Casino game protection forte
New casino sites to play real money
Both casino game protection - A comprehensive guide and poker protection - cheating and the world of poker are officially out print. A last call was given to the top ten retailers for each title and they sold quickly. Books should still be available at your favorite retailer for the next few months, perhaps throughout the year, but the wholesale inventory is gone and there are no plans for second or expanded editions. For those of you who have asked specifically about the expanded poker edition, I may consider offering the research online (see my comments below). For those of you who have asked about scamming and jamming - one billion dollars in gambling scams, the project continues to make progress, albeit slowly. Although I actually started writing this book before casino game protection, and many chapters are in draft form, its still going to take a full time commitment to complete the work in 2008. We shall see.
Casino game protection forte
Both casino game protection - A comprehensive guide and poker protection - cheating and the world of poker are officially out print. A last call was given to the top ten retailers for each title and they sold quickly. Books should still be available at your favorite retailer for the next few months, perhaps throughout the year, but the wholesale inventory is gone and there are no plans for second or expanded editions. For those of you who have asked specifically about the expanded poker edition, I may consider offering the research online (see my comments below).
For those of you who have asked about scamming and jamming - one billion dollars in gambling scams, the project continues to make progress, albeit slowly. Although I actually started writing this book before casino game protection, and many chapters are in draft form, its still going to take a full time commitment to complete the work in 2008. We shall see.
For those of you who have asked about the pictorial book/series, the tedious task of photographing my gambling collection has just been completed. Roughly 5000 photographs were taken for a pictorial draft that depicts and describes about 1000 gambling artifacts (playing cards, dice, chips, tables & layouts, games, pocket devices, books, magazines, photos and ephemera). I have already had requests for a copy of this draft, but its not for sale at this time. These photos may end up on the website, the pictorial book/series, or even in an auction catalog. No decisions have been made at this time.
For those of you who have asked about the gambling protection video series, I have cut a deal with, and transferred the rights to, my friend: jason england. Jason is one of many people over the years who have asked me to convert the series to DVD, but to be perfectly honest, I have never felt the series warranted a DVD conversion. After 20+ years of sales I wanted to offer something new, so about three years ago I purchased the necessary video equipment and began shooting the raw footage for a new video series, unfortunately my book projects were always getting in the way. I have also given jason the rights to this footage and I understand he plans to include some of it in the DVD conversion, along with gambling invisible thieves (a television casino cheating expose that never aired and is often mistaken as volume #5 of the series).
Finally, I have considered the prospects of taking on a very serious website project that would create a vehicle for me to offer all of the unpublished information from casino game protection, poker protection, and loads of material from my files (30 years of unpublished research). Also included would be an extensive gambling photo collection, extensive surveillance video clip collection (about 1000 hours), gambling sleight of hand video clip collection, marked card collection, the largest virtual gambling museum in the world, and much, much more. In short, I am talking about a one of a kind gambling site! I am looking over a few bids from powerhouse firms capable of handling such a project and all of the envisioned special features. Updates will be posted.
Since the current site is one giant advertisement for my books, and my inventory is gone, this site, including email capability, will be under construction for the next few months. Check back from time to time if you have any interest in updates.
My sincerest thanks goes out to everyone who purchased casino game protection and poker protection, and to the many retailers and distributors who carried the titles.
Markedcards.Org
Your magic and gambling headquarters
Casino game protection – steve forte
- Out of print – out of stock: the consensus is in, gaming experts from around the world have hailed casino game protection – A comprehensive guide to be truly one-of-a-kind, the finest, most in-depth study on casino game protection ever revealed…a jackpot, with the reader the winner!”
preface from the book:
the following work is the culmination of 30 years of research into the arena of casino cheating, advantage play, electronic player assistance, and you name it. If a concept was designed, worked out, played, or dreamed of, and had anything to do with beating the casino – legal or otherwise – I’ve probably been there. Or close to it.
After many years of working in the industry, then as a professional gambler, and later as a casino consultant, you will, hopefully, find my perspective unique as the information to follow comes from both sides of the table.
Every effort was made to compile a comprehensive guide, and present the game protection topic with scope and objectivity. The scams and strategies presented run the gamut from old to new, from rank to sophisticated. Everything from marked cards and coolers to advantage play and electronic assistance is dicussed in detail. I’ve especially tried to address those million-dollar questions that come up over and over again, the questions that rarely get answered throughout an entire career. Is it possible to control the dice? What’s best way to shuffle and why? Do roulette dealers have signatures to their spin?
This work is not an encyclopedia or scams and strategies, nor is it intended to be. With certain techniques, such as false shuffles and card mucks, there are literally hundreds of variations. Describing them all doesn’t serve a useful purpose. In each area, I’ve tried to select a variety of moves that best illustrate that spectrum of technique. The same can be said of the card counting and blackjack advantage play chapters. There is some unavoidable rehash, a genuine effort to give credit where credit is due, and I will try to point you in the direction of quality information for further study. Despite these concessions, the book will stand on its own merit. It’s a comprehensive guide.
