Tech Behind the Scenes: The Gear Powering Live Dealer Blackjack Casinos
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Since the invention of online casinos in the late 90s, the industry has been actively trying to find ways to improve player experience and make online gambling better. As the industry grew, more secure payment systems were established, more traditional casino games were brought online, and in 2003, a new variant of online gambling called live dealer casinos was invented. This innovation marked a significant milestone in the online gambling industry, providing players with a more realistic and immersive casino experience.
It’s been roughly two decades since the first live dealer casino was launched, and now, there are dozens of live casinos offering live variants of popular games like live dealer blackjack. However, despite the use of real-life dealers and cards, live dealer blackjack still requires lots of investment in technology to ensure everything works properly.
When it comes to online gaming, the tech behind live dealer blackjack casinos is truly remarkable. These platforms, like those explored in-depth on CasinoUSA.com, utilize advanced equipment to deliver a seamless, interactive experience that brings the thrill of the casino right to your home. This article explores the tech behind live dealer blackjack and why it’s slowly becoming a fan favorite.
A Look into Live Dealer Blackjack Technologies
Live dealer blackjack isn’t something a small group of people with a camera, cards, and blackjack table can just randomly set up. Lots of planning goes into it, and a vast number of technologies are also in place to ensure the smooth running of games. Here are the important gear powering the gaming sessions.
Video Equipment
As expected, we start with the most important equipment of all, the video equipment that ensures players around the world can watch and play blackjack. Most studios have multiple cameras placed at different angles for a single table. These cameras are positioned in vital areas and make use of high-tech video-switching equipment to keep players engaged and aware of everything happening.
The cameras are mainly targeted on the dealer, table, and cards and are also equipped with pan and zoom capabilities, allowing them to focus on specific areas when necessary. Some casinos use various video optimization or compression techniques to minimize latency and ensure a seamless gaming experience.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Optical Character Recognition is one of the most crucial technologies used in live dealer blackjack casinos. It’s a special technology that allows the system to read the values of the cards on the table and display them on the player’s screen.
The technique is quite simple; it captures an image of the card on the table, analyzes them, determines its values, and then displays the results to the player. Aside from card reading, OCR can also detect hand signals from the dealer and interpret their meaning. This technology encourages transparency and fairness.
Gaming Equipment
Earlier, we discussed OCR technology and how they allow the system to read and translate card values. The use of this technology is possible due to the special nature of the gaming equipment at live dealer blackjack tables.
Most casinos use playing cards with barcodes or RFID tags that help the OCR or other technologies to easily analyze card values. Some casinos also use smart tables equipped with OCR lenses, cameras, and audio recorders to improve the overall experience.
Game Control Interface
A live dealer blackjack game cannot work without the game control interface, as the system connects everything together. After the OCR reads the card values, it sends it to the game control interface, which in turn sends it to the player’s screens.
Also, when the player makes decisions like split, stand, or hit, it is sent to the game control interface, which then relays the message to the dealer’s screen so he can act accordingly. The interface may also provide the dealer with essential information like the game rules, special features, available players, and payouts.
The Bottom Line
Despite Playtech launching the first live dealer casino in 2003, the gaming mode did not make waves till the early 2010s due to the boom in mobile phones and improvements in the quality of the internet. Now, live dealer casinos are rivaling traditional online casinos, with games like live blackjack slowly becoming the preferred option for online gamers. Here, we explored the various technologies in place to ensure players enjoy a smooth and seamless live dealer blackjack experience.
