Cheating (casino)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cheating in casinos refers to actions which are prohibited by a casino's rules. Cheating is usually illegal but the exact sanctions will depend on the jurisdiction in which the casino operates. In Nevada, cheating in a casino is a felony under Nevada law. In most other jurisdictions, specific statutes do not exist, but cheating in a casino would likely be considered fraud and dealt with as such by the authorities.

Advantage play techniques are not cheating unless the player is illegally employing electronic or similar aids. Card counting, for example, is a legitimate advantage play strategy that can be employed in blackjack and other card games. Nonetheless, casinos in Nevada and other jurisdictions are permitted to ban advantage players and will often falsely refer to such techniques as "cheating" in an effort to demonize the practices.

1 Methods of cheating
2 How casinos combat cheating
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Methods of cheating

The methods for cheating in a casino are often specific to individual games and include

Pastposting: After a bet is won, one replaces smaller-denomination chips with large-denomination chips.
Hand Mucking: Palming desirable cards, then switching them for less desirable cards that the gambler holds.
Marking Cards During Play: Various methods.
Introducing Previously Marked Decks Into Play: Usually involves "inside" help, i.e., the collusion of casino employees. There are many different ways to mark decks of cards, some of them very difficult to detect.
False Deals: Ability to deal the second card from the top (used in conjunction with marked cards), or the ability to deal the bottom card of the deck (used in conjunction with placing desirable cards at the bottom of the deck.)
False Shuffles and Cuts: Ability to seemingly mix and cut the cards while retaining certain cards or the whole deck in a desired order.
Slot Machines: Methods exist for altering the outcome of slot machine games.
Collusion: In poker games, the practice of two partners signaling to each other the values of their cards; this can be very difficult to detect.
Using electronic aids: Illegally using a computer or similar device to aid in the employment of an otherwise legitimate strategy such as card counting. Can be increasingly difficult to detect as aids become smaller and easier to hide.

[edit] How casinos combat cheating

Proper Procedure: This means certain standardized ways of shuffling cards, dealing cards, storing, retrieving and opening new decks of cards.
Eyes in the Sky: Most casinos have an extensive array of cameras and recorders which monitor and record all the action in a casino. Some casinos use facial recognition software to detect known cheats or card counters/advantage players as they enter the casino.
Software: Casinos use software to analyze game play to uncover any unusual betting patterns or winning patterns and thus discern cheaters (as well as non-cheating card counters and "advantage players").