Cheating is always a possibility in gameplay. With casino games, it becomes a bigger deal because of the high stakes involved.
You may have heard about instances where players or an extended group involving dealers cheated the casino and made away with huge sums. But have you learned about the consequences involved? Some players even try to cheat in online casino gameplay, which is why BruceBet Casino and other sites are strict with their security. So, is the high reward involved with cheating worth the increased risk? Find out in this article.
The Early Days of Casino Cheating
Let’s take you back to the Wild Wild West, where James Hardin, Bill Hickock, and Doc Holliday found themselves facing loaded pistols. Although Hollywood and other movie outfits have exaggerated this period, players often had to settle gambling disputes with a showdown.
When it became apparent that players found it difficult to accept outcomes, gambling houses began to use dealers who could monitor the gameplay and call winners. Casinos also implemented surveillance technology as a second check, ensuring neither the players nor the dealers could scam the house.
Card Counting
This is one of the most widely spread and common strategies for cheating in land-based casinos. It involves knowing the total composition of cards in the shoe.
Players must monitor the cards coming from the shoe to understand what is left and place wagers accordingly. They’ll bet higher when the remaining cards (aces and high cards) favor them and lower when the shoe holds unfavorable cards. A group of players known as the MIT Blackjack Team, which expanded from six to about 80 members, hit casinos hard with this technique.
Loaded Dice
This is a cheating technique used in dice games like craps. It involves altering the dice to make some sides appear more often. Players can then bet on those numbers with huge wagers to win big. Successful cheating with loaded dice requires participation from a dealer.
Cheating in Online Casinos
With the introduction of online gambling, instances of cheating began to dwindle. Online casinos use top-notch security measures and well-programmed random number generators (RNGs) to prevent even attempts to influence the outcome of game rounds. The casino is even more likely to cheat you if you play at an unsafe site. There has, however, been an instance of cheating, which we will disclose in the next section!
Famous Casino Cheaters and their Stories
Let’s explore the stories of some notorious individuals and gangs who gained notoriety as casino scammers. Their exploits would wow you. Let’s go:
- Tran Organization is a big group of 40 scammers that began with a married couple. Their game was so simple it is a wonder that they managed to scam almost $7 million from gameplay on nearly 30 baccarat, poker, and pai gow tables across the US and Canada. The wife, Van Thu Tran, convinced dealers to receive bribes and assist them through seduction. The dealers then used a “false shuffle” tactic, letting them know the next cards to be dealt and placing heavy bets on them. They were eventually caught and arrested in 2007;
- In 2011, at Les Princes Casino in Cannes, France, Stefano Ampollini, an Italian player, with an insider’s help, marked a couple of decks with invisible ink. He then donned infrared contact lenses and earned about one hundred thousand dollars from playing the tables. The scam was so good he went back for a second round but was caught;
- Richard Marcus, formerly a blackjack and baccarat dealer in Vegas, scammed the gambling house as a player. He stacked $5 and $500 chips together because they looked similar, red to brown. He switched them depending on his hand, ensuring he lost a smaller bet when he had a bad hand and won a bigger bet with a good hand.
Preventing Cheating: Responsible Gaming and Education
Regarding gambling responsibly, it goes beyond setting limits and regulating your gameplay. It also involves fair play and understanding the repercussions of cheating. There are many risks and consequences involved.
Players may get banned for life and their winnings confiscated. Their information may be shared across the network of the gambling industry, preventing them from playing on other online sites or in other gambling houses. In worse scenarios, they’ll be prosecuted, embarrassed due to media coverage, charged huge fines, and may even serve jail time.
Fair Play Prevails
It pays to play fairly, as you’ll enjoy your games better. Players who cheat do not have the real gambling spirit related to fair gameplay, comradeship, and fun the sport involves. They are more interested in bagging wins. Don’t follow suit – revel in the excitement of the gameplay instead!
