Starting player not random for some people?!

[CroatianFish]

Hey everyone, so as I was going through the games of quite a few top players in Azul, I noticed a very peculiar thing: there are certain people who are ALWAYS starting player. It's obviously a pretty big advantage at that level and certainly helps them keep their high ratings. Is it a bug or did they find the way to cheat the system somehow? I thought it was supposed to be random. Thanks!

[ufm]

If you think so, report the bug through bug report system, with proper statistics and proof.
If something were indeed wrong the developer would fix it (I doubt it though).

[thoun]

Randomness of starting player is made by Bga, same for all games. Indeed we would need proof of that bug, as human feeling wants to see a repetition when this is just luck. Maybe they are top players partially because they are in a luck streak and started multiple times first in a row, it can be seen on the other way

[JettaC]

I also find that the starting player is not really random. After I join the paid member, I hasn't been starting player for more than 15 games (I always played 3-player game). Is it related to which I was the one who open the game?
Very strange...

[sorryimlikethis]

In over 300 games as a premium member I haven't noticed anything odd about starting or not starting, my experience has always seemed to be 50/50.

[cigma]

You have to distinguish: Are you talking about the starting player of each game or each round?

Many people don't recognize (and have reported as bug) that the starting player of each round is not chosen randomly! Please check the rules: Whoever chooses to take tiles from the center of the table (not the Factory displays) first in each round also takes the number 1 tile which gives them one negative point and the right to choose first in the next round.

[cigma]

I also find that the starting player is not really random. After I join the paid member, I hasn't been starting player for more than 15 games (I always played 3-player game). Is it related to which I was the one who open the game?
Very strange...

I checked the last 40 games of JettaC: 37 were 3-player, 3 were 4-player. JettaC was only twice starting player of the game (on game 36 and 40). Not being starting player in the last 35 games is really rather unusual.

These both games (with JettaC as starting player) have been played on 4th of march.
- Maybe there has been an update around that date affecting starting player choice?
- Does hosting the game or being premium member make any difference?
- Does this happen also on other games?
- Or was it really only bad luck? (JettaC, is this continuing to you or not?)

We will probably need more information. If you are concerned, please share your clues on https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=61746

[euklid314]

I did not double check all the last 35 games but enough to believe cigmas statement.

Please note that JettaC not starting in 35 games in a row has a chance of approx 1 : 1.000.000.

As careful I am as a mathematician to rule out lucky streaks, but here it begins to feel equally likely that there is in fact some bug...

If the streak continues for 10 more games than all my doubts will be gone.

[Jellby]

If the streak continues for 10 more games than all my doubts will be gone.

Why? The probability of not starting 10 consecutive 3-player games is 1 in 58. Surely, you're not saying that the probability of future event changes depending on what happened in the past...

If there is a bug, I wonder if it may have something to do with the preferred color choice.

[thoun]

If there is a bug, I wonder if it may have something to do with the preferred color choice.

There is no link between them. BGA send a list of players, with order already fixed, to the game. Then the game assign colors as it wants.