they are rigged.
Of course my main question here -- the subject of this thread -- is whether the gambling public has the right to know which is truly the case.
I assume that several people avoid these games because they do not think the machines are on the up-and-up.
I would think that if the machines are strictly on the up-and-up and if that is the law then that should be publicized. The skeptics might then be inclined to try them out.
On the other hand, I suppose that if it became known that the machines are not playing legitimately and are rigging the cards (and even a single instance of rigging would make the game fraudulent in my view) that the number of players would drop appreciably.
As I get set to post this message I must tell you that though there is a chance that someone here knows the answer to my questions I am not terribly optimistic of a definitive reply, unless the reply is "happy-days-are-here-again-flat-out" that the machines play total legitimately and are required by law to do so.
Still I figure "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks in advance for your input on this.
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