Marked Casino Cards

Marked casino cards are a common way for cheaters to gain an edge in gambling games. They can be used to perform magic card tricks. Cheating with marked cards requires a certain level of skill in order to read the marks and determine which cards are marked. Many casinos have taken steps to prevent card marking. However, some players still find ways to cheat the system.

Traditionally, markers would crimp the corner of a playing card. The cards were easier to read but still detectable by the gamblers’ riffle test. In more recent times, players have been using juice or luminous methods to mark their cards. These methods are harder to detect but more difficult to apply on a regular base.

Blazevic warned in his breakout session during the WGPC learning labs that card marking was not only a serious issue, but is also becoming more commonplace in casinos and gaming facilities. He noted that card marking used to be considered an art, and cheaters spent time and money on developing their skills. Now, it is easy to find websites selling daubs and reading lenses and there are a number of different ways to mark cards.

Casinos can scan cards with a special reader to detect marked cards. These devices can see if any marks or alterations have been made and report them to staff. Casino employees can also spot suspicious players if they look for unusual play patterns. If a player has consistently good hands, but is not playing against other players, then the casino might suspect cheating.