Q:
I’m not in the casino business, but I understand a little about blackjack and decided to take a flyer on your book Casino-ology (I went with the e-book at the lower price). Good stuff! But I have a question. In chapter 25, "Marked Card Play in 21," Bill Zender writes: "I possess some video footage of cheaters denting the 10-value cards [on a 21 game] with the intentions of busting the dealer once all the 10 cards were marked.
Recently, I was talking to a gaming acquaintance who mentioned a similar scam that happened many years ago. He told me that a group of cheaters marked all the 10-value cards on several games at a casino that utilized a curtain-type shield over the front of its dealing shoes. Because of the shields, the casino wrongly assumed the shoes were safe from all types of marked cards. Over the course of the day, the cheaters dented the bottom edge along the length of all 10 cards. Later that same day, the cheaters used that information and the damaged curtains to beat the casino out of a good deal of money. Once the cards were marked, the cheaters used both a top-card bettor and a third-base "anchor" to beat the 21 games that had the defective curtains."
I understand that it would take the amount of time you cite —- "the course of a day" -— for the cheat to get all (or even most) of the 10s. But the money player could start playing immediately, with some advantage, from the first shuffle after at least a couple of cards were marked, right? So why would they waste all the opportunity on the way up by waiting till all the 10s were marked?
A:
Casino-ology was a departure for us, in that it’s the first book we’ve done for the industry (aside from the Bear Stearns Gaming Almanac a few years ago), but it turned out to be a gem with plenty of information that’s valuable for players, so we’re thrilled we took it on. And you’ve posed a good question. So good, in fact, that we couldn’t answer it. But, of course, we can access the source. Bill responds:
"Since the play is illegal, the cheats don’t usually send in the BP (Big Player) until all the cards are marked. This is the standard in daubing plays, as well. Money draws attention. A cheat doesn’t want to do the marking when the most attention is being focused on the game, so they get it done before the money arrives."
If you’re into the games and want to get the casino’s perspective, Casino-ology (available in print edition and e-book formats) is an excellent look behind the tables and a crash course on advantage play. And speaking of advantage play, the advice to purchase the e-book for a 60% discount ($15.98 vs. the $39.95 cover price) fits right in with that theme.
No part of this answer may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher.
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