"Ron" wrote in message
...
Arfa Daily wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message
news
Arfa Daily wrote:

The blower and ball system is a lot more random than the current
computer system, which generates very definite patterns, no matter what
the bingo clubs would have you believe to the contrary.
Actually Arfa, it`s very easy for an experienced bingo caller to
manipulate games using the old blower machine. He can make games last
longer in slack periods or get them over quick when it`s busy, and in
bingo halls or stalls with fixed cards, a good operator can direct the
wins to various areas of the house - possibly even to individual
players.

How ? Just interested, as I find the whole setup and logistics of the
game, quite fascinating. I can see how you could alter the speed of play,
but not how you could manipulate the picking of balls as a result of them
being blown up a tube from a fast and randomly moving pool. With modern
computer generated cash or party bingo, the winning board numbers do tend
to fall into a range during any particular session, presumably as a
result of some programming foible with the way that the PRNG seed is
derived or loaded. Savvy players can be seen to move from their main play
table to a different empty one with a board number in the numeric area
that is winning, during the inter-session tabletop games.


Well, I wouldnt want to give away too many secrets but the bingo
caller can see the balls in the tube, including the numbers, and he can if
he wishes by putting his hand over the top of the tube, send them back
down. The numbers on fixed cards aren't random.
A good caller can work the crowd, build up tension ("Is anybody
sweating?") It is a form of entertainment, and there`s a lot of
showmanship involved.

I think it`s all a bit sterile these days.

Ron

Ah, OK. With you now. I guess the lottery machines are the best of all
worlds with a truly random pool of numbers on the balls, and a one-at-a-time
mechanical picking system. Hard to see how you could make it any more
random. There's still a fair bit of showmanship involved in the high speed
tabletop cash bingo, even though it is computer based. Most of the ones who
call it in my club, are 'characters', and do a fine job of 'working the
crowd', particularly when there are bonus prizes involved. I do however,
agree that there was more skill and tension involved when the board in play
was marked by having to spot the numbers, and slide little shutters over
them. With the modern electronic boards, it is only necessary to keep waving
a hand continuously over the 'mark' lozenge, to ensure that every number
that you have on your board is lit as it's called (or even before it's
called). The only skill then is in spotting that you have a winning
combination so that you can wave your hand over the 'win' lozenge ...

People who play the tabletop games tend to always sit at the same table, as
they have 'learnt' the sixteen numbers on their board. My wife can tell if
she would have won, even if she's not playing. She can do this even if she's
doing something else like reading a newspaper. She can be reading something
to you, and will stop mid-sentence and say "I'd have just won if I'd had my
money in". Amazing what the brain is capable of doing, and I believe that
the female brain is better than the male at this sort of horizontal
multi-tasking.

Arfa