Understanding the Blackjack Algorithm: What You Need to Know About the Online Blackjack Backend

Let’s face it: card counting in blackjack is only beneficial for those who use that method to “cheat” their way to victory. In turn, the physical version of the game has gained more detractors than followers over the years, not unless you’re one of those players who’ve taken advantage of card counting as an actual strategy.

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With the emergence of online casinos, however, card counting has pretty much become an afterthought. But as with all games where risk and chance is involved, speculation about the legitimacy of such online blackjack games constantly arise.

Having said that, players caught in a dilemma between enjoying a game of 21 and shady online play should know more about Random Number Generators, or RNGs for short. RNGs, to put it simply, are devices meant to simulate unpredictable outcomes.

There are two types of RNGs: true RNGs and pseudo RNGs. True RNGs apply mainly in the real world, where non-game factors come into action to create a natural random occurrence such as noise, attention-grabbing visuals, and dealer traits and habits to name a few. On the other hand, pseudo RNGs are the pillars of a particular online blackjack program or software, wherein an elaborate algorithm of mathematical code is used to produce “random” results.

The word “random” in pseudo RNGs can certainly be taken with a grain of salt. The program would need to start with something before generating probabilities, which usually begins even before the moment you hit “deal”. The RNG for a certain blackjack software constantly runs permutated combinations for your opening hand based on the number and types of cards in a given deck or round of play – all in a matter of milliseconds. Once you’ve gotten your first two cards in hand – also known as “seed” or “key” numbers, the RNG then continues to run its millions of probable outcomes. This time around, however, it takes the cards in play (yours, the dealer’s, and any other players’ cards on the virtual table) out of the equation.

Since online blackjack players are at the behest of the game’s programmers and the code they used to create a particular algorithm, RNGs, in essence, aren’t entirely perfect systems of randomness. To ensure that online casinos are running fair games with their software, third-party auditors constantly check in and evaluate on the legitimacy of the games online to guarantee that what you’re playing is actually up to the fairest or “most-random” standards.

And if you’re actually curious as for how casino software developers come up with their algorithm, best that you save yourself from the frustration from hours of trying to crack mind-boggling mathematical code. Instead, you can count on truly accredited online casinos that have certifications from multiple third-party arbitrators and overall positive feedback from the online gambling community.

In general, there’s really no good way to determine if an online blackjack is truly random or not. Think about it this way: in real-life blackjack, aren’t you also vulnerable to sleights of hand and other sly tricks to throw randomness out the window just the same? At least in online blackjack, all you’re facing is a non-sentient, unbiased program that simply encourages you put your luck to the test with the legitimate probabilities that it generates.