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.

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."

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

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.

The Mechanics of a Craps Scam

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.

To combat this, casinos mandate that both dice must physically bounce off the chaotic, rubber pyramid "alligator" siding at the far end of the table.

Attempting to cheat a modern casino is an incredibly foolish endeavor that almost universally ends in severe felony charges and prison time.