The Random Number Generator (RNG) is at the heart of the modern online gambling industry and appears in all online games, blackjack included. The RNG’s purpose is to ensure random (that is, unpredictable) outcomes, guaranteeing fairness for everyone involved.
Blackjack is the only casino game in which players can turn the tables in their favor by using advantage play techniques such as card counting. This is possible because blackjack is a game of dependent events, meaning that previous outcomes affect the odds of future outcomes. Players use knowledge of the cards that have already been dealt to make better-informed decisions about the hands that follow.
But is this also the case in online blackjack variations that run on RNGs? Rather than relying on a human dealer to shuffle and randomize the card order, online blackjack uses algorithms and mathematical formulas to ensure each card that appears on the virtual felt is dealt at random. This prevents the games from showing bias toward either the dealer or the player.
For years, gambling buffs have speculated as to whether such games are truly random and unbeatable. Some swear by the unpredictability of randomly generated online blackjack, while others believe the games are exploitable.
Here at SuperCasinoSites, we give you the full lowdown on everything you need to know about Random Number Generators in online blackjack, as well as an answer to the question of whether such games are beatable.
The RNG and How It Works
The RNG made its entry into the gambling industry as a new way to operate slots. Slot machines once had physical reels that rotated to determine which symbols would eventually appear and potentially create winning combinations.
Slots gradually developed into more complicated games with multiple paylines and special features. The need to introduce a new way of ensuring random outcomes arose. Physical space was limited on old-fashioned reels and did not allow for the ever-increasing number of symbols and winning combinations in advanced slots.
It is this need that led to the introduction of the Random Number Generator. The RNG is a built-in program that relies on mathematical computations to generate fully random events. Frequently implemented in scientific simulations, it also found its way into the gambling industry with the rise of online casinos.
The RNG can be used to simulate random independent events such as the roll of the dice, the spin of a roulette wheel, or the flip of a coin. In the context of online blackjack, the RNG shuffles the cards, ensuring every single hand is randomly dealt and has an unpredictable result.
The software achieves this by generating lengthy strings of random numbers. It has no knowledge of previous results and lacks a predictable pattern. The implementation of RNGs is essential when it comes to ensuring fair and unbiased online casino games, whether it is blackjack, roulette, slots, or any other game with an element of chance. They are also used in brick-and-mortar venues for electronic roulette and blackjack, keno, and video poker.
True Random and Pseudo-Random Number Generators
There are several types of RNGs, the first being the True Random Number Generator (TRNG), which relies on external input to generate random results. The TRNG is significantly more expensive to maintain and is used primarily in cryptography, where its main purpose is to create random cryptographic keys for secure data transmission.
The vast majority of online casinos rely on Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNGs). Unlike the TRNG, a PRNG is deterministic and uses complex algorithms to produce seemingly unpredictable results in casino games such as blackjack. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these two main types of RNG.
One-to-one comparison between TRNGs and PRNGs:
| Qualities | PRNGs | TRNGs |
| Level of efficiency | High efficiency | Poorer efficiency and fewer numbers produced |
| Deterministic or non-deterministic | Deterministic | Non-deterministic |
| Periodic or non-periodic | Periodic | Non-periodic |
| Suitable applications | Modeling and Simulation | Data encryption, random sampling, casino games, draws, and lotteries |
True Random Number Generators (TRNG)
Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNG)
True Random Number Generators (TRNG)
TRNGs rely on natural phenomena or other external sources to produce random numbers. For example, imagine placing 1,000 microphones in noisy areas around the world and using their combined sound output for randomization. The TRNG would sample these unpredictable sounds and translate them into strings of numbers.
This type of RNG does not rely on a computer algorithm for computations, so the numbers it generates are truly unpredictable. A TRNG can extract random numbers from physical phenomena such as mouse movements, keystrokes, radiation waves, and atmospheric noise.
TRNGs are also known as hardware random number generators because they use hardware transducers to transform aspects of physical phenomena into electrical signals. These signals are then converted into random digital numbers through analog-to-digital conversion systems.
