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A book by Steve Forte
30 Years of Research
In One Definitive Volume!
Subtitled: A Comprehensive Guide. This amazing book is the
culmination of almost 30 years of research into casino cheating, advantage play,
electronic player assistance, and related gambling activites . If it was made, designed,
worked out, played, or dreamed of, and had anything to do with beating the casino --
legally or otherwise -- it's probably discussed in this book. Includes almost 500 color
photographs and 194 pages devoted to blackjack. Other chapters are included on craps,
roulette, baccarat, poker, and other table games. This book is well worth the high price.
Stanford Wong says, "Saying you like a book so much you can't put it down may be
trite, but in the case of Forte's new Casino Game Protection, it was true for me. Forte's
depth of knowledge on beating casino games is amazing. Much material in the book has never
before been published, to my knowledge."
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Table of Contents |
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CHAPTER 1 -- GETTING STARTED |
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Game Protection
Overview, Cheaters, Card Counters, Advantage Players, Table Game Procedures |
Cheaters
Crossroaders, Hustlers, Professionals and Amateurs
Knowledge, Experience, Judgement, Planning, Innovation, Technique, Money, Social Skills
Organization
Crews, Captain, Takeoff Man, Mechanic, Support Players, The Inside Man
Specialists
Motivation
Desperation, Ego, Larceny, Revenge, Industry Dislike, Independence
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Advantage Players
History, Tricks, Exploitable Loopholes, Equipment Bias, The Peek Game, Other
Games
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The Elements of a Scam
Psychology
The Turn
Dealers, Supervisors, Surveillance, Customers
Signals
Call-in, Scrub, Stop/Go, George/Tom, Heat, Brush, Deviation, Multiple Systems, Card
Signaling, Count Signaling, Sky Signals, Verbal, Physical
Employee Theft and Inside Collusion
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Electronic Player Assistance
Signaling Devices
Thumpers, Transceivers, Transmitter-Receivers, Loops, Receiving Devices
Computers
Blackjack Computers, Roulette Computers, Technical Features, Confidential Report,
Miniaturization, RF Leakage, Developments
Cameras
Methods of Concealment, Systems, Boosters, Applications, Imager Efficiency, Body Worn
VCRs, Remote Stations, Uploading to the Internet, Developments
The Future
Wearable Gadgets, Surgically Implanted Devices, Hi Tech Wizards
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What is Cheating?
Cheating Statues, Definitions, Conspiracies
The Law and Card Counting, Advantage Play, Signaling and Devices
Questionable Scenarios
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| Summary |
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CHAPTER 2 -- BLACKJACK |
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Mucking
The Steal, One Card Mucks, Chopping, Drink Muck, Double Down Mucks, Two Players, Two Card
Mucks, Cleaning Up |
Switchers
Double Chop, Feeders, One Player/Two Hands, One Hand Switch/Two Hands
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Shiners
Hand Held Shiner, Cigarette Shiner, Chip Shiner, Money Shiner, Glass Shiner |
Check Moves (Outside)
Capping/Pressing
Blackjack Cap, Bottom Bet Cap, Quadruple Down
Pinching
Quick Pinch, Scratch Pinch, Bottom Check Pinch
Claimers |
Cutting Techniques
Wobble Cut, Cut Peek, Riffle Cut, Multiple Card Peek, Mechanical Peeker, Cutcard Peek |
| Dealer Agent Scams |
