Fraud and cheating in the history of casinos and poker

If there’s a lot of easy money, excitement and adrenaline within the industry, there will surely be fraud. It will often be an indicator of a high-end of playing professionals. Poker is no exception. The task of a swindler is to take over players winnings by any means, and the task of a casino is to prevent any kind of foul play using the most advanced techniques. Such a battle with varying success lasts for decades.

An interesting fact is that it’s not always money the cheats pursue. Oftentimes it is glory and fame being the ultimate goal of the successful outcome of the scam. Fraudsters authority needs a good advertising. Everything, as in politics. PR is much needed to raise the prestige. But also, the fight against fraud and the fraud itself is held in casinos, as it is in poker rooms.

Fraud and dealers

Yes, the dealer is the most successful swindler at the poker table. Juggling cards and team play allows the employee to take hefty sums from his employer. In the seventies, the casino dealer named R. Marcus, who worked with the team, was able to ease the casino for $80 000 exclusively juggling cards during the hands. As the saying goes, ‘We have what we guard’. His teacher was the other well-known swindler and sharpie Joe Clesse. The story had happened in 1976 in Vegas.

History of the scandalous Partouche Poker Tour

In this story the victory was celebrated by the casino. 2010 WPT Barcelona champion Ali Tekintamgac, participating in Partouche Poker Tour, has organized a group of fake journalists for a coverage of 2010 PPT tournament.

The imaginary bloggers handed him peeped information about his opponents cards along the way. The scam was uncovered by tournaments security service, and instead of receiving a huge grand prize, a stunning scandal erupted with the disqualification of the protagonist.

Acting skills of the casino scams

A former casino dealer Richard Marcus did not stopped as a fraud dealer on the casino table, but continued his machinations as a player. The scheme was not that difficult, but quite effective, and it could be done only by one person. Scheme became public knowledge after the memoirs of Marcus were published.

All occurred under the disguise of a drunken player at the roulette table. The bet has been placed from two different chipstacks. As a general rule, the lowest chip in the stack was worth $500. Upper chips were small $5 ones. In case of loss ‘drunken’ player was took his chips even before the dealer could do it. Obviously, the chips would have to be returned, but drunken Marcus was able to get away with it, taking the bottom expensive chip away. In case of win Marcus has been showing the value of a $500 chip with the drunken shouts of joy. Such fraud was revealed only in the publication of his memoirs, where many of similar acting skills scams were revealed.