There are many ways to achieve absolute randomness, but most TRNGs rely on external sources such as radiation waves. One notable example is the HotBits service, which creates random numbers by timing the decay of consecutive radioactive pairs, an inherently unpredictable process. This information is detected and fed into a computer straight from a Geiger-Müller tube.
Atmospheric noise can also serve this purpose, as can background noise in office buildings or laboratories. In the latter case, you must watch closely for discernible patterns because they can harm randomness.
Another notable TRNG was Silicon Graphics’ Lavarand generator, which captured snapshots of the shapes created by floating material in lava lamps. That data was then used to produce truly unpredictable seeds for a Pseudo-Random Number Generator.
Regardless of the physical phenomenon used, a TRNG is non-deterministic, meaning the number sequences it produces cannot be recreated, intentionally repeated, or predicted.
That said, certain number sequences can repeat by chance, but this repetition is entirely coincidental. In terms of efficiency, TRNGs often fall short; unlike PRNGs, they require more time to generate numbers.
Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNG)
Many online blackjack variations run on Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNGs) to ensure randomness. Rather than relying on unpredictable physical phenomena, a PRNG uses complex algorithms and computations based on predefined rules.
Unlike a TRNG, a PRNG does not require external input to produce random outcomes. It needs only a fixed algorithm and seed numbers to start generating random numbers. Each random number corresponds to a specific card value and suit.
A PRNG is highly efficient because it can produce very long strings of numbers every millisecond. Unlike TRNGs, a PRNG is deterministic, meaning it can reproduce a specific number sequence later if necessary. It is also periodic, so number sequences, no matter how chaotic they appear, will eventually repeat.
This periodicity is undesirable in online gambling games such as blackjack because it reduces the unpredictability of hand outcomes, making the games theoretically exploitable.
In practice, however, the repetition period of sophisticated casino PRNGs is extremely long, spanning billions of hands. As a result, players cannot detect any patterns in the outcomes.
The casino software communicates with the PRNG each time it needs a random result. The PRNG generates a number and sends it back to the software. Each number corresponds to a potential outcome or card value, and the software displays it accordingly.
Assume, for instance, you are playing blackjack in a land-based casino and choose to hit. The dealer simply draws the next card from the top of the deck or shoe. This is not what happens in online blackjack because no physical shoe is present.
Instead, the casino software instructs the PRNG to generate an arbitrary number, which determines the value of the next card you receive. This process repeats after every hand. Once the round ends, the discards are returned to the virtual shoe and reshuffled. In essence, you are always playing from a fresh, neutral shoe.
The table below provides a one-to-one comparison between pseudo and true random number generators.
Measures Taken to Ensure Fairness in RNG-Based Blackjack Games
Online blackjack uses random number generators instead of human dealers, prompting some players to question the games’ authenticity. Are they rigged in favor of the house? A common scenario involves a player who goes through several hundred hands, loses most of them, and quickly concludes the game is fixed. It seems the virtual dealer always outdraws them, regardless of the upcard.
This scenario is not uncommon in gambling, even with games like blackjack which combine elements of skill, strategy, and chance. Such reasoning is a classic case of confirmation bias.
Humans tend to seek, interpret, and filter information in ways that reinforce their existing beliefs. Some players think, “I am losing hand after hand, so the game must be rigged against me.” However, a sample size of several hundred or thousand blackjack hands is hardly sufficient when it comes to drawing any such conclusions.
Honesty and fair play should not concern you if you play blackjack at reputable, licensed, and properly regulated online casinos. Here is why:
Tests and Evaluations of the RNGs
Certificate From the Testing Agency
Randomness in the Blackjack Games
Tests and Evaluations of the RNGs
RNGs used in blackjack games are tested and evaluated regularly to ensure the software operates correctly. Available blackjack variations undergo frequent audits by third-party testing companies such as eCOGRA, Gaming Laboratories International, and Technical Systems Testing.
These organizations are independent auditors, which eliminates conflicts of interest. They evaluate the games’ RNGs using sample sizes that include millions of blackjack hands. This is the only reliable way to determine whether the outcomes align with the game’s built-in payout percentage.
