Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store
There's an app for that: Casinos on alert for card counters using iPhones
Aside from the logistical challenges of an iPhone ban in casinos ("Sure, I don't need my phone, my family knows that I'll be here at the quarter slots for the next five hours"), this is a fascinating example of how the App Store is turning us all into denizens of the Matrix, with skills and information on demand and jacked in, literally at our fingertips. Need to level a bookshelf? Fine. Want to identify local birds? Done. Get your garage mojo in gear? Can do. Learn a language? Of course. Adding the ability to move money from the casino's pocket into yours with better odds than usual seems like a natural next step... and another 'disruptive technology' is going to come into conflict with a long-established, politically and economically powerful industry. Let's watch.
Update: Commenter 'brainopera' contributed his "Matrix moment" -- have you had yours yet?
Thanks Matt
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
brainopera said 10:50AM on 2-16-2009
Once I needed to convert figures while shopping for groceries. I looked up converters in the App store, bought a decently reviewed one, and got my measurements done all on the fly. That was my Matrix moment.
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Taylor. Yes, Taylor. said 2:38PM on 2-16-2009
Sucks for you, google converts all kinds of values, so long as you use a bit of care in how you word it - it's picky on capitalization and word order (you can't ask it to convert newton meters of torque to foot pounds, you have to say pound feet, so that both sides of the conversion have force followed by distance, for example), but if you ask it to convert 5 cups to liters, all you have to type is: 5 cups in l
and google will tell you. Coulda saved 99 cents and the time spend searching the app store. Not a big deal, but still, you want to feel efficient because you found an app, but it would have been more efficient to just load your browser.
-Taylor
Michael said 4:58PM on 2-16-2009
Not sure it sucks for him - using Google on mobile is still very clunky.
zwaldowski said 7:34PM on 2-16-2009
I'd sure say it sucks for him. The Units app is free and does everything the paid ones do (if not more).
Pauldy said 11:09AM on 2-16-2009
IANAL, but I'm curious are there really federal laws reguarding gambling? I always thought these laws were left up to the state and if that is the case how is such a statute considered a felony?
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Pauldy said 11:19AM on 2-16-2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felony
I guess that answers my question.
Shane said 11:20AM on 2-16-2009
What?
The classification of a crime as a felony has absolutely nothing to do with its status as a federal or state level offense.
A felony is simply a serious crime, usually defined as one having a punishment involving jail time for more than one year or death.
Michael Rose said 11:52AM on 2-16-2009
It's a felony in Nevada, not a federal offense. Different states do have different laws about gambling.
Drunkio Sakibito said 11:18AM on 2-16-2009
"and another 'disruptive technology' is going to come into conflict with a long-established, politically and economically powerful industry."
You mean, 'another technology is going to come into conflict with a lon established, political and economic cash cow of the mob.'
The entertainment and gambling industries of the USA as well as Asia [particularly Chinese territories] have deep investors. Their respective mafias.
Basically, in general, if it isn't on an indian reservation, and it's gambling in the USA, the mob has had some hand in it. Nobody fights more tenaciously for cash, and will throw more cash at a problem, or use strong-arm methods than the crooks.
The kids joke about 'the MAFIAA'. It's no joke.
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SpinThis! said 12:12PM on 2-16-2009
Sounds like these might be fun for the occasional game with friends but seriously... you are not going to take down Vegas.
Even at Blackjack, which usually has the best odds among other games (which doesn't say much) and even if you did have the ability to count every card--and Vegas uses, what, 6 decks now?--you still aren't going to make much. According to Wikipedia, you have less than a 1% advantage, that is if you don't flub every hand. You're better off putting your money in a CD than trying to bankroll your house.
The old jokes remain: gambling and the lottery are a tax on people who are bad at math. If you do go, don't expect to get rich... go to have "fun and set aside a limit and treat the money you "lost" like you just saw a movie or entertainment.
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Ian said 2:17PM on 2-16-2009
Cell phones are already banned at gambling tables in some casinos. I was in a Vegas casino last summer standing near a *roulette* table checking email when security move away from the table or put the phone away.
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illmxpxlli said 5:13PM on 2-16-2009
Like Ian said, cellphones are banned from most tables, and any mildly competent security team/dealer will be able to spot these apps in use if anyone is stupid enough to try.
bbonline22polski said 10:50PM on 5-12-2009
It is also possible that not all casino venues prohibit Iphones. They can hide it though while their playing. That's how gambling was.
Before you attempt to play, you should know exactly what the basic rule.
http://www.betterbettingonline.com/gambling_101.html
Jash Sayani said 3:04PM on 2-16-2009
Cool! I didn't know these apps existed!
Winner winner chicken dinner !
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Kev orng said 4:16PM on 2-16-2009
Sure the iPhone can do all that, but you still need a landline to get OUT of the Matrix.
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jay said 5:18PM on 2-16-2009
Here is how
http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=1111&cid=x0100009
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Nick K. said 6:07PM on 2-16-2009
That purple book in the background was my pre-calc book from last semester (I'm in 10th grade)
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Ivan said 9:13PM on 2-16-2009
What a joke.
As was pointed out in the above comments, you have a very small margin if you are counting BJ. Even with digital assistance, you will still have to vary your bet widely to really take advantage of the information you have. This is totally obvious to a competent security person. If you aren't varying your bet enough to be detected, you probably aren't making enough money for them to care.
So I would be really surprised if they are really worried about this.
The other thing is that it would be really really hard to actually use these apps to gain an advantage, and thats before you have to put it in your pocket to hide it from the casino people.
The cards come really fast, and your fingers would have to be tapping the different buttons on the screen just as fast, and not make mistakes to get it to work. Now try to do that without looking at the screen.
Its probably a lot easier just to learn to count cards.
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Kai Cherry said 9:20PM on 2-16-2009
"Guns. Lots of guns."
-K
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polisciguy said 10:52PM on 2-16-2009
I had a great one this past sunday - was at a really popular brunch location in dc - no tables, no reservations - they were turning everyone away. I whipped out my iphone and looked at the OpenTable app, and saw a reservation available for 2pm (it was 1pm at the time).
we went back up to the host, said we had a reservation for 2pm, but there early - he we were at our table in less than 5 min! YAY IPHONE!
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