How To Spot Cheaters At The Casino
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Since the very first casino opened its doors, an endless war has raged between the operators trying to protect their money and the criminals trying to steal it.
The casino's "Eye in the Sky" catches most of them eventually, but recognizing the signs of a scam unfolding right next to you is a fascinating skill.
Past Posting: The Art of the Late Bet
Past posting occurs when a cheater incredibly quickly and silently adds additional chips to their winning bet exactly a split second after the winning outcome is determined.
Often, a confederate (an accomplice) will intentionally spill a drink or loudly argue with a waitress at the exact moment the cheater makes the move.
Modern roulette tables feature advanced sensors to detect any chip movement after the ball dropsDealers are trained to intensely stare at the chips immediately after announcing the winning numberPast posting is a severe felony offense, not a simple misunderstanding of the rules
How Players Manipulate the Deck
Historically, this involved utilizing invisible ink readable only with special contact lenses, or using a fingernail to create a tiny, microscopic dent in the cardboard.
A more sophisticated, highly controversial method popularized by poker legend Phil Ivey is known as "edge sorting."
Dice Sliding at the Craps Table
The craps table is extremely difficult to cheat due to the massive size of the table, the required wall-bounce, and the presence of four highly trained dealers.
By keeping the desired number facing upward during the entire slide, they only have to worry about the random outcome of the second tumbling die.
Scam NameRequired Skill LevelDetection DifficultyDice SlidingExtremely High (Physical skill)Low (Dealers watch the throw closely)Invisible InkLow (Requires tainted deck)High (Requires UV light to detect)
The glamorous era of casino cheating has largely been eradicated by incredibly advanced facial recognition, RFID-chipped betting tokens, and relentless surveillance.