Casinos secure their profits through a slight advantage over players. Game regulations and software are meticulously crafted to ensure the house maintains an edge. Despite this, professionals often find ways to neutralize this advantage using strategies such as card counting, famously pioneered by Edward Thorpe in blackjack. However, some unscrupulous casinos employ another tactic against seasoned players - marked decks, leaving opponents empty-handed unless they manage a timely retreat.
Varieties of Marked Cards
Initially, cheats relied on Braille for deception. Employing cards crafted from two layers with a tiny grain of sand between, a swift swipe of the thumb across a specific area revealed the denomination and suit. This method provided a significant advantage during card dealing. As time progressed, cheaters grew more inventive, introducing subtle bends, alterations to designs, and other modifications to mark the cards. Such manipulations can be categorized into several types.
Mechanical Defects
This approach is applicable to any card. Often, a minor mark in ink, partial erasure of the design, or a scratch is employed. Ideal for private games where participants have access to only one deck, clubs long ago implemented the practice of unpacking fresh cards to thwart fraud.
Reading Systems
As mechanical defects became detectable, cheats turned to crafting cards from scratch, designing specific back patterns for individual values and suits. The complexity of these systems varies depending on the skill of the cheat. While effective in other realms like magic tricks, this approach loses efficacy in gambling, where players receive cards face down.
Coded Systems
More sophisticated than reading systems, coded markings require a higher level of encryption to prevent detection. The markings are subtle, reducing the risk for cheats while making it challenging for them to decipher information from a distance.
Technological Advancements
Traditional cheating methods have waned with the rise of technology, paving the way for more intricate deceptions. Technological markings include:
- Infrared Tags: Special paint applied to the card backs, visible only through specialized glasses or lenses.
- Modified Light Spectrum: Advanced infrared tags, detectable only with lenses filtering a specific light range.
- Barcodes: Images readable by specialized devices during card distribution, indistinguishable to the human eye.
- Chips: Costly but effective, allowing precise tracking of card locations within the deck and among players.
These sophisticated methods present new challenges for casinos and players alike, underscoring the evolving nature of cheating tactics in gambling.
How to Avoid Playing with Marked Cards
In a setting with potential scammers, avoiding victimization and safeguarding remaining capital requires vigilance:
- Avoid playing at tables with strangers. Private cash games, while common, pose risks when strangers offer tempting opportunities, indicating potential foul play.
- Observe hand movements. Even with a new deck, cheaters may mark cards as the game progresses using subtle bends, nail marks, or chips along the edges.
- Inspect cards closely. A player receiving aces and kings should scrutinize them for defects or irregularities.
- Watch for unusual playing patterns. Fraudsters may employ sophisticated marking schemes, such as using special ink only detectable with lenses. Pay attention to opponents winning hands too frequently, making unwarranted bet raises, or engaging in excessive bluffing.
- Request a new deck. Casinos routinely introduce fresh decks. In private games, requesting a new deck may meet resistance, particularly if collusion is suspected. Employ phrases like “I’m having no luck at all with the current one” to justify the request. Refusal to change decks is cause for concern and may warrant leaving the table.
- Know when to quit. Defeating cheaters is virtually impossible. If a player notices an unusually high rate of losses, leaving the table with remaining funds is advisable to try luck elsewhere.
- Exercise caution without paranoia. Losses are not always attributable to marked cards. Accusing others of fraud without concrete evidence risks damaging trust and fairness among players.
Notable Cases of Marked Card Fraud
Numerous documented instances shed light on the prevalence of marked card fraud in casino history:
- Big Edge Scam: In the 1960s, John Aspinall, owner of the Clermont Club, collaborated with gangster Billy Hill to create a machine producing invisible curves in cards, leading to significant gains for the conspirators.
- Phil Ivey vs Borgata: In 2012, professional poker player Phil Ivey and his friend Callie Sun exploited a flaw in casino decks, enabling Ivey to win $9.6 million in baccarat. Legal action ensued, resulting in Ivey ordered to return the prize money.
- Collusion in China: In 2016, four players orchestrated a scam at the Dali Hotel in Yunnan Province, luring a local businessman and defrauding him of $10,500. Authorities discovered 30 marked decks and special lenses during the investigation.
It's essential to recognize that marked cards are tools employed solely by fraudsters. Reputable casinos uphold strict integrity standards, ensuring fair play and customer trust.
