Is there such thing as half-Mindplay?

[EasyRhino]

Okay, a local joint (oh, what the hell, it's Barona), now has five tables with what looks like Mindplay, but there's a crucial difference from what I'm useful. Here's the best description I can muster.

There is now a black plastic "frame" that surrounds the dealer's chip tray. It rises an inch or two off the felt. On either corner, there is a little logo, with a Bally's logo, and "MP". On the top side of the black plastic part, directly in front of the dealer and facing her, there is a monochrome LCD touchscreen. Facing the players is a slot to insert cards.

On every hand, the dealer inserts both cards into the slot. The up card is face up on top, and directly beneath it is the hole card (face down, of course). The LCD can indicate when there is a blackjack. It also looks like the dealer pushes a couple of buttons whenever a player enters or leaves the table. There is no indication of button pressing when players change their bet.

So... sounds like Mindplay, right?

The Mindplay I'm used to (El Dorado, Reno), also has a "well" off to the side of the table that the dealer dunks the deck of cards into, rubbing the edges against the surface, before dealing the cards. I saw none of this. In fact, there was no well at all. Oh, they also had these devices at both double deck and 6D games, and at ASM and hand-shuffle tables.

I presumed that the magic well is what let Mindplay gauge a player's play. So what the heck were the tables being used for when I saw them?

 

[jimbiggs]

I've seen MindPlay tables before and the casino didn't run the cards through the well. So they weren't using the MindPlay tables to track players, but just as you describe, they were using them to check for BJ. Basically, it's a high tech peeking device. Not sure why a casino would invest in the technology if they didn't plan to use it, but what do I know.

 

[EasyRhino]

I'm working on the tentative assumption that they're using it for closer bet comp-tracking. But what do I know.

 

[dacium]

Probably just hole card checking... alot of the dealers are really really bad. In aus if you can get a hole card game (technically they are illegal) the dealers are so not used to it that they flash the card badly.

 

[EasyRhino]

Yeah, but these guys were using the little mirror thingies before to check for blackjack, and they were fine at it. Mindplay checking seem to be about a full second slower.

Plus, pretty high degree of training at this shop.

Would seem like a waste of money as a glorified holecard checker. The diabolical theory would be that they're just trying to get players used to the devices before they go to full-on Mindplay to start rating play ability.

 

[ScottH]

Probably just hole card checking... alot of the dealers are really really bad. In aus if you can get a hole card game (technically they are illegal) the dealers are so not used to it that they flash the card badly.

I wouldn't try see the holecard if they consider it illegal. I wouldn't want to do time to see see the holecard. I don't understand why it would be illegal though, they are the ones showing you. Are you supposed to just "pretend" you didn't see it?

 

[Mimosine]

I'm working on the tentative assumption that they're using it for closer bet comp-tracking. But what do I know.

this is what the dealer's told me. they typically are now using more features, like swiping the player's cards and programming what player sits where into the machines now. then they give the card to the pit. i was told the tables have 7 cameras in them that keep track of player betting.

what i do is just give my card to the pit directly and avoid having it swiped into the table. those tables slow games down to snail pace everytime someone sits down and the dealer has to punch in their buy in amount.

the 6 tables they have are on a 1 year trial basis.

 

[EasyRhino]

Chatted up a floorman and was told that the Mindplay computers aren't even connected to anything at the moment, so besides the holecard-checking, the rest of the procedures are mainly practice.

I wonder how a camera can determine bets? And I wonder where the cameras are?

 

[ColorMeUp]

Chatted up a floorman and was told that the Mindplay computers aren't even connected to anything at the moment, so besides the holecard-checking, the rest of the procedures are mainly practice.

I wonder how a camera can determine bets? And I wonder where the cameras are?

Are they actually cameras or just RFID readers in the bet circles? Some of the houses in Las Vegas have little chips in the chips now (I'm assuming RFID) and when you cash out they put the chips on this black thing on the countertop and it shows them how much money is there. I noticed the black countertop at the Wynn and asked the cashier if it was a camera and she said no, and pointed out the little chip and said this thing counts how much money is here for me.

 

[EasyRhino]

Naw, this place doesn't use RFID that I'm aware of (no sign of fancy measuring trays), and the floorman did specifically say cameras. And they just replaced all their chips a few months ago, before the mindplay machines started showing up.

 

[Mimosine]

i was told by two separate dealers that there are 7 cameras facing you embedded in the walls of the chip rack. i'm not 100% confident they know what they are talking about, but there is a really big ~ 3/4 cm seam hollowed out at felt level. figuring out bets using a camera probably isn't that big of an engineering challenge, they all have different colors.... rfid seems like it would be much easier, and who are we to say whether or not there are RFID readers under each betting location? very possible as well.

 

[EasyRhino]

Incidentally, I hadn't been to Barona in quite a while, but noticed that the Mindplay setups were gone. Small victories.

The bummer was that there seemed to be CSMs replaced a couple more shoe and one pitch game on the main floor.