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.
Understanding exactly how these professional thieves operate not only satisfies a morbid curiosity but also protects honest players from becoming collateral damage at a compromised table.
How Cheaters Manipulate Casino Chips
The most common and arguably the most difficult-to-detect method of table game cheating is a sleight-of-hand maneuver known universally as “past posting.”
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.
- Past posting involves adding chips to a bet after the player already knows they have won
- It is also called “late betting” and is most common on the crowded, chaotic roulette tables
- Cheaters use palm-palming techniques to hide the extra chips in their hands
How Players Manipulate the Deck
In card games like Blackjack and Baccarat, the entire house edge relies entirely on the fact that the next card in the shoe is a complete mystery.
Edge sorting relies on finding tiny, microscopic manufacturing defects in the geometric patterns printed on the absolute back edge of the casino‘s playing cards.
The Mechanics of a Craps Scam
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 Name | Required Skill Level | Detection Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Dice Sliding | Extremely High (Physical skill) | Low (Dealers watch the throw closely) |
| Invisible Ink | Low (Requires tainted deck) | High (Requires UV light to detect) |
If you suspect a player at your table is manipulating the game, simply walk away and let the eye in the sky do its job.
