Online blackjack has been around for just about as long as online poker has and while plenty of people have been skeptical of the poker random number generators (RNGs), many more have been skeptical of RNGs used in blackjack. Online operators compete against the players, so even though the odds are in the house’s favor, there is certainly motive to cheat. And when the cards are virtual, one can never been 100 percent certain – even with all the technical verifications and certifications in the world – that there is no way anything fishy is going on.
Live Blackjack Visionary iGaming's Blackjack Early Payout is the star of the show at BetOnline Live Casino, and while some of you might be concerned by the presence of just one Blackjack game, you should know that the table can accommodate an unlimited number of players.
As a way to ease this trust issue and to make online casinos have more of a “real life” feel, some sites started up “live dealer” games, which are exactly what they sound like: real human dealers are dealing real cards to players over the internet. Players still click buttons to indicate their hit/stand decisions, but the dealers on the screen really put the cards out. It’s not something I’ve ever played, but it’s a decent idea that has gained in popularity in recent years.
Even though live dealer games are partially meant to engender trust, one recent game has shown that even live dealers and/or the online casinos may try to screw customers out of their money. On January 25th, Michael Morgenstern, who calls himself a “blackjack professional,” live streamed a 75-minute session of him playing in the live dealer blackjack games of BetOnline.com. This past weekend, he posted a portion of that video that shows what looks to be the dealer cheating. Dk sportsbook promo code.
Examples of some of the highlighted slots on offer at Betonline Mystic Rift was the first slot to be announced when we checked out the site. This followed some multi-hand blackjack, American roulette, and a link to the live. BetOnline Hosts Live Casino Challenge for Blackjack and Roulette Posted on April 2, 2020 8:38 am BetOnline casino has prepared a one-of-a-kind Live Casino Challenge up to $1800 for all dedicated players. The BetOnline and Ignition Casinos offer the lowest betting limits where you can bet as little as $5 per hand for live dealer blackjack. If you want high limits check out BetOnline and Drake where you can bet up to $10,000 per game or try out the Wild Casino and bet as much $5000 per hand. Please note that this freeplay can be used only in the sportsbook and racebook at BetOnline.ag. If your FIRST ever Live Dealer casino bet is a winner, you aren't eligible for the $25.00 free play. If your first Live Dealer bet exceeds $25, you will still earn the $25 free play.
Morgenstern did not notice the problem while he was playing; it was pointed out by a viewer in the comments of the YouTube video.
In the hand, Morgenstern made the unusual decision to split Twos against the dealer’s King, something that players rarely do. This seems to be because Morgenstern was counting cards, which he indicates once the hand is over by referencing the “negative” count of the deck. He likely split the Twos because he felt the deck was in his favor.
Morgenstern busted the first of the split hands with a 25 and was then dealt a Nine on the other Two, so he doubled-down. He received a Six on his next and final card, giving him a 17 on the second hand of the split. The dealer then dealt himself an Eight, giving him an 18, beating Morgenstern (normally, the dealer would deal himself both cards when the players are dealt their two initial cards, but apparently on BetOnline, he only deals himself one card and saves the other for after all the players have acted).
What was discovered by the viewer, though, was that when Morgenstern was dealt the Six, the dealer pushed the top card of the shoe up and took the second card to give to Morgenstern. Clearly, the proper procedure was to deal Morgenstern the top card from the deck, not the second card.
It is entirely possible that it was a mistake, but it seems unlikely, as sliding the top card out of the way to grab the second card is not a natural thing to do. It is also obvious that the dealer makes a sort of double finger-flicking motion before sliding the top card out of the way. Internet sleuths believe that he is not just randomly flicking his fingers, but rather rubbing his finger on the card in an effort to feel some sort of marking that indicates the value of the card. The idea here is that the markings indicate that the card is an Eight, which would’ve given Morgenstern a very good 19. The dealer didn’t know what the second card would be, but he allegedly took the chance that it was worse for Morgenstern than the Eight and then the dealer would get the Eight and beat Morgenstern.