Slug Scams and Stacking the Deck
False Shuffles
Carrying a Slug, Scrape Cut, Center Stripping, Other Methods
Classic Slug Scam
High Low Slug Scam
Stacking the Deck
Lay Stack, Pickup Stack, Riffle Stack, Circle Stack, New Deck Stack Nullifying the Cutoffs
Nullifying the Cut
Pop Cut, Laying a Brief, Short Cut, Cutcard Brief, Cutcard Shift |
Coolers
Cold Deck (single deck), Cold Deck (multi-deck), New Deck Coolers, Burncard Coolers,
Slug Coolers, "Deadlock," Future Coolers |
Peek/Flash Scams
Peeks
Back Peek, Heel Peek, Bubble Peek, Fan Peek
Flashing
Classic Flash, Bubble Flash, Gap Flash, Hitcard Flash, Holecard Flash
Shoe Peeks
Nail Peek, Fan Peek, Holecard flash, In the Shoe Peek |
Check Moves (Inside)
Dumping the Game, Pushing Off to Agents, Sizing in High, Color Change/Color In Cap, Mixed
Color Overpay, Blackjack Cap, Winning Hand Cap, Other Methods |
Strong Arm Cheating
Pitch Moves
Wrong Hand, Switching the Player's Hand, Switching the Holecard, Capping the Deck, Cheap
Shots
Shoe Moves
Playing the Topcard, Holdout Deal, Shoe Cap, Holecard Switch
Gaffed Shoes
Electronic Peek Shoe, Peek Shoe with Shiner, Other Methods |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 3 -- CARD COUNTING
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Short History
Blackjack Analysis, Early System Players, Strategies Hit the Printed Page, Beat the
Dealer, The Industry Deals with Skilled Players |
| The Fundamentals |
Basic Strategy
What is it worth? Rule Variations, The Public's Play, Basic Strategy and the
Industry |
Card Counting Systems
Balanced Counts, Un-Balanced Counts, Which Count is Best? (So Many Counts), How far can we
go?, Which Count is Right for Gamers?, How Counts Look and Play |
True Count
Traditional Methods, Short Cuts, Conversion Factors, Pivot |
Playing Strategy
Strategy Indexes, Early Count Playing Strategies, The Top Plays |
Betting Strategies
Optimal, Graduated, Parlay, Take Back, Spreading Down, Multiple Hands, Color Schemes,
Cover Zones, Delayed Bet Spreads, Back Counting, Bet Spread Mathematics |
The Card Counter's Bankroll
Pocket Bankroll, Risk, Kelly Criterion, Optimal Bet Size |
| Pseudo Card Counting Systems |
| Card Counting Props, Mechanical Devices and Computers |
The Players
Tourists, Card Watchers, Imitators, Amateurs, Professional Players, Professional Teams |
Card Counting - Perspective
Precision?, Computer Simulations, Understanding the Player's Edge, Probability of Winning,
Risk of Ruin, Win Rates, Percentage Advantage versus Unit Win |
Detection / Evaluation
Strategy Deviations, Bet Spread, Win Rate, Taking Your Time, Other Factors |
| Countermeasures and Barring |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 4 -- ADVANTAGE PLAY (Blackjack) |
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Playing Holecard
Basers, Front Loaders, Index Dealer, The Express Play, Holecard Strategy |
Steering
Bottom Card Steering, Center Cut Estimation, Playing the Stack |
| Playing the Turn |
Shuffle Tracking
A Short History
Playing Location
Strip Flash, Lops, High Riffles
Slug Tracking
Grab Size, Pre-Shuffle Slugs, The Tracking Process, Mapping, Practice, Memory, Advantage,
Cutcard, Dealer Selection, Strategy Features
Criss-Cross, Reload, 6 Packet Criss-Cross, Indicator Slugs, Dilution Shuffle, Tracking
Bottoms
Slug Tracking Computers
Countermeasures, Tests, Plugging the Cutoffs, Caesar's Switch, Splits, Detection
Sequence Tracking
The Predictable Riffle Shuffle
Ace Tracking: Keycards, Double Keys, Triple Keys
Other forms of Sequential Information
Betting/Steering, Dealer Selection, Advantage, Teams, Maps
Sequential Tracking Computers, Captain Crunch, Locking into Two Sequences
