Are roulette balls different intentionally?

[YOSHIE]

Maybe this little entropy can be intentional to keep the players from finding any long term patterns. What do you think?

If you talk about the balls used in roulette games, in general there are two ball materials used in roulette games, Teflon and Ivorine.
Basically Ivorine balls are smaller in size and we often see more bounce than Teflon balls, the difference is that we often see large Teflon balls and small Ivorine balls, Both of them produce spins which are also very different, you could say that roulette balls are made differently.

In general, the balls used in the game of Roulette are usually made from ivory and some other balls are made from phenolic materials, hard plastic and so on, as well as the size of the goal so that the ball can cause the ball to fall differently, In essence, the material used to make the ball and its size will affect the moment of inertia and air resistance when the Roulette wheel rotates and the ball rolls in the opposite direction.

[Hispo]

It is actually pretty normal to have a casino to switch calls on roulettes, even during sessions in which gamblers are actively gambling.
It is done so the casino can rule out imperfections and flaws on the balls, which could mess with the entropy and randomness of the game.
Also, it may have something to do with paranoia by the administration of the casino, as someone already mentioned.

This is rather a standard in the industry, in a similar manner to what casinos do with dices and decks of cards, switching them from time to time, in order to secure randomness during long gambling sessions.

[suzanne5223]

We can't tell whether the roulette equipment manufacturing companies tamper with the balls they produce, since we don't have the power/link to verify it, but there's a high chance the gambling platform itself can tampers with the balls used in their roulette game so they can make more profit.
Having said that, the switching of balls in roulette games is a normal occurrence when the balls fall out of the table, or there's a sign of the balls are dirty, develop flat spots/blemishes, or start making oddly speed.

[lionheart78]

I also think that changing the roulette balls during the game or in the middle of a session is for game fairness and or to maintain the game's maximum performance since roulette ball can become contaminated or gather dirt, or be damaged, which can hinder the fairness of the game.

Aside from that, this action served as pretective measure of the casino to avoid predictive behaviour of the ball, making the result more random.

We can't tell whether the roulette equipment manufacturing companies tamper with the balls they produce, since we don't have the power/link to verify it, but there's a high chance the gambling platform itself can tampers with the balls used in their roulette game so they can make more profit.
Having said that, the switching of balls in roulette games is a normal occurrence when the balls fall out of the table, or there's a sign of the balls are dirty, develop flat spots/blemishes, or start making oddly speed.

If the casino wanted to cheat using the roulette ball, it is possible, especially when the game session is accessible only through internet broadcast and the audience or bettor has no way to check whether the ball is tampered or not.

[gracreavix]

There can be small changes on the ball that can affect the uncertainty. But that doesn't mean that the manufacturers did It like that or did it internationally. Maybe small factory mistake that might have caused that. But even if one noticed a ball that is not how it supposed to be, that won't change anything. The game will still be uncertain. But as it is pointed out, that's very ok. Because players can sue the casino claiming they cheated because of a ball that have issues.

[xenomorfo]

We can't tell whether the roulette equipment manufacturing companies tamper with the balls they produce, since we don't have the power/link to verify it, but there's a high chance the gambling platform itself can tampers with the balls used in their roulette game so they can make more profit.
Having said that, the switching of balls in roulette games is a normal occurrence when the balls fall out of the table, or there's a sign of the balls are dirty, develop flat spots/blemishes, or start making oddly speed.

it would be counterproductive if this news came out, like if the person who makes the cards puts a drawing that allows you to understand from the back which card it is, can you imagine? it would be a scandal and the company could close
these secrets really don't last long

[Smartprofit]

As a child, I loved reading Jack London's stories and novels about gold prospectors. I especially loved the stories about Smoke Bellew.

In one story, Smoke Bellew mastered the secret to winning at roulette. Casino owners were afraid that Smoke Bellew would assemble a gang of professional gamblers and ruin the casino with his gambling. So, the casino owners met with Smoke Bellew and convinced him to sell the secret to his super-successful game. The secret turned out to be simple: Smoke Bellew, an observant guy, noticed that one roulette wheel was damaged due to its proximity to an open flame. Therefore, the results of the ball roll were predictable. 🙋

Today, the modern Smoke Bellew can track roulette wheels using a visual tracking system and powerful supercomputers. Roulette is a physical system, so the results of the ball roll are not completely random. If the ball is periodically changed, all of Smoke Bellew's new observations periodically become irrelevant.  He'll have to start over every time.

Collusion between the player and the dealer also poses a danger. The dealer (given time) could theoretically learn to land the ball in the right section of the wheel. However, if the ball changes regularly, he won't succeed. 💁

[Findingnemo]

There can be small changes on the ball that can affect the uncertainty. But that doesn't mean that the manufacturers did It like that or did it internationally. Maybe small factory mistake that might have caused that. But even if one noticed a ball that is not how it supposed to be, that won't change anything. The game will still be uncertain. But as it is pointed out, that's very ok. Because players can sue the casino claiming they cheated because of a ball that have issues.

