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.

Understanding the “Past Posting” Scam

If they win a hand of blackjack, their original $10 bet is magically transformed into a $100 bet right before the dealer pays them out.

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 accomplice
• Cheaters also use “pinching,” which is removing chips from a bet after losing the hand
• If a player is constantly hovering their hands near their chips after the deal, pit bosses become highly suspicious

How Players Manipulate the Deck

Historically, this involved utilizing invisible ink readable only with special contact lenses, or using a fingernail to create a tiny, microscopic dent in the cardboard.

A more sophisticated, highly controversial method popularized by poker legend Phil Ivey is known as “edge sorting.”

How Cheaters Manipulate the Dice

Instead of throwing the dice into the air, the cheater expertly slides one of the dice completely flat across the felt, preventing it from ever tumbling.

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.