What follows are responses to Frequently Asked Questions regarding topics relating to Blackjack Simulation software in general, and Boris' Casino Blackjack Simulation Software in particular.
This FAQ is under continuing development.
Last Updated: December 09, 2005
Casino Blackjack cards are NOT random. There are MANY tests that can and have been run to demonstrate this. Additionally, the extensive statistics from the Boris' Blackjack Simulation software can give you another look at this non-randomness. To understand some of the logic behind non-randomness, see the article Does Card-Clumping Exist? . None other than Kenny Uston seems to have been the FIRST person to report on the existence of Clumped cards. Additionally, an independent Wash-study has been done by Russ Hall. The cards depicted in Boris shuffle displays illustrating that study certainly don't pass the tests for Randomness.
ShuffleMaster Shuffle Machines have
increasingly infiltrated the Blackjack tables (not to mention
Caribbean Stud and other poker-like games). They are REQUIRED to be
used at the Let-It-Ride tables, a game licensed to the casinos by
ShuffleMaster Inc. There is a MYTH (promulgated by ShuffleMaster Inc.
and parroted by casino employees) that these Shuffle Machines produce
random cards. It all depends upon your definition of
"Random". It is clear that the term "Random" as
put forth by ShuffleMaster Inc. would be defined as not being able to
select a specific card (or cards) out of the deck/pack after the
machine has completed the shuffle process, when you knew the location
of the card(s) BEFORE the shuffle was done.
The above distinction is CRUCIAL.
Clump-Trackers (and many card-counters) agree that the definition of
non-random cards is that Low-cards follow Low-cards, High-cards
follow High-cards and Mid-cards follow Mid-cards more often than they
randomly should. By THIS definition, the ShuffleMaster Machines do
NOT produce random cards. Cards that are not random are therefore (to
some degree) predictible, if you know what to look for.
Boris' Blackjack Simulation Software
accurately simulates the Original THREE Shuffle Master machines.
Compare the play against Boris' Shuffle Machine Simulations versus
one of Boris' Random Shuffles. You well quickly see that there is a
measureable difference.
Virtually all Blackjack strategies have
been derived from computer simulations which AT BEST employ a random
shuffle. The "at best" refers to inferior attempts to
duplicate casino shuffles by programmers who have never REALLY
studied casino shuffle/wash procedures in considerable detail; as has
been done for the development of Boris.
We are in our 11th year of Wash and
Shuffle Investigation.
The Speed with which software is able to carry out its simulation is in no way indicative of the Quality or Accuracy of the Simulation Software itself. By comparison, Boris probably rates as slow Simulation Software. However, NO OTHER Blackjack Simulation software (available in the comercial marketplace) can come anywhere CLOSE to the accuracy of Boris' Blackjack Simulations, nor can they produce an equivalent myriad of relevant statistics.
Because most Blackjack Software programs
use little more than random number generation to achieve
card-shuffling, the assumption is made that the way in which the
cards are picked up and placed in the discard tray doesn't really
matter - because the cards will be randomly shuffled anyway. One
Blackjack "game" goes so far as to "shuffle" the
cards as they are picked up, randomly inserting them into
"numbered slots" in the discard tray; elimenating shuffle
wait-time. These are examples of TWO bad assumptions. At the VERY
least, it is important to pickup the cards in a consistent (not
random) manner, to facilitate back-playing the hands in the event of
a dispute. It has also been suggested that the discard order has a
CONSIDERABLE influence on the outcome of the game. Remember the
Dual-discard tray at the Las Vegas club? (This is being researched
for Boris 5.0.)