There is also a fair amount of historical information presented, and for many gamers there’s a perceived antiquity with many of the older moves and scams. Don’t fall into this trap, and don’t underestimate the importance of a little history, as it will provide you with a deeper understanding of how scams, strategies, and procedures have evolved. This, in turn, may provide some sense of what to expect in the future. There is a time and place for every scam presented in this research.
There are many important game protection topics that don’t fit neatly into any of the specific game chapters. In the first chapter these topics are presented to set the tone and lay the groundwork for the detailed game information to follow.
After the games are covered, along with chapters dealing exclusively with card counting and advantage play (with a focus on shuffle tracking), we’ll look at many universal scams, especially marked cards. We’ll complete the work with a final chapter on the art of detection and related topics. You’ll also find a detailed bibliography of sources and recommendations-all the information you’ll need to continue your research.
The book was compiled sequentially, so each chapter should be read in order, yet studied as part of complete work. When you come across words and terminology from the cheater’s or player’s vernacular, definition are available in the glossary at the end of the book.
The book has been written from all capacities and levels of experience. If you are new to gaming herein lies an opportunity for you to separate fact from fiction, and to expand your game protection, this book will hopefully prove to be a helpful reference tool.
With hundreds of photos, stories, and sometimes colorful language, I hope you find the text both interesting to read and easy to understand.
When all is said and done, the primary goal of this work is to stimulate your interest and thinking about this very important industry topic.
The opinions expressed in this book are my own, I alone carry the responsibility.
– steve forte
sample book chapters
- Getting started – elements of a scam
- Blackjack
- Card counting
- Advantage play
- Craps
- Roulette
- Baccarat
- Asian games/ novelty games
- Poker
- Universal scams
- Detection
–ron sheppard, chairman, grand casinos europa
“there has never been a more passionate, knowledgeable student of the game protection field. Steve deals with the topic like never before. Expect hard-hitting accuracy, detail, thoroughness, perspective, and more genuine knowledge of game protection than ever presented.”
-gary saul, legendary casino expert
“steve’s knowledge and expert opinions on casino game protection have always been the industry standard. This comprehensive guide will fast become the bible on the subject, and belongs in the possession of everyone working in casino management and surveillance.”
-vic taucer, president, casino creations
“I can’t think of anymore more uniquely qualified to write a treatise on casino game protection in this intelligent and insightful work, steve describes all major scams and methodologies, debunks many industry myths and misinformation regarding the protection of casino games, and presents an amazing historical overview of casino game protection that spans many decades. A must read for law enforcement, surveillance, and casino operations personnel. The book will become a cornerstone in the continuing legacy of steve forte.”
-george joseph, president, worldwide casino consulting
pages627 – hardbound chapter 1 – getting started
card counting systems
Magic tricks
"the consensus is in, gaming experts from around the world have hailed casino game protection - A comprehensive guide to be truly one-of-a-kind, the finest, most in-depth study on casino game protection ever revealed. A jackpot, with the reader the winner!"
The following work is the culmination of 30 years of research into the arena of casino cheating, advantage play, electronic player assistance, and you name it. If a concept was designed, worked out, played, or dreamed of, and had anything to do with beating the casino - legal or otherwise - I've probably been there. Or close to it.
After many years of working in the industry, then as a professional gambler, and later as a casino consultant, you will, hopefully, find my perspective unique as the information to follow comes from both sides of the table.
Every effort was made to compile a comprehensive guide, and present the game protection topic with scope and objectivity. The scams and strategies presented run the gamut from old to new, from rank to sophisticated. Everything from marked cards and coolers to advantage play and electronic assistance is dicussed in detail. I've especially tried to address those million-dollar questions that come up over and over again, the questions that rarely get answered throughout an entire career. Is it possible to control the dice? What's best way to shuffle and why? Do roulette dealers have signatures to their spin?
This work is not an encyclopedia or scams and strategies, nor is it intended to be. With certain techniques, such as false shuffles and card mucks, there are literally hundreds of variations. Describing them all doesn't serve a useful purpose. In each area, I've tried to select a variety of moves that best illustrate that spectrum of technique. The same can be said of the card counting and blackjack advantage play chapters. There is some unavoidable rehash, a genuine effort to give credit where credit is due, and I will try to point you in the direction of quality information for further study. Despite these concessions, the book will stand on its own merit. It's a comprehensive guide.
There is also a fair amount of historical information presented, and for many gamers there's a perceived antiquity with many of the older moves and scams. Don't fall into this trap, and don't underestimate the importance of a little history, as it will provide you with a deeper understanding of how scams, strategies, and procedures have evolved. This, in turn, may provide some sense of what to expect in the future. There is a time and place for every scam presented in this research.
There are many important game protection topics that don't fit neatly into any of the specific game chapters. In the first chapter these topics are presented to set the tone and lay the groundwork for the detailed game information to follow.
After the games are covered, along with chapters dealing exclusively with card counting and advantage play (with a focus on shuffle tracking), we'll look at many universal scams, especially marked cards. We'll complete the work with a final chapter on the art of detection and related topics. You'll also find a detailed bibliography of sources and recommendations-all the information you'll need to continue your research.