Countermeasures, Tests, Number of Riffles, Stripping, Detection |
Pseudo Shuffle Systems
Randomness, Bias, Clumping, Simulating Human Shuffles |
Shuffling Machines
Continuous Shufflers
Loopholes, Card Counting, Skewed Frequency Distributions, Card Shenanigans
Non-Continuous Shufflers
Shuffle Master, Other Shufflers, Scams and Loopholes, Regulatory Approval |
The Science of Shuffling
The Riffle Shuffle, Stripping the Deck, Boxing the Deck, The Best Procedures, Shuffle
Speed, Dead Game Shuffling, Alternative Shuffling Procedures for Suspect Play |
| Perspective |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 5 -- CRAPS |
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The Dice
Manufacturing Process, Manufacturing Variances, Precision Dice, Legal Specifications |
Crooked Dice
Passers, Missouts, Weight, Flats, Bevels, Edge Work, Surface Work, Tops, Double Number,
Magnetic Dice, Other Variations, Crooked Gambling Supply Houses |
Dice Switches
Palm Switch, Thumb Switch, No Spill Switch, Money Switch, Jacket Switch,One Die Switches,
Dice Shell, Other Methods, Cleaning Up |
Scams with Gaffed Dice
The Old Days
The Casino Logo and Serial Number, Hot Stamp Machines, Stamps, Vulnerability
Scams/Percentage Dice, Scams/Tops, Scams/Double Number, The Craps Cooler |
Detection/Tests
Visual Inspection, Spotting, Balancer, Dice Square, Edge Test, Surface Test, Micrometer,
Magnet Test |
Controlled Dice Shots
Push Shot, Spin Shot, Puck Shot, Walking the Die, Off the Table Shot, Other Shots
Countermeasures, The Back Wall, The String
Scams with Controlled Dice Shots |
One Die Lay down
Setup, The Lay Down, Money Laydown |
Outside Crap Moves
Proposition Hustles, Past Posting, Money Switch, Pressing the Don't, Other Methods |
Dealer-Agent Scams
The Catch, Rail Moves, Handing Off, Comebet Overpays, Putting Bets Up, Thumb Busting,
Totaling, Capping, Call Bet Scams, Miscalling, Other Methods |
Stealing from the Box
Stealing Checks, Handing off to the Floor, Stealing Cash, Hanging a Bill |
Setting the Dice
The System, Testing the System, Test Results |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 6 -- ROULETTE |
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Past Posting
Solo, Past Posting with Props, Team Past Posting, Two Color Past Posting, Runners
Losing Bet Switches
Conversion Scams |
Outside Ball Manipulation
Manipulating the Table, Steel Core Roulette Balls, Unusual Cheating Devices |
Dealer-Agent Scams
Dealer Past Posting, Column Past Posting, Overpays, Double Check Past Post, Back Palm Past
Post, Pushing Dirty Stacks, Other Methods |
Gaffing the Wheel
Early Gaffed Wheels, Gaffing the Modern Wheel, Gaffed Wheels versus Biased Wheels |
Bias Wheels
Bias, Collecting the Data, Analyzing the Data, Standard Deviation, Chi Square |
Inspection
Visual, Table, Bowl, Spindle, Ball Track, Canoes, Number Strip, Rotor, Pockets, Cone,
Inside Bowl, Ball, Software Analysis, Manufacturer's Guidelines |
Roulette Computers
How Roulette Computers Work, Problems and Obstacles, The Capricious Nature of the Wheel,
Overseas Conditions, The Modern Wheel, New Technologies |
Visual Prediction
History
The Basics
Ball Track Bias, Rotor Speed, Ball Speed, Bounce, The Strategy
Real World Conditions
Roulette Computers versus Visual Prediction |
Section Shooting
Skill, Section Shooting Versus Visual Prediction, It Can Be Done, Procedures, Roulette
Specialists, House Dealers, Monte Carlo |
Dealer's Signatures
Theory, Strategies, The 17 Rule |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 7 -- BACCARAT |
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The Slug Scam
Mini-Baccarat
