It is generally known that much deception is practiced at cards. Since a child I've had a keen
interest in magic – sleight of hand in particular. You've no doubt heard the saying "the hand is quicker than the
eye", yet this is false. The hand is not quicker than the eye, it's cleverer, and the key to any
decent card cheating is keeping complete control of the cards. Therefore the methods of
cheating that I'll be discussing in this article are mainly related to card manipulation, also
known as ‘mechanics'.
I won't be going into great detail about the card manipulation methods because this would
be breaking the age old magician's code. The reason for writing this article is that I believe
it's important to have an understanding of the potential card cheating methods employed in
order to reduce the chances of being cheated. Anyone reading this who is thinking of using
this information to cheat – don't even think about it! It's important to have morals and good ethics, and if this is
beyond you then just consider that any rewards would be far outweighed by the huge
risks of cheating.
Marked Cards
Marked cards are also known as ‘readers'. Such cards can easily be identified by looking
at the back of the card. Whilst it is possible to buy specially manufactured marked cards,
the usual method would be for the card cheat to mark the cards themselves during a game
. A whole deck of cards can easily be ‘doctored' fairly quickly. Although most cheats would
probably just mark the higher value cards. Since there is virtually no skill (except for
avoiding attention) to marking cards it is an appealing cheating method for many cheats.
The cheat can mark cards in a variety of ways. The most common way of marking cards
is by putting a nail mark into the card by squeezing the card between the thumb and
forefinger. Other methods include crimping the corners, grease marks, dirt marks, etc.
If you play a lot of live poker then you will probably have been involved in a game where
cards have been marked. It doesn't always mean that someone has attempted to cheat,
as even the best playing cards can get marked naturally. But keep a close eye on the
cards and if you spot a marked card then immediately request a new deck. If you're not
completely happy then leave the game. Cheat poker
To diminish the influence of marked cards you should always use ‘burn cards' when
you play poker. The great advantage is that the cheat would not know what the next card
is from the deck. I would also suggest that the deck is kept square on the table and not
spread out as some people prefer. If the deck is spread, even slightly, then the corners of
the cards are exposed and it gives the card cheat an opportunity to see where the
marked cards are. Some players also have a habit of discarding the burn card before
the betting round has finished. If you see people doing this then politely tell them not
to do it. It's bad form!