The book was compiled sequentially, so each chapter should be read in order, yet studied as part of complete work. When you come across words and terminology from the cheater's or player's vernacular, definition are available in the glossary at the end of the book.
The book has been written from all capacities and levels of experience. If you are new to gaming herein lies an opportunity for you to separate fact from fiction, and to expand your game protection, this book will hopefully prove to be a helpful reference tool.
With hundreds of photos, stories, and sometimes colorful language, I hope you find the text both interesting to read and easy to understand.
When all is said and done, the primary goal of this work is to stimulate your interest and thinking about this very important industry topic.
The opinions expressed in this book are my own, I alone carry the responsibility.
- Getting started - elements of a scam
- Blackjack
- Card counting
- Advantage play
- Craps
- Roulette
- Baccarat
- Asian games/ novelty games
- Poker
- Universal scams
- Detection
"casino game protection is a landmark achievement and undoubtedly the most authoritative and definitive guide of its kind ever written. Guaranteed to become an industry bestseller."
- ron sheppard, chairman, grand casinos europa
"there has never been a more passionate, knowledgeable student of the game protection field. Steve deals with the topic like never before. Expect hard-hitting accuracy, detail, thoroughness, perspective, and more genuine knowledge of game protection than ever presented."
- gary saul, legendary casino expert
"steve's knowledge and expert opinions on casino game protection have always been the industry standard. This comprehensive guide will fast become the bible on the subject, and belongs in the possession of everyone working in casino management and surveillance."
- vic taucer, president, casino creations
"I can't think of anymore more uniquely qualified to write a treatise on casino game protection in this intelligent and insightful work, steve describes all major scams and methodologies, debunks many industry myths and misinformation regarding the protection of casino games, and presents an amazing historical overview of casino game protection that spans many decades. A must read for law enforcement, surveillance, and casino operations personnel. The book will become a cornerstone in the continuing legacy of steve forte."
- george joseph, president, worldwide casino consulting
Casino game protection 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."
overview, cheaters, card counters, advantage players, table game procedures
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
history, tricks, exploitable loopholes, equipment bias, the peek game, other games
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
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
Cheating statues, definitions, conspiracies
the law and card counting, advantage play, signaling and devices
questionable scenarios
the steal, one card mucks, chopping, drink muck, double down mucks, two players, two card mucks, cleaning up
double chop, feeders, one player/two hands, one hand switch/two hands
hand held shiner, cigarette shiner, chip shiner, money shiner, glass shiner
capping/pressing
blackjack cap, bottom bet cap, quadruple down
pinching
quick pinch, scratch pinch, bottom check pinch
claimers
wobble cut, cut peek, riffle cut, multiple card peek, mechanical peeker, cutcard peek
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
cold deck (single deck), cold deck (multi-deck), new deck coolers, burncard coolers,
slug coolers, "deadlock," future coolers
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
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
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
blackjack analysis, early system players, strategies hit the printed page, beat the dealer, the industry deals with skilled players
what is it worth? Rule variations, the public's play, basic strategy and the industry
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
traditional methods, short cuts, conversion factors, pivot
strategy indexes, early count playing strategies, the top plays
optimal, graduated, parlay, take back, spreading down, multiple hands, color schemes, cover zones, delayed bet spreads, back counting, bet spread mathematics
pocket bankroll, risk, kelly criterion, optimal bet size
tourists, card watchers, imitators, amateurs, professional players, professional teams
precision?, computer simulations, understanding the player's edge, probability of winning, risk of ruin, win rates, percentage advantage versus unit win
strategy deviations, bet spread, win rate, taking your time, other factors
basers, front loaders, index dealer, the express play, holecard strategy
bottom card steering, center cut estimation, playing the stack
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
randomness, bias, clumping, simulating human shuffles
continuous shufflers
loopholes, card counting, skewed frequency distributions, card shenanigans
non-continuous shufflers
shuffle master, other shufflers, scams and loopholes, regulatory approval
the riffle shuffle, stripping the deck, boxing the deck, the best procedures, shuffle speed, dead game shuffling, alternative shuffling procedures for suspect play
manufacturing process, manufacturing variances, precision dice, legal specifications
passers, missouts, weight, flats, bevels, edge work, surface work, tops, double number, magnetic dice, other variations, crooked gambling supply houses
palm switch, thumb switch, no spill switch, money switch, jacket switch,one die switches, dice shell, other methods, cleaning up
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
visual inspection, spotting, balancer, dice square, edge test, surface test, micrometer, magnet test
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
setup, the lay down, money laydown
proposition hustles, past posting, money switch, pressing the don't, other methods
the catch, rail moves, handing off, comebet overpays, putting bets up, thumb busting, totaling, capping, call bet scams, miscalling, other methods
stealing checks, handing off to the floor, stealing cash, hanging a bill
the system, testing the system, test results
solo, past posting with props, team past posting, two color past posting, runners
losing bet switches
conversion scams
manipulating the table, steel core roulette balls, unusual cheating devices
dealer past posting, column past posting, overpays, double check past post, back palm past post, pushing dirty stacks, other methods
early gaffed wheels, gaffing the modern wheel, gaffed wheels versus biased wheels
