There can be a lot of money at stake when you play at the casino. Whether you’re taking on the blackjack dealer or having a spin on the roulette wheel, every player will have a strong desire to land the big wins. However, that sometimes leads to people crossing the line and here we will outline ten ways people cheat at the casino.
False Shuffle
This method of cheating requires the involvement of the dealer. It will appear they are making a regular shuffle of the deck, but instead several cards will remain in place. Therefore, when the cards are dealt, the others involved will know when the unshuffled cards arrive.
A high-profile case involving this tactic saw the Tran Organization steal around $7m across casinos in the US, although members were caught eventually.
Hidden Camera
Over the years the technology used at casinos to stop the cheats has become much more sophisticated, but so have the cheats themselves. Hidden cameras, on shirts or up people’s sleeves can be used to see cards in games such as blackjack and baccarat.
The action will be recorded and the player will be told through an earpiece which cards have been dealt.
Roulette Past Posting
Another that involves two or more players. Roulette past posting will see one person distract the dealer whilst the other places chips on the winning number once the ball has landed.
Usually, they will put the fellow conspirator’s chips below as well, so even if they is caught, the other bet should win.
Card Switching
Card switching is another old-school trick and one that is believed to have cost casinos millions over the years. It’s obvious too, you hold a card up your sleeve and switch it with a lesser card in your hand.
Although casinos have become wise to the move, it’s also more advanced than ever with holdout devices used to effortlessly deposit the card onto the table.
Dice slide
The hope of landing the right numbers on a roll of a dice is part of the thrill, but some players will try and get around that by sliding the dice. Normally used with two, one would have the number the player wanted and be face up and will slide across the table without rolling, with the other bouncing and attracting attention.
This is a hard trick to master and therefore not very common, but in 2011 a Las Vegas casino filed a lawsuit for $700,000 in losses due to what they believed was dice sliding.
Card Counting
A highly debatable method, whereby you know the cards that have been dealt to give you an advantage as the hand progresses. Firstly, it’s not cheating if a player does it by their own means. Yet, it’s still not encouraged by casinos for obvious reasons and players are likely to be thrown out by the stricter establishments.
Though, given how hard it is to do, some have been known to use a card counting computer which is most certainly illegal.
Slot Machines Bill Validator
Thankfully, this method of cheating is a rarity nowadays, because it requires older slot machines. Players would use a small device that inserts two prongs into the bill validator. That would then add credits instantly on some machines or treat every bill as $100 on others.
However, the new machines across the country are designed to ensure that this scam will no longer work.
Hole Card Reading
Hole card reading is another that’s considered advantage play and not illegal. It involves players checking the face down card that the dealer has and use that knowledge to help them throughout the rest of the game.
Whilst there’s nothing wrong in that, players have been known to use cameras and even mirrors to try and find out what the card is, which clearly is cheating.
Roulette Color up
Another method that involves two players and this is one of the most common forms of cheating in casinos today. It will involve a player buying a certain number of colored chips for a low amount, like $1 and slipping some into their pockets.
They will then be passed on to an accomplice who will buy the same color chips for $25. After a few games, the player will then cash the $1 chips for $25.
Marking cards
The final way people cheat in a casino is another well-known way, through marking cards. That can be though various ways, such as; bending the corner, scraping off some ink or even using infrared markings.
It’s designed to give players an advantage because they will know what the card is. However, given the strict way casinos operate and the fact decks regularly change, it’s a lot harder to get away with today.
Despite the various ways players try to get around the rules, the casinos are better equipped than ever to deal with the cheats. However, you can avoid any doubt of cheating when you play online with Lucky Nugget Casino from a host of fantastic games.
