Minimisation: the platinum standard for trials?

The treatment allocation is then made, not purely by chance, but by determining in which group inclusion of the patient would minimise any differences in these factors. [...]if group A has a higher average age and a disproportionate number of smokers, other things being equal, the next elderly smoker is likely to be allocated to group B. The allocation may rely on minimisation alone, or still involve chance but "with the dice loaded" in favour of the allocation which minimises the differences.