On microscopic level nothing is perfect, every balll will have it's own imperfection so by allowing two different ball and in different sizes might eliminate the predictive movement and we all know gambling is all about luck, so it doesn't matter we are getting a rigged ball or not because if we got into one then we must be unlucky to be present at the very wrong time.

[CryptoHeadlineNews]

There can be small changes on the ball that can affect the uncertainty. But that doesn't mean that the manufacturers did It like that or did it internationally. Maybe small factory mistake that might have caused that. But even if one noticed a ball that is not how it supposed to be, that won't change anything. The game will still be uncertain. But as it is pointed out, that's very ok. Because players can sue the casino claiming they cheated because of a ball that have issues.

I haven't played a live roulette game at a physical casino, but for the fact that this seems to be a random practice just as O. P said, then it simply means that such was an intentional practice by the manufacturers of roulette games, in other to avoid the ball having rough surfaces, which is likely to affect the velocity of the spin each time it's been thrown. And secondly to avoid cheating on the casino, because the moment an individual gets used to throwing a particular size of ball consecutively, it will be very easy to master it. Which is why it's usually changed.

[Filicius]

I also think that changing the roulette balls during the game or in the middle of a session is for game fairness and or to maintain the game's maximum performance since roulette ball can become contaminated or gather dirt, or be damaged, which can hinder the fairness of the game.

Aside from that, this action served as pretective measure of the casino to avoid predictive behaviour of the ball, making the result more random.

Other members have already said that, and it seems that this is the official answer. And in games where a lot of money is at stake, I understand that it is a matter of maintaining impartiality/fairness as much as possible. But don't you think that this is also part of the performance? While we debate why they have changed the ball, we are still entertained, so perhaps a good reason to do so, apart from technical reasons, is for entertainment or to look good.

[Cryptomultiplier]

There can be small changes on the ball that can affect the uncertainty. But that doesn't mean that the manufacturers did It like that or did it internationally. Maybe small factory mistake that might have caused that. But even if one noticed a ball that is not how it supposed to be, that won't change anything. The game will still be uncertain. But as it is pointed out, that's very ok. Because players can sue the casino claiming they cheated because of a ball that have issues.

I haven't played a live roulette game at a physical casino, but for the fact that this seems to be a random practice just as O. P said, then it simply means that such was an intentional practice by the manufacturers of roulette games, in other to avoid the ball having rough surfaces, which is likely to affect the velocity of the spin each time it's been thrown. And secondly to avoid cheating on the casino, because the moment an individual gets used to throwing a particular size of ball consecutively, it will be very easy to master it. Which is why it's usually changed.

That's to say the house edge must be maintained at all cost even if it means changing the balls at random with different entropy involved.

I think the balls may be of different sizes and from different material and manufacturers, just so that the house edge remains intact and confuse gamblers that think they are smart at some point.
It's no wonder we hardly hear news of games like roulette being rigged ev n though it might be possible, but the introduction of random entropy by the house makes sure to keep the game fair and in their favor.

[free-bit.co.in]

This made me think, do the manufacturers of roulette equipment these differences on their balls intentionally? Or is there a normal chance these small differences can make such a huge difference on the roulette?
Maybe this little entropy can be intentional to keep the players from finding any long term patterns. What do you think?

But your theory of intentional entropy and ball is heavy or decaying does not match casino operation at all.
You said it took less time even though rotation were same, meaning ball was slower or heavier. But laws of physics say opposite, mate.

Roulette ball are mainly made of Acrylic or Ivory. Sometimes with Teflon. You know those do not decay very quickly.
So actual reason behind decrease in ball speed is roll-slip conversion and aerodynamic drag.

When new ball is placed on track, it has completely different surface friction value on tracking track. So, more your ball grips on track instead of skidding, the faster its angular velocity will decrease, got it?
As a result, even if rotation number is 10 or 11, the time will decrease.

[STT]

A group of gamblers took lasers to measure a roulette wheel secretly and enhance their ability to bet successfully by detecting bias on the spins.  The gains are so massive in potential that it was worth them doing this, even only partial success in measuring and improving their odds of guessing the correct number gave them a profitable advantage.

   Like changing the cards on blackjack, the casino doesn't want anyone able to work out bias either in their heads and definitely not via lasers!   The gambling party who used lasers were  found out and their profits never paid by the casino.  The 'cheaters' sued the casino and won the case, gaining back the money they had won as no rule in the casino forbade such technology.  I guess it was an old casino and nobody had thought this possible decades ago.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-12-07/hi-tech-gamblers-allowed-to-keep-winnings/597828

[AVE5]

I initially thought it had something to do with making the impression of fairness to players. Switching balls would erase doubts in players that there's something wrong or suspicious with the ball that affects where it lands.

But if the host changed it after a player or some players are making successive wining bets, the suspicion might be coming from the other side. Whenever such things occur, the dealer might also change the ball to stop whatever unusual things happening.

I agree verily with you because I've had similar experiences where the dealer seems to reshuffle the dashboard of the game like it's refreshed to reload system for fairness outcome.
I've always believed that the dealer does that to clean any form of skepticism that players may feel cheated with the certain ball. Th dealer too may not trust you fully so he'd interwove it to convince both sides but it's always like the dealer knows all he's doing that's why we can't beat the house edge in a long time.