bias, collecting the data, analyzing the data, standard deviation, chi square
visual, table, bowl, spindle, ball track, canoes, number strip, rotor, pockets, cone, inside bowl, ball, software analysis, manufacturer's guidelines
how roulette computers work, problems and obstacles, the capricious nature of the wheel, overseas conditions, the modern wheel, new technologies
history
the basics
ball track bias, rotor speed, ball speed, bounce, the strategy
real world conditions
roulette computers versus visual prediction
skill, section shooting versus visual prediction, it can be done, procedures, roulette specialists, house dealers, monte carlo
theory, strategies, the 17 rule
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
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
effect of removal, baccarat's dependent nature, thorp and griffin studies
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
asian style dice, three dice frequencies, dealing orders
the dice cup
metal cups, protection cups, acrylic cubical cup
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
sanding, nicking, scratching, red work, finish work, other methods, hi tech marking
culling, false shuffles, no touch false shuffle, professional "shufflers"
applications: classic stack, stacking with marked tiles, the odd-even stack, delivery stacking
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
skillful play
the dice, crooked dice, stacking, the asian deal, starter cards, strong arm cheating
electronic dice
mathematical analysis, dependent trials, the shuffle, cut, deal, topcarding, playing holecard, networking, cheating, novelty game basic strategies
local courtesy, playing tophand, middling, pre-arranged strategies, playing cousins, playing out of the same pocket, perception, tournaments
culling, weeding, faking the scramble/wash, top slug controls, push through full deck control
false cuts, slip cut, in-stripper brief
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
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
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
double apron, spring loaded sun, sleeve sub, fly sub, shirt sub, tie sub
swinging without subs, other methods
marker scams, fills, credits, openers, closers, counterfeit checks (chips), counterfeit traveler's checks, counterfeit money, stolen payroll checks, theft
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
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
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
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
dealers, floor, pit and shift supervisors, casino managers
surveillance
capability, the real benefits, cheaters versus surveillance, software detection
griffin investigations and similar agencies
profiling
age, ethnic background, sex, image, built-in profiles, disguises
awareness, knowledge, thought process, realities, detection tips
uniformity, anticipation, which procedures are best, guidelines for dealers and supervisors, protection against cheating, questions, resistance to change, evaluation
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
knowledge traps, cheating, marked cards, counting, shuffle tracking, betting systems, do casinos cheat?, the short shoe, master hi low, preferential shuffling
biometrics, accountability systems, automation, realities
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
book expectations, future editions, casino game protection web site
Copyright ©1995-2018 spur of the moment publishing
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Casino game protection forte
Hi,
I heard jasonengland talking about this book, and decided to see if I could track it down. So far ive only found one place that could give me some information about the release date and a accurate description of the book.
I contacted gamblersbook.Com, and they send me this description of the book:
CASINO GAME PROTECTION�A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Forte, accepted as one of the most important names in the business of detection of cheats and game protection (his gambling protection series of videotapes is considered among the best ever), here presents a book every surveillance expert and casino in the world should have in their hands. The book, due in december 2004 at the latest (it was in the hands of the printers as this was being written), features more than 400 color photos; more than 40 tables; a comprehensive glossary and index, and contributions froim the industry�s leading experts. Those who have previewed the manuscript include ron sheppard, chairman of grand casinos europa, who says the book ". Is a landmark achievement and undoubtedly the most authoritative and definite guide of its kind ever written. Guaranteed to become an industry best seller." vic taucer, president of casino creations says ". This comprehensive guide will fast become the bible on the subject," while george joseph, president of worldwide casino consulting adds ". Describes all major sams and methodologies, debunks many industry myths and misinformation regarding the protection of casino games. A must read for law enforcement, surveillance and casino operations personnel. Book will become a cornerstone in the continuing legacy of steve forte." chapters discuss game protection; cheaters; advantage players; elements of a scam including signals; employee theft and inside collusion; electronic play assistance including devices; computers; cameras; high tech wizards; how the law defines cheating including questionable scenarios. One chapter devoted to blackjack examines mucking, switchers and shiners; check moves; cutting techniques; dealer-agent scams including slug scams and stacking the deck; coolers; peek/flash scams; check moves; strong arm cheating including pitch moves, shoe moves and gaffed shoes. The section on card counting discusses counting systems; betting strategies; mechanical devices and computers; steering; holecard play; shuffle tracking; slug tracking; sequence tracking; shuffling machines; the science of shuffling. For craps, the book explores everything from the manufacturing process and legal specifications to crooked dice; scams with gaffed dice; detection tests; controlled dice shots and related scams; one die laydown; outside crap moves; dealer-agent scams; stealing from the box. For roulette, forte focuses on past posting; outside ball manipulation; dealer-agent scams including past posting; gaffing the wheel; bias wheels; inspection; roulette computers; visual prediction; section shooting; dealer signatures. The baccarat section (including mini-baccarat and the big table) looks