1

How to Spot Cheaters at the Casino

Barry Burston edited this page 2026-08-05 19:37:26 +00:00

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.
How Cheaters Manipulate Casino Chips
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.
The scam almost always involves a loud, intentional distraction created by an accompliceCheaters also use "pinching," which is removing chips from a bet after losing the handIf a player is constantly hovering their hands near their chips after the deal, pit bosses become highly suspicious The Complex Scam of Edge Sorting
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.
How Cheaters Manipulate the Dice
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.

To combat this, casinos mandate that both dice must physically bounce off the chaotic, rubber pyramid "alligator" siding at the far end of the table.
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.