Certificate From the Testing Agency
After an online casino passes the audits, the testing agency grants it a certificate to display on its website. This badge of approval confirms that the blackjack variations, along with all other games, are random and therefore fair. Online gambling operators must also report the audit results and their games’ payout percentages to regulators. If something is amiss, the casino faces serious repercussions.
Randomness in the Blackjack Games
Randomness is also critical for casino operators because it preserves the integrity of blackjack games and ensures the casino earns sufficient expected value to keep operating. Remember, you already play against the house at a small disadvantage, roughly 0.50 percent in blackjack games with favorable rules.
Online casino operators have no reason to cheat and risk losing their licenses. They already secure their share through the built-in house edge. If an audit determines their blackjack games are rigged, casinos face severe financial penalties and license suspension.
The Attributes of Exploitable Blackjack Games
Now that you understand what an RNG is and how it functions in online card games, let’s return to our original question: Can you beat the RNG in online blackjack? More specifically, can techniques such as card counting make this possible? To answer, we must first examine the attributes of profitable, that is, beatable, blackjack games.
Favorable House Rules
Good Penetration
Hands Played per Hour
Favorable House Rules
First, you must find blackjack variations with favorable rules that reduce the house edge enough for you to beat the game. Consider the payouts for blackjacks, the number of decks, and the doubling and splitting rules.
The more liberal the rules, the lower the house edge. Some variants have rules so poor that the games become unbeatable. Others, such as Late Surrender, favor players and decrease the casino’s advantage.
Games that pay 6 to 5 on blackjacks have considerably higher house edges and should be avoided. Fortunately, most online blackjack variations pay naturals at the standard odds of 3 to 2.
Good Penetration
The second attribute of beatable games is sufficient deck penetration, which refers to how deep the dealer deals into the shoe before reshuffling. The deeper the penetration, the more information a card counter gains about the remaining cards.
The main issue with RNG-based blackjack is that it offers players no penetration at all, rendering techniques such as card counting completely useless. RNG blackjack is similar to live-dealer games that use continuous shuffling machines (CSMs). The software automatically returns discards to the shoe and reshuffles after every hand, which immediately discourages experienced blackjack players.
It is impossible to beat a game in which the cards are shuffled after each round. To leverage card counting, you need adequate penetration. For instance, in a six-deck game, seeing about five decks before the shuffle card appears would be acceptable.
In RNG-based games, each round starts with a neutral, newly reshuffled shoe. You base your decisions only on the cards dealt to your hand and the dealer’s upcard. The best you can do against an RNG is follow perfect basic strategy, but even then, you are playing an unbeatable game with negative expected value.
Hands Played per Hour
Speed is a double-edged sword in online blackjack. RNG games run exceptionally fast, which may appeal to players who enjoy quick action. Because you play against software, no other players are present to slow the game while they make decisions.
The problem is that this increased pace can be costly in the long run, as you end up playing far more hands per hour than you would in a traditional land-based casino. There is also no natural pause for reshuffling. The RNG relentlessly reshuffles the virtual shoe after every round.
As a result, you play more hands at a disadvantage, causing you to lose more money to the house edge over time. Each result is unpredictable and entirely independent. Every round starts from a neutral shoe that favors neither the player nor the virtual dealer.
Playing more hands per hour is beneficial only if you are counting cards in a game with decent penetration, which RNG-based blackjack does not provide. In these games, the more you play, the larger your hourly losses become.
Conclusion
Some players assume that Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNG) in online blackjack are beatable due to their determinism and periodicity. They reason that such games are exploitable because, sooner or later, the sequence of numbers will begin to repeat itself.
While it is theoretically possible to use this “pseudo” randomness to your advantage, very few people are capable of achieving it in practice. The algorithms in RNG-based blackjack are simply far too sophisticated, so predicting the outcomes of the hands borders on the impossible. Furthermore, the software undergoes regular audits. Rigged or hackable blackjack games will never slip through the net during testing.