at slug scams and technology; strong arm cheating including shoe peeks; gaffed shoes; and mucking and switching; card counting; advantage play including shuffle tracking; back card steering and past posting, moving losers and capping. Forte�s examination of asian and novelty games looks at pai gow: nullifying the dice; marked tiles; stacking the tiles; strong arm cheating including mucking; switching; reflection and flash scam; pushing and paying losers. Also discussed are moves in pai gow poker and sic bo. For poker, forte explores how collusion takes place; shuffle related scams; nullifying the cut; bad beat jackpots; the perfect shuffle; the peek stack and the delayed stack; holding out; mechanical hold out devices; countermeasures like changing the deck; count down; dupes and the card index; strong arm cheating including peeks; false deals; coolers; check copping; intentional string bets. A section covering universal scams directs attention to dealer scams like the sleeve sub; fly sub; tie sub; the chip cup and double sided checks; marker scams; fills; credits; openers; closers; counterfeit checks; stolen payroll checks. The sections moves to marked cards from the early days to modern times; inside and outside work; the work (inside systems) including blockout; cutout; shade; formulas; white-on-white; sorts; trims; luminous readers; the shine. Outside systems discuss playing the bend; snaking; daub; nail nicking and touch work; factory defects and electronic marked cards. The section offers tests for detection like pip configuration; riffle test; angled light; bevel test; twist tests; touch tests; blacklight; evaluating the play. One chapter includes suggestions for a detection like of defense for management; developing detection skills; table game procedures; game protection mathematics; the future of game protection; suggested training, sources and experts.
Here is som additional information:
Release date : should be out by december
price : $250.00
pages : 650 pages,
size : hardbound in 8x11 format.
Hope this info will be of some use to someone out there. It certainly was for me. Cant wait to get it between my hands
Thanks for posting dennis
Much appreciated
Many thanks for the research. It seems steve forte's book will be THE definitive text for casino game protection. It sounds like a remarkable acheivement from a man who is fast becoming a living legend. The book also looks like a fantastic christmas present to me.
Kukram >> you do that, and please PM me if you should happen to find this book available in europe. (dont want to pay the danish taxes which is 25%)
Paul H >> my 18th birthday is in december. This is defiantly on my wishlist.
I also happen to have found some copies of "read a dealer" also by steve forte. This book forced many casinos to change their policy of always peeking unders tens. It is out of print, but if anyone is interested you can buy the book at this website among other great books.
Speaking as someone who has read steve's new book cover to cover, it is indeed THE definitive work on the subject to date. Nothing else even comes close.
It will probably by out in november or december.
Also, read the dealer is out of print, and will not be reprinted. If you want a copy for your files, I suggest you jump on it now while you can.
Incidentally, read the dealer wasn't the reason the casinos stopped looking under 10s and aces. I know it says that on many webpages selling the book, but that isn't the reason. Hole card teams were the reason. Tell reading was costing the industry hundreds each year. Hole card teams were costing the industry hundreds of thousands. It's doubtful tell reading even contributed to the decision, let alone caused it.
You wrote: "speaking as someone who has read steve's new book cover to cover. "
What do you mean? I�m a little unsecure of your meaning by writing this?
Is there dice switching methods discussed in the book as I see there will be controlled dice shots and other dice moves?
He means he has read the book so can speak with some authority on it.
Ahh okay.. Thanks for clearing it up
I thought. Ahh, well, nevermind.
Yeah, that's all I meant. That was directed at people who might be waiting for a review of the book once it comes out. I was just saying that since I proofread the book for steve, I can provide a review now:
It's the most comprehensive guide to casino protection I've ever seen anywhere, and was one of the most eye-opening books I've ever read. Period.
Casino gaming protection isn't a teaching guide by any means. You won't learn a false shuffle necessarily from it, nor will you learn any dice switches, or any chip moves.
The moves are described, not taught. Steve's job is/was to make people cognizant of what's out there, not necessarily teach them how to do the moves.
Having said that I think the book can teach more about real casino cheating than almost any other source, but you won't learn many "moves" from it.
The blog
Steve forte : CASINO GAME PROTECTION A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
There are very few people in this business who have moved me, inspired me, or have made any type of lasting impression on me. Steve forte is one such person. When I first emailed steve to ask if he would consider doing an interview with us, he responded favorably and professionally. When I told him that we could structure a format where he could pick and choose what questions to respond to, he told me that he was more than happy to answer all questions.
I would later get to meet steve in person and found him to be a gracious and forthright host. I was treated to a private exhibition of gambling technique from one of the best experts alive, and a tour of his amazing private collection of antique gambling artifacts. I asked him about his video tapes (which I used in casino training classes), articles he had written, and a variety of other gambling topics, including some of the rumors I had heard from a few of his critics about his days as a professional player. He told me;
“there will always be critics, and critics of the critics. I’m almost 50 years old and way past that point in my life where I have any interest to chop up stories that are decades old, nor do I see the benefit. The book doesn’t pull any punches and says everything I wanted to say, but let me assure you, to any critics of the research in my book, I welcome their comments and I’m open to their views, good or bad. I’m in the process of posting an errata and chapter update on my website, so I truly look forward to all feedback. And, I will be the first to publicly post errors, omissions or any opinions that prove to be way off base.”
