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Short answer: no. Long answer: still, no. It’s possible that a casino might ban you if you are winning too much money. But adjusting a game? Fixing the math in the house’s favor? Tweaking the software to tilt the odds? It’s possible, but it would be an insane act of self-harm.
Join Techopedia, as it palms an ace and deals you a joker. We’ll prove that possible doesn’t equal probable when you’re planning a con at the casino.
Casino Myth Busted
The Myth: “Dealers adjust the games if you’re winning too much…”
We’ve all seen it in the movies: the player beats the casino, stacking chips sky-high.
The floor manager gives the croupier a nod. The croupier secretly flips a switch, grabs a new deck of cards, or changes the dice.
Suddenly, the player’s luck runs out. Once again, the casino wins.
In the movie Casablanca, bar owner Rick helps a desperate couple escape the war. He tells them to bet 22 on the roulette wheel. They do. They win.
He tells them to let the bet stand. It hits 22 again. They collect their winnings and make their escape. Fixed for a good cause.
But do casinos really have the ability to fix a game? Is there a magic switch that can select a number on the roulette wheel?
Is there a way to slip a tampered deck of cards into a blackjack game? Can a casino really fix it when a player is on his or her way to breaking the bank?
5 Reasons Why This Myth Is Well & Truly One for the Birds
1. Reputation
“A good reputation is more valuable than money.” The words of Latin writer Publilius Syrus are as true today as they were when he first wrote them 2,000 years ago.
If it was ever discovered that a casino was knowingly fixing a game in order to decrease the player’s chance of winning, it would be an absolute scandal and – very probably – game over for the business.
Older online poker players will remember Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, two of the biggest online poker sites in the early 2000s.
AP was caught cheating players. The business owners had a secret backdoor in the code that enabled them to see the hole cards of the other poker players.
They got caught. Within a few months, the business was finished.
From a strategic, business-orientated view, fixing games at a casino is both pointless and suicidal.
Remember, the games are already statistically weighted in favor of the casino. The house always wins. Why fix a fix?
2. Straight Up Cheating
Let’s assume the house is prepared to risk its reputation.
Everyone, from the croupier to the pit boss, the floor manager, and the security team, will have to be involved in the fix.
The whole casino setup is engineered to catch cheats. Slipping in a bent deck or swapping dice has to be done in front of the players and other staff. It won’t be easy.
Online, there are more options. It could be possible to have a ‘fixed’ game in the portfolio. One that is unique to the particular casino.
Most real-money online casinos use the same games, shared by everyone else. The game developer would have to be the one to fix the game.
But they are subject to extraordinary levels of scrutiny. If discovered, the business will fail. Without integrity, an online casino software developer is unfit for purpose.
3. The Cooler
If you have never watched the fabulous William H. Macy in the movie The Cooler, you are in for a treat.
It tells the story of Bernie, the unluckiest gambler in Las Vegas. The casino gets Bernie to sit in on a game when the players are winning too much money. The idea is that he ‘cools’ the action at the table – and everyone loses.
They would certainly never advertise the position. Employing an individual to affect the outcome of a game would violate the casino license.
Switching blackjack dealers is often seen as a ‘cooling’ factor, mainly because the deck is shuffled again.
Can someone’s aura influence a table? Is it a realistic tactic for a serious casino to use?
It’s more likely that a floor manager might cause a distraction to throw a winning player off his or her game.
But, again, it’s not worth risking your reputation (see reason #1).
4. Comps & Cocktails
It might be unethical and too obvious to fix the games when a player is on a roll. It is, however, very easy to try and fix the player.
That free drink? Those complimentary cocktails? The dinner on the house? The comped luxury suite?
It’s not just the casino showing the kindness of its heart. It wants you to stay and play.
If that means a room, free drinks, dinner, and good times, the casino will do all it can to get the money back.
There’s no need for a fake fix when three large cocktails and the house edge will do the job for you. All it takes is time.
5. The Audit
Getting a casino license is costly and time-consuming, both online and in the real world.
If you’re gambling in the backroom of a dive bar in the roughest block in town, you could be in trouble.
But – at any reputable, serious, online or offline casino – you can rest assured that they are more than happy to wait, play straight, and let statistical nature take its course.
The Bottom Line
Relax. The casino is not adjusting the odds. It doesn’t need to. The odds are already stacked in its favor.
Casinos live and die by their reputation. They love winners. Any casino caught adjusting the odds to stop winning players in their tracks is a dead man walking. There would be no coming back from a scandal like this.
FAQs
Who controls casino games?
What is the role of a casino dealer?
What do casinos do if you win too much?
Do casinos control how much you win?
Do casino dealers care if you win?
Can a casino kick you out for being too lucky?
References
- Publilius Syrus (Wikipedia)
