Cheating Expert Answers Casino Cheating Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

Summary

Sal Pasanti, a casino security expert, takes viewers inside the world of casino cheating, from mob-era scams to modern techniques. He explains card and dice manipulation, dealer collusion, chip dumping, edge sorting, and advanced surveillance methods. The video covers both historical examples and contemporary challenges, including card counting, magnetic dice, and high-tech tracking. Pasanti also shares stories of notorious scams, MIT blackjack team strategies, and famous poker exploits, highlighting how casinos detect and prevent cheating. The content offers an intriguing glimpse into the high-stakes interplay between cheaters and casino security, blending technical insight with captivating real-world anecdotes.

Takeaways

• 🎲 Casinos historically used cheating methods like prearranged decks ('coolers') to ensure player losses.
• 🃏 Dealers can cheat using techniques such as second dealing, overpaying partners with hollow chip stacks, or marking cards.
• 🎲 Crooked dice can be weighted or magnetized to favor certain outcomes, and are detectable with balancing tools.
• 💡 Card counting involves assigning values to cards and calculating a 'true count' to determine betting advantage; it is legal if no devices are used.
• 👥 Advantage play often involves teams coordinating strategies, as seen with the MIT Blackjack Team using counters and big players.
• 📡 Technological cheating includes thumper devices, perfect strategy computers, and hidden cameras transmitting card information.
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• 🔍 Casinos use surveillance, digital databases, and AI systems to monitor players and detect cheating, including card counting and unusual behavior.
• 🃏 Edge sorting exploits card manufacturing imperfections to gain advantage, as famously used by Phil Ivey in baccarat.
• 🎰 Slot machines can be adjusted for payout rates; higher-paying machines are often placed near entrances to attract players.
• 🤝 Poker cheating includes chip dumping and signaling between partners, with hand gestures or chip placement used to communicate hands.
• 📚 Casinos maintain extensive records on players, both historically in binders and now digitally, to prevent repeat advantage play.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Modern casinos prioritize mathematical advantage and security over cheating, but advanced scams still occur using distractions and technology.

Q & A

How did mob-era casinos cheat at blackjack using a 'cooler'?

The mob used a pre-arranged deck called a 'cooler' to control the outcome. By setting cards in a specific order, players would consistently receive losing hands, while the dealer maintained a winning advantage.

What are some ways dealers can cheat in blackjack?

Dealers can cheat by mispaying bets to a partner using techniques like a hollow chip stack, or by using a second deal to manipulate which card remains on top. These methods exploit trust and unnoticed movements at the table.

How can casinos detect if dice are loaded or weighted?

Loaded dice can be tested with a balancer to check if they roll unevenly. Some dice are altered to prevent certain outcomes, guaranteeing repeated numbers. Observation and specialized equipment can reveal imbalances.

What is card counting and why is it not illegal?

Card counting is tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining in blackjack. While it gives the player an edge, it uses only mental skill and is not illegal. Casinos may ask skilled counters to leave but cannot prosecute them for counting.

How do marked cards and edge sorting work?

Marked cards have subtle identifiers on the back that allow a trained eye to recognize the card. Edge sorting exploits irregularities in card manufacturing, such as diamond patterns, to distinguish high-value cards from low-value ones.

What security measures do casinos use to prevent cheating with chips?

Casinos embed RFID chips in their chips, conduct regular inventory, and track all chips. This prevents counterfeiting and ensures all chips are accounted for, reducing the risk of theft or unauthorized replication.

What are some common poker cheating strategies?

Players can signal to partners using hand gestures, chip placement, or eye contact. Chip dumping is also used, where chips are intentionally lost to a partner to make them the chip leader.

How do modern casinos use technology to monitor advantage players?

Casinos use thousands of cameras, biometric systems, facial recognition, and computer vision to track players. They can detect card counting and unusual betting behavior, and share databases across properties to identify known advantage players.

What are magnetic dice and how were they used to cheat?

Magnetic dice contain materials that respond to external magnets. Cheaters could control dice rolls using hidden magnets, such as under tables or in a modified wheelchair, to influence game outcomes without detection.

What is the role of a 'perfect strategy computer' in blackjack cheating?

A perfect strategy computer tracks every card dealt and signals the optimal play to a player using subtle vibrations, usually worn on the heel or shoe. It can effectively give a player the ability to make mathematically perfect decisions during a game.

What are some examples of large-scale cheating outside of traditional casino floors?

In Macau, scamsters recreated a private suite with fake casino equipment and surveillance to cheat a high roller out of millions. These complex setups exploited players outside the casino environment, demonstrating elaborate fraud methods.

Why do casinos still have an edge even without cheating?

All casino games are mathematically designed to favor the house. While players can win short-term, over time, the probability and payout structures ensure the casino maintains a statistical advantage.

What are the signs that poker players are colluding?

Collusion can be indicated by unusual folding patterns, coordinated betting, or signaling between players. Observing eye movements, hand gestures, and chip handling can reveal attempts to share information or manipulate outcomes.