Steve forte is one of the few people who have truly lived in all elements of the casino spectrum, and I think we are fortunate that he decided to publish his research, as many feel casino game protection – A comprehensive guide is destined to serve as the single most important reference guide about game protection in their possession.
Lets start with a number of seed questions from peers and a few insiders which I gathered from email after promoting this project. These seem to be some of the common questions asked mixed with a few tough ones sent in. Please read the interview in it’s entirety.
Steve, thank you so much for allowing us to interview you about your new book: casino game protection – A comprehensive guide. We bring to you a worldwide audience of casino dealers and floor supervisors.
Thanks scott. I appreciate your interest in the book, and I welcome the opportunity to participate in this interview.
When described by others, you seem to hold the titles of “casino expert” and “game protection specialist.” who is steve forte and what makes you uniquely qualified to be an expert in game protection?
I would say that steve forte is dedicated student of the game protection field and one who has spent the greater part of my life actively researching the topic from every conceivable angle. If I have any unique qualifications to offer, it might be that I have experienced the business from so many different perspectives … most notable would include many years working in the business, many years beating the games as a high-stakes professional player, and many years traveling around the world as a consultant specializing in game protection.
It seems that the duties of a game supervisor are leaning more toward customer service and away from game protection. Any lack of game protection will certainly cause loss of revenue. By having the floor cultivate new players as priority #1, do you feel casinos will overcome the loss?
Before I answer your question, please allow me to make a few important points.
Many gamers see the industry changing in this way, with more focus on customer service, but I’m not sure that much has really changed in this regard. If you talk with any respected operator, taking care of the customer and cultivating new players has always been the number one priority. Even if you go back fifty years the customer was always king. Talk with the older players and they’ll tell you about the unconditional service they received back then, and how the “mob always knew how to treat the player.”
Today there is clearly a quest to quantify every player’s complimentary worth with rating systems and hi-tech accountability systems, so there is more of a visible or vocal industry position on customer service. Although our rating systems sometimes get in the way of rewarding the deserving player, and there will always be those clubs where the player has to blow $10,000 and then go through five bosses to get a line pass for the buffet, customer service continues to get all of the attention, especially when compared to issues dealing with game protection, and rightly so!
I’m reminded of the following debate between a number of executives. One states, “given a choice of staffing the pit with customer service oriented people, or game protection experts, I would take the customer service people every time. At least I’ll have some business, and the reasonable expectation of making enough money from the masses of weak players to overcome leakage, theft, and losses from cheaters and skilled players.” on the surface it sounds like a compelling argument, but you obviously need customers before game protection ever becomes a factor, so it has never made any sense to me to make direct comparisons, or create this illusionary competition between the two practices.
As to the duties of the supervisor having less to do with game protection, it’s undeniable. As the games get safer and more difficult to cheat and beat, game protection plays less of a role in terms of actually protecting the bankroll. Most conclude that as the incidence of scamming decreases, so should the importance of game protection. They see game protection as synonymous with catching cheaters and quickly point to the scarcity of scams as a platform to question the value of game protection, and ask, “if scams are so rare, why educate our staff about the methods of cheaters?”
You educate your staff about these methods because game protection encompasses so much more than catching cheaters. From a study of these people we can learn and see the extremes that some will venture to beat our games; we see the psychology that’s used to manipulate our staff and controls; we see the impact and dangers of inside collusion; we see the reasoning behind certain procedures and countermeasures, which helps us better choose and implement the best options; we see the many similarities of cheaters to card counters and advantage players regarding their training, organization, hierarchy, and differences between the pro and amateur; we see what areas of the industry the cheaters perceive to be our most vulnerable; and we see the evolution of scamming to the extent that it may help us predict what to expect in the future. The list goes on and on.
Current best rated casino
Don’t get hung up on the rareness of scamming, cheaters have always been statistical outliers. Sure the games are safer today, but they were almost as safe 20 years ago, relatively speaking! It’s like comparing a 50,000 to 1 shot with a 55,000 to 1 shot, they’re both long shots. Scarcity of scams has never been a reason to ignore them. Outside scams like ‘hand mucking,’ internal theft, and advantage strategies such as ‘playing holecard’ may be rare, but I just returned from an overseas trip where I testified in court over a multimillion dollar mucking scam in big-table baccarat; not long ago a young female dealer was found to have stolen $700,000 from the inside over a three year period; and it’s still costing casinos serious money in settlements and legal fees due to their misunderstanding of what playing holecard’ is all about, as recent cases indicate.
Even more importantly, there’s another huge peripheral benefit to any property that educates their people in this field even in the modern casino environment. If I have learned anything at all from my work as a consultant, it’s that there is a huge percentage of floor supervisors with a genuine desire to learn more. They are not content as administrators and hand shakers (not meant to undermine these skills) and some want to excel in their profession, not just exist. As a recent email expressed to me, some are frustrated every time they observe suspect play and wished that they knew more. So why not help them be more rounded supervisors with knowledge of all facets of the industry? When you educate the floor person in game protection, you build confidence, make them more aware, revitalize their interest in their day to day duties, and help them make better decisions with less doubt, sweating and paranoia (which only comes from the uninformed). What’s wrong with that?
