Cheating in Blackjack

By: Kena Sen
Submitted: 2008-09-08 13:12:12
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Cheating is a common feature in blackjack games at most casinos. Cheating can be by the dealer or by the players. Either way, cheating goes against the basic norms of the game of blackjack. It could prove upsetting to a dedicated game player. Similarly, it could lead to huge losses to the casinos if players resort to cheating by themselves or in connivance with the dealers. 

Cheating is a punishable offense and authorities try to regulate cheating in casinos to ensure fair game play. If there is rampant cheating at any particular casino, authorities can order closure of the casino too. If player or any casino employee is caught cheating, punishment could lead to jail terms too.

Shoe Games: Casinos often remove many ten-point cards like tens, Jacks, or other face cards from the shoe. Shoe contains the decks of playing cards. By removing such ten pointers, casinos offer little chance for you to make 21 to win over the dealer. Instead, dealer has a higher chance of scoring 21 easily.

In a blackjack game, face and ace cards are your forte while smaller denomination cards prove advantageous to the casino. Therefore, removal of such cards lowers your winnings while casinos stand to gain more. You can conduct shoe inspection to protect against such malpractices.

Dealer tactics:  Casinos engage services of dealers adept at such malpractices. Dealers can easily remove the next card in the shoe. This gives dealer an opportunity to decide the next move in the game of blackjack. Dealer therefore serves such a card to you that it spoils all your chances of making a 21.

Single-Deck Games: These games offer the maximum opportunity for the dealer to try any of his conniving tricks. Dealers can easily manipulate the cards in the deck to the advantage of the casino. Dealer here is the skilled mechanic of the casino. He can easily remove cards without your notice. Such cheating is rampant in handheld deck games.

Marking: Some players daub special paints on the cards leaving a small smudge. It is not easy to detect such a smudge other than under a powerful lens. Such smudging proves helpful to the players when dealer reshuffles cards and deals them. Such players wear special lens, which helps them identify which player or the dealer has those particular cards.

Grabbing: Sometimes, other players close by grab a few of your chips without your notice. Normally, players keep all the game chips in a pile in front. Therefore, slowly taking away a few from them without you noticing is simple. The best way to safeguard against such cheating is not to let any other player come close to you or your chips at any time in the game.

Effects of Alcohol: Many players lose their chips due to their lack of concentration while in an inebriated state. Although most casinos disallow consumption of alcohol during and before blackjack games, yet few players indulge in such habits. Of course, fellow players make good use of their intoxication.

Swapping: Often players while splitting cards switch cards from one hand to another. This is possible because splitting refers to dividing a single playing hand into two playing hands.

Article source: Expert Articles