[BALIK]

This made me think, do the manufacturers of roulette equipment these differences on their balls intentionally? Or is there a normal chance these small differences can make such a huge difference on the roulette?
Maybe this little entropy can be intentional to keep the players from finding any long term patterns. What do you think?

Roulette Ball Changing

At the same time there are some strong reasons for replacing the balls. There are smart conmen, who can bring a remote controlled roulette ball and pick the numbers they like for winning. Such an event happened in Austria, where the gang won about $700,000 and escaped. The dealer accidentally learned about the scamming – when he picked the ball, it stuck to his cufflink. He told the officers and they started searching but the gang was gone. Fortunately, they had video of the game and figured out the scheme of the “team,” where were one gambler, two ball controllers and two “defenders”who watched the table and could distract attention, if necessary.

Look at this article, you will understand that changing ball might create opportunity for casino cheating. But if those ball is not changed frequently then gambler might devise various way to cheat.

Many gambler attempt to manipulate game by tampering with ball. Casino primarily change balls frequently to guard against such fraudsters. This is standard practice, in my opinion. Same time, however, every casino should make this ball changing process more transparent. Gambler should be informed whether balls are of same type and weight.

[Hispo]

A group of gamblers took lasers to measure a roulette wheel secretly and enhance their ability to bet successfully by detecting bias on the spins.  The gains are so massive in potential that it was worth them doing this, even only partial success in measuring and improving their odds of guessing the correct number gave them a profitable advantage.

   Like changing the cards on blackjack, the casino doesn't want anyone able to work out bias either in their heads and definitely not via lasers!   The gambling party who used lasers were  found out and their profits never paid by the casino.  The 'cheaters' sued the casino and won the case, gaining back the money they had won as no rule in the casino forbade such technology.  I guess it was an old casino and nobody had thought this possible decades ago.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-12-07/hi-tech-gamblers-allowed-to-keep-winnings/597828

I have always found it to be interesting, how there is a class of gamblers who actively actually try to find any bias on their favorite casino games in order to guarantee their profit in the long term...
Casinos know about the existence of those kind of gamblers, so naturally, they do whatever it is on their hands in order to prevent those gamblers to find any bias on casino games, one o the things which are done by casinos is switching dices, roulette balls and decks of cards.
It may be silly in the eyes of the most of people, but it can actually make the difference.

[Darker45]

I have always found it to be interesting, how there is a class of gamblers who actively actually try to find any bias on their favorite casino games in order to guarantee their profit in the long term...
Casinos know about the existence of those kind of gamblers, so naturally, they do whatever it is on their hands in order to prevent those gamblers to find any bias on casino games, one o the things which are done by casinos is switching dices, roulette balls and decks of cards.
It may be silly in the eyes of the most of people, but it can actually make the difference.

It's indeed interesting how there are geeks out there whose interests surprisingly include testing their elite theories and knowledge in the gambling world.

Imagine brilliant physicists and mathematicians, who usually isolate themselves in their study rooms, inventing wearable computers and laser scanners just to track the movements of roulette balls and wheels in casinos and accurately calculate the results. 

This must be one of the reasons why dealers will have to change balls. Roulette balls now vary in sizes and even materials. The casino will have to be protected from what could be considered unimaginable cheating strategies of savants and other gifted individuals.

[TheUltraElite]

This probably means that the ball had some blemish and it would fall faster to the numbers after hitting a certain lower speed or that it was somehow heavier and in spite of doing the same spins it would fall down faster.

Defective balls and damaged balls need to be switched. Just like playing a table tennis game with a broken ball, the game would be stopped to change it and I guess any other random ball game out there has the same explanation.

This made me think, do the manufacturers of roulette equipment these differences on their balls intentionally? Or is there a normal chance these small differences can make such a huge difference on the roulette?

If the same size is used in every game on a specific table, then the change would be minimal. There are some standards but they often overlooked.

Maybe this little entropy can be intentional to keep the players from finding any long term patterns. What do you think?

Being the devil, the more your game induces patterns in the minds of the player, the more they feel confident that they can beat the game with their wit, which is completely false. So that little entropy might help drain more balance from the players.

[mak013]

I'm not a big fan of roulette, but it makes sense. The balls get dirty, suffer minor damage over time, and might even have flaws from the start. So it's a good idea to replace them from time to time.
At the same time, these changes are the casino's way of telling us the game is truly random – you can't predict outcomes the way the heroes in Jack London's stories did.

[mitchr4]

I'm not a big fan of roulette, but it makes sense. The balls get dirty, suffer minor damage over time, and might even have flaws from the start. So it's a good idea to replace them from time to time.
At the same time, these changes are the casino's way of telling us the game is truly random – you can't predict outcomes the way the heroes in Jack London's stories did.

Even if the ball changes shape a little while still looking normal, I think that is good for the player. It makes the result more random, and it can go either way for the casino or for the player. In the end it is just luck on every spin. Also the first throw matters too, because the power behind each throw is never the same.