So, although it makes perfect sense to prioritize customer service, and I acknowledge the tighter, safer, more security minded environment, I believe that game protection should remain an integral part of our business, and game protection knowledge should be a worthy goal. You cannot get around the fact that the topics like cheating, skilled players, inside collusion and internal theft are all inextricably connected to this business … always have and figure to be around for some time.
Finally, let me respond to the original question, for which the short answer is yes, casinos will overcome the loss. In fact, whether it be poor management or marketing, counterproductive procedures and controls, weak operational philosophies, or an indifference to the importance of game protection, they overcome everything. Some clubs win the money over and over again, and still end up on top. There are not too many things stronger, in terms of making money, than casino games, and it’s easy for poor decisions to go unnoticed and completely absorbed by inevitable profit margins.
Dealing is the first line of defense. You write about this throughout the book, but on page 509 – 510 you discuss the lost art of dealing and the reasons. Can you highlight your thoughts here?
If I may, let me just provide some excerpts from that segment of the book. It’s the consensus of many veteran gamers that the art of dealing has become a dying art. There was a time when the professional ‘clerk’ (top notch dealer) was respected; sought after; and was always guaranteed a job. Not anymore. Most clubs shy away from experienced help. It’s a sad truth, but today, when it comes to the dealer, mediocrity is the norm and there are many reasons for this decline.
When the gaming business exploded throughout the country, the demand for dealers was huge, and inevitably, dealers were mass-produced creating a weak and inexperienced work force. Conditions worsened when inexperienced dealers were quickly promoted to the floor, as the demand for floor supervisors was huge, too. This series of events resulted in one ‘soft spot’ after another for the skilled cheater or player, as they often targeted the weaker help. Las vegas may have had an advantage in this regard because, with its break-in houses, dealers had places to learn their craft before dealing in the better clubs with bigger limits. Some jurisdictions are not set up this way.
Once dealers haves been in the business for a few years, they reach a point where they think that they have mastered their trade, and as they say, “it can be tough to teach an old dog new tricks.” dealers are not subject to technical reviews once they advance past the break-in period, and just because a dealer has been dealing for ten years doesn’t mean that he’s immune from improvement. I’ve personally talked with many seasoned floor supervisors who have, at times, made a genuine effort to step in and critique a dealer’s skills, only to have the dealer respond with “I’ve been doing this a long time,” implying that he didn’t need the help. More than one dealer has interpreted constructive criticism akin to harassment. And, it’s well known that in some clubs, bosses are patently instructed to leave the dealers alone.
Incentive is another issue contributing to weaker help. If a blackjack dealer makes the same money whether he learns to deal roulette or not, where’s the incentive? In many clubs, mediocrity is tolerated, and outside of self-pride and self-respect, there are no incentives for dealers to excel. The irony is that, today, the dealer’s job is more secure than ever, and it’s hard to get fired, due in large part to human resources. If you want your dealers to stand out, they must have a clear understanding of what is expected from them. The only way to accomplish these goals is with some form of an ongoing evaluation or review program. When the dealers are periodically reviewed for how they shuffle; how they present the deck(s) for the cut; how they pitch; how they protect the holecard; how they protect the top card; the basic goals of game pace; their understanding of all in-house procedures; their attitudes; and for their professionalism in regard to treating all kinds of players in all kinds of situations, competence levels can only improve. Significantly!
Some in the field say steve forte’s approach sows fear and panic. After digesting the information in the book, will staff see ghosts? Will the book create paranoia?
First, there is no such thing as the “steve forte approach,” nor was any such craziness outlined in the book. I think it’s important to understand what the book is, and what the book is not. The book was written with the complete understanding that everyone prioritizes game protection differently, and never written to make a statement or create controversy. Nor was the book written as a response to any contemporary scam or winning strategy. I made no assumptions regarding the reader’s workplace (premier casino, reservation, cruise ship, etc.), the level of security in his workplace, or the importance of game protection in his workplace. The book’s purpose, plain and simple, was to chronicle the many different areas of game protection and overview the topic with some scope, accuracy, objectivity and historical perspective.
Second, numerous books and videos have been written that expose cheating, card counting and advantage play, so you can add my book to the group, but there’s no reason to single it out.
Third, for any dealer, boss, or surveillance person with a genuine interest in game protection, you can bet that if they buy my book, it’s not the first they own that deals with the subject. Dedicated gamers have a way of finding quality information in an effort to educate themselves.
Fourth, if you have issue with the fear and/or panic factor perceived to be caused by exposing staff to this kind of information, you can’t just knock books and videos, you’ll have to knock most casinos around the world, too! Almost all of them have conducted some form of game protection training, either in-house or with the help of outside consultants, and they continue to do so. There is only one reason for this. There is value to exposing staff and surveillance to such information. But the ‘fear and panic’ contention is a short sighted view for many other reasons. When was it concluded that the exposure to the methods of cheaters, card counters and advantage players instills fear. Perhaps this information instills confidence, fulfillment and awareness. Perhaps it educates the gamer making him/her less afraid of what they don’t know.
