Random Number Generators and Online Backgammon

With the introduction of online backgammon and backgammon software comes a new concern - random number generators. Can the outcome of the dice in online backgammon or in backgammon software be manipulated? We'll try to answer this question as we go along.

When players play a game of backgammon there is almost no question regarding the reliability of the dice. Most of the time when a player loses in this fashion they just blame a bad move or perhaps luck just ran out.

This is not the case with online backgammon. When players lose in an online backgammon game a lot of issues and claims arise. There are players who argue that there was something wrong with the game. There are those who would even insist that the game had too much doubles, or they even go on to say that their opponent's got most or all of the doubles.

There have been rumors of players manipulating the dice rolls on online backgammon games using dice programs. Programmers have even been accused of manipulating the whole game.

What online backgammon players are really blaming is the random number generator used by a particular site. A random number generator is a computational (i.e. computer) software or may even be a physical device that is designed or programmed to generate a number or even a sequence of numbers (or even symbols) that lacks a pattern or in other words they would appear random.

Since the dawn of computer programming random number generators have been theorized, created, and tested. Every online backgammon gaming site would have a random number generator to create the results of dice rolls for the different matches.

These random number generators are often tested and certified by an autonomous source or company. These groups would be checking the authenticity of random number generators. They also check if the series of numbers produced by a random number generator are purely coincidental.

We can be sure that random number generators of different online backgammon gaming sites have been checked regarding its credibility and that the numbers generated for the dice rolls are purely random and fair.

Nevertheless, individual online backgammon players can also record and document their own games. Some players have even come to the point where they have recorded/documented over hundreds of online backgammon games.

These documented games can be used to check for various elements - such as mistakes online backgammon players make. These can also be used to check if the numbers produced by random number generators are real coincidental series.

Despite all these measures people would still doubt the machine when the game doesn't go their way. The best consolation we can have is that these random number generators have been tested and are reliable at the most.


    
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