How to Spot Cheaters at the Casino

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.

Understanding exactly how these professional thieves operate not only satisfies a morbid curiosity but also protects honest players from becoming collateral damage at a compromised table.

How Cheaters Manipulate Casino Chips

The most common and arguably the most difficult-to-detect method of table game cheating is a sleight-of-hand maneuver known universally as “past posting.”

This scam requires absolute, flawless timing, massive distraction, and the steady, lightning-fast hands of a professional close-up magician.

• Past posting involves adding chips to a bet after the player already knows they have won
• It is also called “late betting” and is most common on the crowded, chaotic roulette tables
• Cheaters use palm-palming techniques to hide the extra chips in their hands

Card Marking and Edge Sorting

Cheaters attempt to destroy this mystery by physically marking the high-value cards (like Aces and Faces) so they can be identified from the back.

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.

Dice Sliding at the Craps Table

However, highly skilled mechanics attempt a scam known as “dice sliding,” which completely removes the random tumble of the dice.

This mathematically alters the probability of hitting a 7, giving the cheater a massive, incredibly illegal advantage over the house.

The glamorous era of casino cheating has largely been eradicated by incredibly advanced facial recognition, RFID-chipped betting tokens, and relentless surveillance.