Of course, that the dealer cheated is pure speculation right now, but the video is pretty damning. A further question is: did the dealer do this on his own or did someone off camera direct him to do so? If we may further speculate, what seems to make the most sense is that someone at BetOnline told him to do that, unless there was some internal incentive for a dealer to produce losing sessions for players.
The original video for Morgenstern’s session is below. The hand in which the alleged cheating occurred begins at about the 13:30 mark. Warning: there is a lot of foul language in the video.
And here is the edited video that specifically points out the cheating. There is no audio in this one.
Founded in 2004, Bet Online is headquartered in Panama City, Panama and licensed by the Panamanian government to operate an online gaming establishment. This online casino, sportsbook, poker room and racebook primarily serve customers from the United States of America.
Is BetOnline Legit?
BetOnline is a brand recovering from a fairly shady past. While we have not received any recent complaints about them, we feel it’s in your best interest to be cognitive of the incidents that occurred at BetOnline that have caused their reputation to fall.
Their most recent incident occurred around February 2017 where a viral video of a professional blackjack player at a live blackjack table is dealt a card in a very suspicious manner. What the dealer did is called “second dealing” where the dealer manipulates the cards by dealing the second card instead of the top card with the intention of cheating.
BetOnline has since released a statement which can be read here
The TLDR; is they changed their live dealer software provider from Global Gaming Labs to Visionary Gaming and are taking clients feedback seriously in addressing any concerns.
Can BetOnline be trusted after this incident? It certainly doesn’t look good but perhaps their actions towards trying to rectify their reputation will lead to a much better and fair experience for players from hereon.
Games
Players can gamble on an assortment of games at Bet Online. They do have a fully comprehensive sportsbook, allowing players to wager on all of the major games such Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, and Tennis. They also take bets on Auto Racing, Cricket, Martial Arts and other sports. You can even bet on e-sports, where professional video game players compete in tournaments to see who is the best. Bet Online takes wagers on Counter Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends, Hearthstone and Vainglory.
Casino Betonline Ag
Aside from their sportsbook, they do also have a fully comprehensive casino. They’ve got lots of different slots you can play, including video slots and the more traditional ones. Some of their slot games are Giovanni’s Gems and The Slotfather 2. They also offer video poker and virtual table games to their customers.
It’s not just virtual table games either. Customers of Bet Online can also play live dealer table games, powered by Visionary Gaming. This online casino has live dealer versions of Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat and Super 6. Their live dealer blackjack game has the following rules :
- Dealer Hits on Soft Seventeen
- Dealer Peeks for Blackjack
- Double Any Two Cards
- Late Surrender
- Play of Multiple Hands Permitted
- Double After Split Okay
Unlike most online live dealer blackjack games, at Bet Online you get to play with only six decks. But card counting is explicitly prohibited at Bet Online, and they openly vow to confiscate the funds of any card counters that play there.
Bonuses and Promotions
There are a number of different promotions at Bet Online. They do offer three 100% match bonus up to $1000. How this works is they double your money right away, so if you make a $500 deposit you are playing with $1000 immediately. There is a 40x rollover associated with this bonus, so if you deposit $500 then you must give them $40,000 in action before you are allowed to cash out. Furthermore, you can only clear this bonus by playing slots and must clear the bonus within 30 days.
Free Live Blackjack Games
In addition to this welcome bonus, Bet Online also has a 20% casino rebate on your losses. Simply e-mail support and let them know how much you lost, and you will get free slot play.
Betonline Live Blackjack Games
Please note this slot bonus reimbursement does come with a 30x rollover requirement.
Betonline Casino Games
Another promotion at Bet Online is a $25 Risk-Free Bet on your first bet at the live dealer casino. Simply make a $25 wager. If you lose, then you are eligible to get $25 in sports bonus that has a 6x rollover requirement. Please note this is only valid for your first ever bet in the live dealer casino.