Baccarat's Vulnerability, Recording the Cards, 6-Row System, False Shuffles, The Zarrow
Shuffle, Faking the Shuffle-Check, Faking the Wash
Big Table Baccarat
New Deck Slugs, Flashing During the Wash, Peek Stack
Slug Scams and Technology
Beating the Shuffler, Hidden Cameras and False Shuffles |
Strong Arm Cheating
Shoe Peeks
Passing the Shoe, Lip Peek, Holdout Peek, Shoe Peek with Lid
Gaffed Shoes
Prism Shoes, Remote Control Slug Shoe
Coolers
Mucking/Switching
John Scarne, Stranger Cards, Macau Scam
Other Methods |
Card Counting
Effect of Removal, Baccarat's Dependent Nature, Thorp and Griffin Studies |
Advantage Play
Shuffle Tracking
Slug Tracking, Sequence Tracking, Tracking Nines, Locking into Two Sequences
Back Card Steering
Topcard Advantages, First Six Card Advantages
Other Methods
Capping, Pinching, Past Posting, Moving Losers, Late Bets |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 8 -- ASIAN GAMES / NOVELTY GAMES |
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| PAI GOW |
The Dice
Asian Style Dice, Three Dice Frequencies, Dealing Orders
The Dice Cup
Metal Cups, Protection Cups, Acrylic Cubical Cup |
Nullifying the Dice
Rank Methods, No Shake, Miss-Call, Cup Peek, Lid Control, Controlled Shakes
Crooked Dice: Magnetic Dice, Misspots, Percentage Dice, Other Possibilities
Dice Switches, Cup Switches |
Marked Tiles
Sanding, Nicking, Scratching, Red Work, Finish Work, Other Methods, Hi Tech Marking |
Stacking the Tiles
Culling, False Shuffles, No Touch False Shuffle, Professional "Shufflers"
Applications: Classic Stack, Stacking with Marked Tiles, The Odd-Even Stack, Delivery
Stacking |
Strong Arm Cheating
Mucking
One Tile Muck, Dupes, Cleaning Up
Switching
Double Chop, Feeders, Wrong Position Switching
Reflection Peek, Flash Scam
Strong Arm Cheating
Switching the Player's Hand, Pushing and Paying Losers, Other Methods |
| Freezing the Table |
PAI GOW POKER
Skillful Play
The Dice, Crooked Dice, Stacking, The Asian Deal, Starter Cards, Strong Arm Cheating |
SIC BO
Electronic Dice |
NOVELTY GAMES
Mathematical Analysis, Dependent Trials, The Shuffle, Cut, Deal, Topcarding, Playing
Holecard, Networking, Cheating, Novelty Game Basic Strategies
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| Summary |
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CHAPTER 9 -- POKER |
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Collusion
Local Courtesy, Playing Tophand, Middling, Pre-Arranged Strategies, Playing Cousins,
Playing out of the Same Pocket, Perception, Tournaments |
Shuffle Related Scams
Culling, Weeding, Faking the Scramble/Wash, Top Slug Controls, Push Through Full Deck
Control |
Nullifying the Cut
False Cuts, Slip Cut, In-Stripper Brief |
Applications
The Kill, Slug Scam, Dealing Known Holecards, Flop Moves, Bad Beat Jackpots, Riffle
Stacking, The Perfect Shuffle, The Peek Stack, Deal'em Back, Double Duke, The Delayed
Stack, Slug or Cooler, Bin Cooler |
Holding Out
Steals, Holding Out, Seven Card Stud Scenario, Hold'em, Holding Out with Inside Collusion,
Cleaning Up
Mechanical Holdout Devices
Knee-Spread, Bean Shooter, Short Sleeve, Slick Sleeve, Bugs
Countermeasures
Changing the Deck, Count Down, Dupes, The Card Index |
Strong Arm Cheating
Peeks
Heel Peek, 2-Down Peek
False Deals
Pitch Second Deal, Stud Second Deal, Bottom Deal, Greek Deal, Mechanic's Grip
Coolers
Buy-In Cooler, Chip Rack Cooler, Mechanical Cold Deck Machines
Capping the Deck
Check Copping, Spraying the Pot
Sending The Hand Over, Goose Neck, Spectators
Cheap Shots
Intentional String Bets, Other Methods |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 10 -- UNIVERSAL SCAMS |
