Question Marks Over The Randomness Of The Shuffle:
With online thieves striking everywhere these days, the number of electronic crime cases is skyrocketing to record highs. It certainly makes you wonder that if an online crook is able to make away with your credit card information, hack in to a bank's online transactional platform, or cause a website to malfunction at just the click of a button - have they been able to manipulate the chances of winning at an online poker site? There have certainly been a number of security controversies surrounding online gambling in recent years, including cases of stolen identities and group based gambling cartels, but that's about where the problems stop.
One area where online casinos and poker sites have been somewhat immune to interference is in the area of gaming odds and probabilities. There are a number of reasons why online hackers and criminals haven't been able to bypass online poker site security. Here is a breakdown of the main security features of most online poker sites:
o The order of cards dealt in each round is determined before the game even starts.
o All winnings & outcomes are passed through auditing filters.
o All transactions are recorded on a database, which is reviewed in real time.
o Numerous checks and balances are in place between the server and your computer.
These 4 features combined are enough to deter most cyber-crooks. However, online poker sites do not stop there. There are a number of "intruder" alert systems in place to pick up even the slightest hint of a cheater. Whilst they are very much hidden in the background of the usual operations of the website - these systems do represent a major breakthrough in keeping online poker sites fair and even.
Banks Are Now Following Suit:
Many people ask the following question: "If online poker sites can keep their clients so safe and secure, why cant my bank?". Whilst there is no getting away from that fact that in most cases of online banking fraud, the consumer is actually the one at fault - banks have tended to have a fairly dodgy track record with security. Perhaps that is why in 2004, 3 of Americas largest banks adopted an online security system which was initially designed for the online poker and casino world.
Now, more than ever before, you can trust that online poker sites are fair, balanced, and secure - often even more so than their land based equivalents.
