Behind the Scenes View of a Casino Blackjack Cheating Move

Here is a short video clip showing a behind-the-scenes view of an old cheating move, done in an actual casino during a live blackjack game. I recorded this video with a hidden miniature camera during a test that I was doing for one of my casino clients. This video was recorded with full approval of the surveillance director and casino manager. A few other key people were aware of my presence but the surveillance staff and the pit personnel had no idea who I was or that I there to test their abilities to catch players that might be cheating. I had permission to wear a hidden camera to record some of my cheating attempts. And amazingly, I was given permission to cheat to my heart's content. But that was all for a test, so, unfortunately, I was not allowed to keep any winnings...

I had also been given permission to post any parts of my recordings online as long as I agreed not to reveal the name and location of the casino, and took some measures to hide people's faces and other details that might reveal the identity of the casino. It took me a couple of days to edit this video, so that the upper part of the image is blurred out, while retaining all the important elements that show the action. In fact, I edited this video about three years ago and wanted to post it on my site, but then I changed my mind. All of the sudden I realized that this video would be seen by anyone with internet access, meaning the entire world. From such a vast pull of people there are bound to be a few idiots that will just watch the video without bothering to read through the text, then jump to a conclusion that this is an instruction video on casino cheating, and next thing you know they're doing it in their local casino. Of course, should anyone attempt to do this move in an actual casino it's just a matter of time when they'll get caught and arrested. So, let me be clear, I did this move in a casino, as a test, with full approval from the bosses, i.e. my clients. Furthermore, this particular cheating maneuver is an outdated move that might have worked in the 1960s, but nowadays CCTV surveillance got so sophisticated that many of the old moves became obsolete.


http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=c197f89d79a7522c&type=video%2Fmp4
The move is very simple. A palmed chip is added on top of the existing bet once part of the outcome is already known. This cheating strategy is known as pastposting, and the move specifically is called pressing a bet.

In this particular example the press was done while the dealer was occupied with one of the players in late position, while I was seated on first base. I pressed my bet on a total of 20, which is why I say that the outcome is partially known; meaning that the dealer still has the chance to beat me, if she catches 21, or I might win nothing, if she catches a 20. Also, The move was done when the dealer had a bad up card, such as a 5 or a 6, which means that she was more likely to bust, thus increasing my chances of winning.

As you can see in the video, the dealer did notice that I touched my cards and told me to keep my hands away. However, as you can also see from the video, she did pay my bet, which means that she had no idea I sweetened my bet after she dealt me a 20.

To be perfectly honest, the circumstances for cheating were not ideal for me at that time. I only had a limited amount of time to do my testing and I didn't get to pick my own dealer. This particular dealer was actually quite experienced and alert and would have never been my choice of a dealer I'd want to exploit, it I wanted to cheat for real. But I had to work with what they gave me and be happy that they had even agreed to my very unusual request to test their pit personnel by actually cheating in their own casino.

Several years ago I posted some demo videos, of casino cheating moves, on YouTube. Some of those videos received some criticism, mainly that those moves could not be done in casinos. Most of those comments came from viewers that didn't take the time to read my description, which clearly said that those were demo videos of some old cheating moves. So, before anyone says the same thing about this video let me be perfectly clear by saying that I am fully aware of the fact that this is an old an pretty much obsolete cheating move. Definitely not a move that can break the bank at Monte Carlo. But it's still a demonstration of a cheating technique that has been attempted many times in casinos, and some unsophisticated cheats have even gotten away with it. What makes this video special, compared to my earlier YouTube demo videos (or any other demo videos on the internet), is that this demo video was recorded covertly in an actual casino, during a live game. And this time it actually worked.

As I've already explained, I am not at liberty to reveal any details about the casino where this recording was made. Sorry, but that was part of the deal. I will say, however, that the casino was not in the US. I also recorded some other cheating moves that evening, but this clip is the only one I will ever show on the internet. The other clips were quickly edited on my laptop and screened during my training seminar the following day, in front of the very surveillance staff that should have caught me cheating when I was on the floor. I was happy to know that no one got into any trouble, for not catching me cheating. The casino actually paid for furthering the education of their staff.