Are Casinos allowed to use marked cards?
Numerous casinos alter their decks of cards that they sell to tourists. They do this by punching holes in the middle or trimming their edges to prevent cheaters coming back to the table after buying cards and then slipping favorable cards into their hands.
However, even with these security measures in place it is possible for players not to mark their cards without the knowledge and permission of game protection personnel or casino security.
There are many types of marking methods. The most common is block out work. This involves altering the cards’ backs by removing lines and patterns. Other options include cut-out, scroll work, and shade work.
Additionally, some marked cards can be read by touch while others are only detectable by hidden cameras and sensors.
Some systems combine patterns, colours, and shades on cards to help the user identify cards even when they are not visible to the naked eye.
If the user of a marked cards has a clear idea about which cards they want to mark, they will often mark them by placing them in a particular position. This can help them determine if they are playing a winning hand or when to fold.
There are also various other methods that can be used to mark cards, such as scratching them, pricking them with pins or bending them slightly. These methods are easy to replace and can result in high chances of being caught.
Another way to mark a card is to remove the back design altogether, which is also known as cutting or damaging the cards. These are not as effective at giving a card cheat an advantage over the player because they can only be detected by a person with special expertise in noticing such marks.
These methods are easy to implement and relatively inexpensive, but they are not the best way to cheat at the table. Cheating during high-volume sessions is more likely to be caught and lose money.
These are all ways to win over the casino. These methods should be considered when a game seems uncertain.
In September, a poker player named David Whitehill discovered a marked cards scam at one of California’s Indian Reservation casinos. This was the first major wake-up call for the casino industry about the need to tighten security in casino card manufacturing plants.
The Whitehill incident is a good example of how casinos can use card marking to keep their players honest, as well as to detect collusion amongst partners at the tables. As such, it is essential to train all game protection personnel to recognize the tells of marked cards. These tells include betting in correlation with a first-card advantage, using hole-card knowledge to change basic blackjack strategy and varying from the standard betting patterns on casino games.