New technology to prevent card counting in blackjack
Anyone thinking of trying to count cards at blackjack might wantto reconsider after reading this, because a mathematician has devised a method of unmasking card counting.
Wesley Cooper, who is studying for a PhD at Trinity College, Dublin and is a keen blackjack player himself, has developed a system named Clear Deal that uses a cunning mixture of video cameras and statistical analysis to uncover any players cheating at blackjack.
He told The Times: "It can determine if someone is proficient or just lucky at blackjack. A skilled player with a good mathematical mind can count cards, giving them a statistical edge. Blackjack is beatable if you have a good mathematics brain."
"At the moment, casino surveillance staff need to watch the [blackjack] tables and try to identify suspicious play using their experience and instincts. This system does the same job automatically using computer-vision techniques and algorithms."
The system is still in the test stage, but Wesley is hoping that Clear Deal will become a regularly-used system at blackjack tables in casinos around the globe, particularly after he has dedicated so much of his studies to the project, which he conceived after watching the blackjack themed film, 21.
Wesley even worked as a croupier on blackjack tables in Las Vegas casinos as part of his research and identified some of the techniques casinos employ to keep profitable players.
"I learnt that one of the most important things in a casino is to build up a profile of each serious [blackjack] player, so they can identify the 'profitable' patrons and target them with complimentary drinks and food to keep patrons at tables."
Despite the apparent ingenuity of his invention, Wesley is philosophical about the impact it will have on the game of blackjack: "Blackjack is 3,000 years old and people have been counting cards as long as it has been around" he said.