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Subs
Double Apron, Spring Loaded Sun, Sleeve Sub, Fly Sub, Shirt Sub, Tie Sub
Swinging without Subs, Other Methods |
| Chip Cup and the Double Sided Checks |
Administrative Scams
Marker Scams, fills, credits, openers, closers, counterfeit checks (chips), counterfeit
traveler's checks, counterfeit money, stolen payroll checks, theft |
Marked Cards
Short History
Early Playing Cards, Steamboats, Stamped Decks, Crooked Gambling Supply Houses, Early
Scams, Casino Scams
Inside and Outside Work, Combinations, The Shoe Game, European Style Blackjack, Other
Games, Advantages, Card Control |
The Work (Inside Systems)
Blockout
Matching the Ink, Enlarged Diamonds, Humps, White Ink
Cutout
Shade
Formulas, Reading Shade, Line Shade, Highway Shade, Spot Shade, Juice, Flash,
White-on-White, Partial and Natural White-on-White, Triangle Shade
Sorts
Overall Back, Border Sorts, White Backed Sorts, Percentage Sorts
Trims
Overall Back, White Back, Cutters and Rounders
Sand/Scratch, The Shine, Luminous Readers, Rounders |
The Work (Outside Systems)
Playing The Bend, Snaking (Waving), Top Carding Aces, Buckle, Plastic Cards
Daub, Daub Substitutes, Concealment, Graphite, Nail Nicking, Knockoff Sticks
Touch Work
Rough and Smooth, Punch, Blackline, The Flex
Factory Defects, One Way Backs, Creekers, Electronic Marked Cards, Other Methods |
Tests for Detection
Box, Pip Configuration, Ribbon Spread, Riffle Test, Angled Light, Size Test, Bevel Test,
Shade Tests, Gun Test, Squeeze Tests, Touch Tests, Filters, Blacklight, The Eyes,
Evaluating the Play |
| Summary |
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CHAPTER 11 -- DETECTION |
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Industry Line of Defense
Dealers, Floor, Pit and Shift Supervisors, Casino Managers
Surveillance
Capability, The Real Benefits, Cheaters versus Surveillance, Software Detection
Griffin Investigations and Similar Agencies |
Detection Skills
Profiling
Age, Ethnic Background, Sex, Image, Built-In Profiles, Disguises
Awareness, Knowledge, Thought Process, Realities, Detection Tips |
Table Game Procedures
Uniformity, Anticipation, Which Procedures are Best, Guidelines for Dealers and
Supervisors, Protection Against Cheating, Questions, Resistance to Change, Evaluation |
Game Protection Mathematics
Percentage of Winning Hands, Strange Results, Poisson Distribution, The Law of Averages,
Standard Deviation, Standard Deviation Shortcuts, Bayes Theorem
The Casino Hold Percentage
Measuring Game Performance, What Should My Games Be Holding, Fluctuation
Rating Systems
Weak Basic Strategy Players, Error Costs, Frequency of Error, Player Profiles |
Myths and Misconceptions
Knowledge Traps, Cheating, Marked Cards, Counting, Shuffle Tracking, Betting Systems, Do
Casinos Cheat?, The Short Shoe, Master Hi Low, Preferential Shuffling |
The Future of Game Protection
Biometrics, Accountability Systems, Automation, Realities |
Training, Sources and Experts
Background, Books, Videos, Software, The Internet, Lectures, Surveillance Footage,
Personal Contacts, The Ultimate Source
Recommendations
Card Counting, Shuffle Tracking, Advantage Play, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Asian Games,
Poker, Mathematics, Surveillance/Security, General, Cheating
Web Sites, Retail Outlets, Experts |
| Summary |
Final Thoughts
Book Expectations, Future Editions, Casino Game Protection Web Site
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Casino Game Protection
Last Update 11/20/05
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Casino Game Protection and Security
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