Blackjack is one of the casino games most frequently targeted by cheaters. Although it is not illegal to cheat in blackjack, it is frowned upon and most casinos have strict security measures in place that are designed to prevent such behavior. However, there are several ways that cheats have been able to fool the dealers and the pit bosses to get their hands on winnings. This article will look at a few methods of how to cheat on blackjack, though they all come with significant risks and high failure rates.
Many of the methods used to cheat on blackjack involve hiding information from the dealer. For example, a cheat might palm a chip on the table and then add it back after winning. This method is usually done in a busy environment where it would be difficult for the dealer to notice such a quick change in betting patterns. Another common way to cheat at blackjack is by keeping a card up your sleeve and replacing it with a different card before the dealer notices. However, this type of cheating is very hard to pull off without getting caught, especially in live casinos where the dealers are highly observant and there are cameras everywhere.
A few blackjack cheaters have even gone so far as to bribe the dealer in order to get a better advantage at the game. However, such tactics are extremely rare and generally not worth the risk of getting tangled up with casino security.
The most famous way of cheating at blackjack is through card counting, which involves assigning positive (+1), neutral (0), and negative (1-) values to individual cards. It is a very complicated and time-consuming process that requires great mental discipline to keep track of, but it can give the player an edge in the game. The MIT team that took the casino for millions was using this strategy.
Some cheats also try to rig the shoe by changing the decks in the shoe. In this case, the dealer is forced to deal from the bottom of the shoe and can be influenced by what the cards are telling them.
There are a few other ways that cheaters try to rig the shoe, but most of them are too obvious and have a high risk of being detected. For instance, players sometimes try to mark the cards in some way by scratching them with their fingernails. This can make it easier to read the face down cards or even determine what is in the dealer’s hand.
Other cheaters try to bet above or below the table minimum, then claim they didn’t want a particular card that makes their hand bust. This is often caught by casino staff and can lead to a large fine. Some players even try to tamper with the shuffling machine by touching the cards with their fingers or asking for a specific card that they don’t actually want in their hand.