Wager Mage
Wager Mage
Photo: Anna Shvets
So, to answer the original question, “do casinos cheat?” In this writer's opinion and in regard to poker, the answer is “no.” The problem is, and this is where the effect for you the player is involved, losing money to the dealer's associate is just as bad as the casino itself trying to cheat… losing is losing.
1. Never tell the secret. Most people asking you to show them how a trick is done are merely curious. But this curiosity and amazement is exactly...
Read More »
The first number tells you how much you could win, the second number is the amount you bet. So, if the odds are listed as 2-1, you'll get $2 for...
Read More »
To determine how much to bet on each game, take your starting bankroll amount and divide it into equal units. Once you decide this number it...
Read More »
used instead of a rude word such as 'bloody' to express anger with something or someone: a bally stupid idea. I bally well hope he finds the money...
Read More »When one thinks about the most basic function of a dealer, it is to randomize the cards. So, aside from scams like casino dealers paying accomplices too much in certain games without a pot or signaling what the next card will be, dealer cheat methods are most often about sending favorable cards to a certain player that the dealer is in league with. In a home game, the cheating dealer may have no accomplices and just be helping herself. There are so many ways this can happen. Most often they involve shuffles that aren’t really randomizing the cards, but instead engineering cards into position for cheating. This often involves keeping certain select cards at the top or bottom of the deck. One of the few ways to check this is to watch closely and see if the top or bottom cards are really changing from shuffle to shuffle. For instance, if the same cards are always still on top or bottom after a shuffle. Of course, with so many types of shuffles, spotting this is more difficult than it sounds. Shuffle types include the: Overhand shuffle; Table Riffle shuffle; Hindu shuffle; Pile shuffle; Corgi shuffle, Mongean shuffle; and the Weave & Faro shuffles. These different types of shuffles are often used in combination during a series of shuffles. The two most common shuffles are overhand shuffles and riffle shuffles. Here’s a good overview of the kind of shuffling sequence you’re more likely to see in casinos. If you still think spotting cards that remain in the same place during a shuffle is easy, check out this video. Keep in mind that the camera is in the most optimal position possible to spot cheating. A player trying to spot this from three players away would be at a distinct disadvantage.
What happens if I help fix a match? You will at least risk a multi-year ban from football. In various countries match-fixing is considered a...
Read More »
2.5 handicap e.g. Manchester City (-2.50) v West Ham (2.50) If you're backing Manchester City, they must win the game by a margin of three goals or...
Read More »So, what can we say for sure? We can say that the more handling of the cards a dealer does, the more opportunity there is for the dealer, if dishonest, to engineer select cards into position for cheating. Therefore, the very best solution is purely mechanical shuffling. It removes the vast majority of opportunity for the dishonest dealer to manipulate cards into position. It also eliminiates the opportunity for a player glimpse a card’s position in the deck during shuffling. Sure, a dishonest dealer could still deal from the bottom of the deck, but if the cards come out of a shuffling machine and are immediately handed to a player to cut, the opportunity for the dealer to engineer a favorable card to the bottom or top of the deck is almost eliminated. By the way, most people won’t notice a skilled dealer putting the cards back the way they were after a player cuts the cards, but that’s a whole other issue. If the cards were entirely shuffled by machine, there would be no value in circumventing the player’s cut of the cards. So, to answer the original question, “do casinos cheat?” In this writer’s opinion and in regard to poker, the answer is “no.” The problem is, and this is where the effect for you the player is involved, losing money to the dealer’s associate is just as bad as the casino itself trying to cheat… losing is losing. After all, the house itself shouldn’t care who wins at poker, just as long as money is won and lost. For more actionable information on how to spot card cheats, at a home game, club or casino, fill out the form below and we’ll send it along.
Watanabe indulged in a year-long gambling binge in Las Vegas in 2007, mostly at Caesar's Palace. He placed a stunning $835 million in bets and lost...
Read More »
Yes, you definitely can make a considerable amount of money and even make a living playing poker. It won't be easy, though, especially if we're...
Read More »
The bottom line, IF you are going to play a parlay, play a 3 or 5 outcome parlay. For those new and lucky enough to have never been enticed by the...
Read More »
But many people are now arguing that winning the World Cup - along with all his other titles and awards means that Lionel Messi is the true GOAT...
Read More »
Promotion
Promotion
Promotion
Promotion