When it comes to card games, poker is one of the most popular. This game is wonderful for its diversity, because there are different types of poker. It is well suited for playing at home, for example, with friends or family, and in a casino format. There are even professional competitions that are broadcast live. It is literally like a sport, when it is really interesting to watch professionals who know their business and demonstrate a master class.
Is there any? poker cheating? Of course, any gambling is always accompanied by attempts at deception. Not everyone is ready to play honestly and by the rules. Some are looking for simpler options for winning. In most cases, this leads to trouble. For example, if you try to cheat the casino and you are exposed, and most likely this is exactly what will happen, because modern establishments have very complex and multifaceted security systems, big trouble awaits you. At best, you will have to have a conversation with representatives of the law, and at worst, you can meet with special people who represent the interests of the casino and are not limited in their actions by the rules of the law.
And were they successful? poker scammers, who would be able to cheat the casino? The risk of getting into trouble doesn't stop everyone and many decide to try. Some succeed.
Card fraudsters: ways to cheat
It is worth saying that fraud in poker and casinos exists as much as the games for money themselves. Some of the scammers managed to find weak spots and successfully exploit them. There were also those who were able to come up with ingenious schemes that allowed them to win without restrictions. As a result, some scammers remained unnoticed for years, deceiving both ordinary players and large gambling establishments.
Many variants of cheating were invented. Some used classic techniques of card and chip manipulation, others used high technology and special devices. They all had one thing in common – the desire for easy money and the desire to outwit the system. And what did it give them? Over time, they were caught red-handed, as they say, by the hand. Methods of controlling honesty have become much more stringent, and modern casinos carefully monitor any suspicious actions.
In this article we propose to voice TOP 10 card fraudsters, which are known stories. At the same time, it is quite likely that we will never know the names of the real legends, because they are still doing their job and have not been caught and it is quite likely that they will never be caught.
The most famous poker cheaters
1. Richard Marcus – the king of chip swapping
Marcus became famous in the 70s for his schemes for changing bets in Las Vegas casinos. His main trick was the use of chips of different values. When making a bet, he would imperceptibly change it to more expensive ones after winning. It seems that this is too simple and banal, but it worked like a Swiss watch mechanism. Later, when his story became known to the world, many imitators appeared who also tried to do something similar, but times had changed and it did not work as before. Such methods became so popular that casinos began to closely monitor all bets. In general, video surveillance cameras and security guards who sat behind monitors and watched the game helped.
2. Archie Karas – legendary gambler and con artist
Archie Karas went down in history as the man who turned $50 into $40 million and then lost it all. This is a perfect example of when a person cannot stop in time and loses everything because of it, although some believe that if money comes easily, it can be let go just as easily. Archie Karas is said to have used marked cards and special contact lenses to see invisible marks on the cards - a high-tech approach to the matter.
3-4. Phil Ivey and Cheng Yin San – Edge Sorting Scheme
Phil Ivey, one of the most famous professional poker players, found himself at the center of a scandal due to his use of the so-called "edge sorting" technique. Together with his partner Cheng Yin Sang, he was able to detect small defects in the cards, which gave them an advantage in the game. They won millions at the Borgata and Crockfords casinos, but after being exposed, they were forced to return the money. It is true famous casino trickstersAt one time, their story impressed many.
5. Player by name "Mars" who saw through the maps
He is accused of cheating during a multi-million dollar poker game. According to witnesses, the man used special contact lenses to see through the cards. He allegedly brought his deck of cards to a private game in Yorba Linda, California, and thanks to such lenses, he won large sums of money over the course of a year, totaling about $ 3 million. However, Mars himself denies the accusations and claims that his winnings are the result of fair play. Witnesses report that by examining his deck in a dark room with the help of blue light, you can see the numbers on the back of the cards. In short, technological progress and imagination can sometimes help you get rich. If you were looking, who cheated at poker for big money, then this player is definitely in this category, or maybe it's slander and he's just very talented...
6. Joe Classon
Joe was born in New York in 1933. As a child, he and his brothers learned the basics of playing the game from Uncle. He improved his skills during his service in the army, but among his comrades he behaved restrainedly and tried to play honestly. After returning home, he became a regular guest at the casino, where he cheated, playing with his brother. After an unsuccessful marriage, he created a team of virtuoso cheats and his business went uphill.
7. Christian Lusardi and the chips in the toilet
This is a pretty funny story. Christian Lusardi used fake chips at the Borgata Winter Open tournament, where he finished in the top 10, earning 6 814$. The fraud was discovered by accident: the organizers found an excess of chips for 800 000$, and Lusardi himself tried to get rid of the remaining chips worth 2.7 million dollars by flushing them down the toilet. It was possible to understand that he was the fraudster because the sewage in his room was clogged. In short, "from the very beginning he had a certain tactic and he followed it." He was sentenced to 8 years in prison. As a result, this story was included in the category the loudest revelations of poker cheaters.
8. Peter Jepsen – online poker scammer
Of course, modern technology makes its own adjustments even to the work of poker players. Online poker is also not without scammers. Peter Jepsen, the winner of the 2007 European Poker Tour, became famous for cheating using spyware. He and his accomplices gained access to the PCs of their opponents to see their cards. Jepsen played with them for high stakes, knowing their cards. It is believed that hundreds of people were affected, but there was evidence for only eight episodes. The accomplices escaped punishment.
9-10. Jean-Paul Pasqualini and Cedric Rossi
In 2009, at the Partouche Poker Tour, Jean-Paul Pasqualini and Cedric Rossi teamed up to increase their chances of winning. Pasqualini won first place and earned almost a million dollars, while Rossi received 600,000$. They used gestures and facial expressions to exchange information, discussing strategy and cards. No one suspected foul play, but poker player Nordin Bouilla, reviewing the recordings, discovered a conspiracy. He created a video that proved that the players exchanged data. Despite the scandal, in 2019 both returned to major tournaments. It seems that someone watched too many casino movies. The guys were clearly on their way to success, and it seems that they have achieved it.
Let's summarize
Here they are. the most scandalous poker cheats in history, although again, it is possible that these are just losers who got lucky at some point, but then they got caught, and the real "diamonds" of the world of cheaters have still not been exposed by anyone and are only increasing their fortunes through their schemes of dishonest winning.
