A good card player will remember what cards have been played, what are left in the deck, what cards the aces are behind cuz the deck was shuffled casually and how to read other players. That's just a waste of time, everyone loves to make money, and if cheating's gonna do it, then I'll be'a cheating.
Suntanning
Put a card in bright sunlight for a few hours, the pattern will fade and it's basically like marking it, but most of the time casual players don't bother or pay attention. Mirrors are such an obvious danger they usually don't exist in cardrooms, but it's surprising how you can identify cards by their reflection using the Zippo on the table, the glasses of the guy opposite you or in the glass of water Bob's drinking.
Signals
Two people in a poker game signalling to each other can make a gargantuan difference. Knowing your partner's 'hole' card, especially in hi-lo games is a huge money making factor. The partner knows whether to stay in or fold, or maybe to raise the pot to encourage others. After the match, it would look like one person made it big and the others lossed out, when in truth two people made it only slightly less big, but the other two still lost out. There are a thousand signals that can be thought up, suggesting a pizza delivery, stubbing out your cigarette or even squinting at your hand, and the rest is up to your partner.
Switching decks
Some places use the same decks over and over again, so you simply buy and pre-arrange a deck of the same type. With a quick switch of decks at the right time, you'll have everything you need to have to make some easy cash. It's pretty hard to make the switch, and you're gonna have to memorize the cards, but hey, you want to play honest? I didn't think so.
Marking
Those flowery, lacy designs are easy to add small little marks to, which are shithard to notice. A barely noticeable scratch is enough and since cards degenerate as they are played with, a single imperfection is your key to riches. A coffee spot or tiny tear for instance will do it, but don't go overboard with the winnings, people will get suspicious and start checking for marks and even though they probably won't be able to say you were cheating, they could switch decks. Knowing one out of the 52 cards will give you a 2 percent lead, compare that to how long the last Olympic hundred meter sprint was topped by.
Trimming and dealing seconds
Cards can be trimmed so that they are not the same size as the rest. Same card, same pattern, just slightly smaller than the rest. With a bit of practice, you can easily feel the smaller card in your hand or even spot it on the table. Dealing "Seconds" refers to dealing the second card from the top of the deck. This take countless hours perfecting, but if you get it right, you'll never be spotted. Professionals can rarely spot each other doing it, even when they know it's happening because of the slightly different sound it makes. You wait for the card you want to come to the top of the deck and deal everyone else seconds until it's your turn. For something easier, you can deal off the bottom of the deck but if people are looking closely they'll see you do it. |
