How to Spot Cheaters at the Casino
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.
Understanding the «Past Posting» Scam
If they win a hand of blackjack, their original $10 bet is magically transformed into a $100 bet right before the dealer pays them out.
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 drops
- Dealers are trained to intensely stare at the chips immediately after announcing the winning number
- Past posting is a severe felony offense, not a simple misunderstanding of the rules
The Complex Scam of Edge Sorting
Cheaters attempt to destroy this mystery by physically marking the high-value cards (like Aces and Faces) so they can be identified from the back.
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.
How Cheaters Manipulate the Dice
Instead of throwing the dice into the air, the cheater expertly slides one of the dice completely flat across the felt, preventing it from ever tumbling.
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.
| Cheater Action | Dealer Counter-Measure |
|---|---|
| Pinching (Stealing back a lost bet) | Clearing losing bets before paying winners |
| Marking Cards with fingernails | Replacing the entire shoe of cards frequently |
The glamorous era of casino cheating has largely been eradicated by incredibly advanced facial recognition, RFID-chipped betting tokens, and relentless surveillance.