SW: blackjack computers

[SW]

I have an opportunity to buy a blackjack computer. The man who has these says that they are only illegal in 10 states. Is this true. Would they be legal in New York and New Jersey casinos?

[Parker]

> I have an opportunity to buy a blackjack
> computer. The man who has these says that
> they are only illegal in 10 states. Is this
> true. Would they be legal in New York and
> New Jersey casinos?

No. They are illegal just about everywhere that casino gambling is allowed.

In addition, if you were caught with one, you would be listed in Griffin and BioMetrica as a cheat, which is totally different than being listed as a card counter. You would be hounded by security every time you tried to enter a casino.

I know of one such person who used one back in the 80's when it was still legal, and it still creates problems for him.

In addition, this type of computer would not be very effective in today's poorly penetrated multi-deck games.

Finally, if this is the "Casey" type computer, you are paying a premium price for really obsolete early 80's computer technology. "Casey" has far less computing power than even the least expensive Palm Pilot, even less than a 286.

Buy some good blackjack books and software (see catalog at left) and put the rest of the money you saved into your bankroll.

[Steephen]

Dear Parker.
I agree with almost everything you said except i don't know what you mean by " this type " of computer would not be very effective against...
Do you mean Analog or Digital. Modern technology can now put a computer in an implantable tooth. If I were to design one i'd make it run at 60 Hz and it would be indistinguishable from the Electrical wiring leakage.I'd make it have a filling so that the metal was in contact with saliva and thus supply the power. I'd put a directional sensitive pressure switch on it so that you could input your numbers with pressure on your jaw and run the output into the jaw where one short pulse meant hit one long pulse meant stay two short pulses meant split and two long pulses meant double down. On and off like a ringing meant take insurance no signal means take no insurance. i'd design it on a prototype board and when it was running perfectly i'd convert it to CMOS technology. I'd encase the whole processor in a coaxial covering so that the miniscule 60HZ electric/magnetic field it did produce would be undetectible by anyone but NASA or CERN. I'd make it so that it could turn off and produce no field if I had reason to think someone were looking for it. It would be hardwired logic so there would be nothing to malfunction. It would not operate on a counting system it would be all mathematics with 100% utilization of the data and 0% error. It would cost about 10 grand and be available by next summer. If I were going to design such a hypothetical device. In conclusion I agree with you I wouldn't want anyone to waste their money on it. If it did exist.

Steephen Bauer
Electromagnetics Engineer

> No. They are illegal just about everywhere
> that casino gambling is allowed.

> In addition, if you were caught with one,
> you would be listed in Griffin and
> BioMetrica as a cheat, which is totally
> different than being listed as a card
> counter. You would be hounded by security
> every time you tried to enter a casino.

> I know of one such person who used one back
> in the 80's when it was still legal, and it
> still creates problems for him.

> In addition, this type of computer would not
> be very effective in today's poorly
> penetrated multi-deck games.

> Finally, if this is the "Casey"
> type computer, you are paying a premium
> price for really obsolete early 80's
> computer technology. "Casey" has
> far less computing power than even the least
> expensive Palm Pilot, even less than a 286.

> Buy some good blackjack books and software
> (see catalog at left) and put the rest of
> the money you saved into your bankroll.

[Parker]

> Dear Parker.
> I agree with almost everything you said
> except i don't know what you mean by "
> this type " of computer would not be
> very effective against...
> Do you mean Analog or Digital. Modern
> technology can now put a computer in an
> implantable tooth. If I were to design one
> i'd make it run at 60 Hz and it would be
> indistinguishable from the Electrical wiring
> leakage.I'd make it have a filling so that
> the metal was in contact with saliva and
> thus supply the power. I'd put a directional
> sensitive pressure switch on it so that you
> could input your numbers with pressure on
> your jaw and run the output into the jaw
> where one short pulse meant hit one long
> pulse meant stay two short pulses meant
> split and two long pulses meant double down.
> On and off like a ringing meant take
> insurance no signal means take no insurance.
> i'd design it on a prototype board and when
> it was running perfectly i'd convert it to
> CMOS technology. I'd encase the whole
> processor in a coaxial covering so that the
> miniscule 60HZ electric/magnetic field it
> did produce would be undetectible by anyone
> but NASA or CERN. I'd make it so that it
> could turn off and produce no field if I had
> reason to think someone were looking for it.
> It would be hardwired logic so there would
> be nothing to malfunction. It would not
> operate on a counting system it would be all
> mathematics with 100% utilization of the
> data and 0% error. It would cost about 10
> grand and be available by next summer. If I
> were going to design such a hypothetical
> device. In conclusion I agree with you I
> wouldn't want anyone to waste their money on
> it. If it did exist.

> Steephen Bauer
> Electromagnetics Engineer

I was referring to what the poster undoubtedly has been offered to purchase, which is a copy of the "George" computer that Uston wrote about in Million Dollar Blackjack.

Obviously a state of the art system such as you describe would be more effective, although even that I would question how much, in a typical 6 or 8 deck shoe game.

Certainly not enough to go to prison for. :-)

As Uston himself commented, why not just hold up the cashier cage? The penalty is the same if you get caught, and you won't need as big a bankroll.

[T-Hopper]

Roughly, it can make an 8-deck game about as good as a similar 6-decker. That doesn't sound like much, but at high stakes the $ difference could be significant.

[Parker]

> Roughly, it can make an 8-deck game about as
> good as a similar 6-decker. That doesn't
> sound like much, but at high stakes the $
> difference could be significant.

Regardless of the stakes, it doesn't sound like anything worth going to prison for.

Besides, using a concealed computer is clearly cheating, no different than marking cards or using a shiner.

The whole concept, at least for me, is to beat the game by playing by the rules and using my head.

Regardless, your input is most appreciated.