The only fear ever expressed to me from readers of the book occurred in the first few minutes they browsed through their copy. They were intimidated by the size and scope of the research. But once they started to digest the material, they see the book as a genuine effort to present the research in an informal, yet constructive, comprehensive format. They were smart enough to know the difference between what was relevant to their job duties and responsibilities, and what was provided as historical perspective. They appreciated the effort to make the research available and most believe that casino game protection – A comprehensive guide fills a void in the industry literature. We have wonderful books on management, dealing the games, surveillance, casino math, customer service, accounting, and marketing, but none, until now, has ever been devoted to casino game protection.
Nothing in the book was presented to instill fear, and nothing in the book was presented to instill paranoia. Just the opposite is true, and I went to great lengths to make this point, not once, but many times.
Why would someone have to write a 600-page, $200 book to impart the nutshell game protection message of … “pay attention to your duties, follow procedures and encourage those under you to do likewise – OR ELSE?”
Actually, this book was edited down from almost 1000 pages, and I could have written much,much more with almost every chapter expanded significantly, but that’s another story. As to the core message in this statement/question, it suggests that game protection is all about paying attention, following procedures, and getting everyone on the same page. Unfortunately, if it were that easy, there would never be any cheaters, card counters or advantage players.
You can pay attention all you want, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, your efforts mean little.
If you believe that game protection is all about following procedures, I’m afraid you have missed the true purpose and value of procedures, and that is of control, uniformity, openness, and predictability. Don’t get me wrong, every effective procedure will help the pit run more smoothly and efficiently, but even the best procedures do little to stop the best cheaters and players. In fact, the very best scams and ploys have circumvented our procedures for decades.
Paying attention doesn’t protect the games, following procedures doesn’t protect the games, and running the pit with an iron fist doesn’t protect the games. It’s the combined, all-around knowledge of your manager, pit, floor and box supervisors, and the surveillance staff that protects the games.
Finally, as to the $200 price tag, my apologies … I wish I could have kept the retail price more reasonable for many. I understand that $200 is a lot to expect from anyone working for a living. Unfortunately, the project was expensive, and although there is a back story and motive for writing the book, and it has nothing to do with money, my hope was that there would be enough game protection enthusiasts out there who would consider making the $200 investment, and that over time, the project would pay for itself. Had I known how many copies would sell in the first 24 hours (enough to pay for all costs), I would have considered a change in pricing. But with almost half the inventory sold in the first few weeks, it’s too late to make changes now since so many have already paid the asking price.
How many crossroaders do you really think are out there and what kind of damage do you think they do? What is the likelihood of one being on our game?
The ‘crossroader’ is a dying breed of cheater who once specialized in many of the older scams, notoriously known for being gutsy, bold and direct. For these reasons their methods don’t fare well in today’s environment. So the likelihood of one being on your game is very small, as is the damage you can expect from these types of cheaters. This said, we can still learn a lot from their methods and thinking, as many of the modern scams are just variants on moves and scams that have existed for decades. This is especially true in regard to the psychological aspects of how these cheaters once operated. The modern cheater,advantageplayer and card counter all use similar ploys to some degree.
How often are gaffed dice and marked cards being discovered on a game?
It’s no secret that scams involving gaffed dice are exceedingly rare; I can only document five cases over an approximately thirty year period. I can, however, document numerous scams where the gaffed dice were not discovered, although I’m referring to scams that occurred many years back. Nonetheless, just because certain scams aren’t ‘discovered,’ doesn’t make them extinct.
Marked cards are an entirely different animal, especially when we talk about the resurgence of hand-held games where techniques such as ‘playing the bend’ are not as uncommon as many believe.
But more importantly, with all questions along these lines there is an inference to a much broader question. How important is it for gamers to have knowledge about gaffed dice and marked cards?
Let me answer this question with a number of questions. Where is the downside with expecting our supervisors to have a little knowledge about the tools of our trade: dice and cards? For example, why shouldn’t all dice supervisors and box persons have a basic working knowledge of gaffed dice? How many have ever seen ‘light percentage weight’ on a polished, flush spot casino cube? How many have ever seen what a light bevel looks like? How many recognize just how easy it is to duplicate serial numbers, or introduce gaffed dice where no duplication of the serial number or logo is necessary? How many have a handle on what is deemed to be an acceptable variance in the manufacturing process, and what is not?
I submit to you that only a small percentage of dice supervisors and box persons can accurately and confidently respond to many of the most elementary questions about the piece of equipment at the heart of their profession and at the core of every decision? The same goes for marked cards! Knowledge in these particular areas is not important because of any pressing threat, it’s important because it simply makes good common sense, it makes good business sense.
Is there any way a shooter, that hits the alligator with both dice, can throw a controlled shot? Are all these people writing books and conducting seminars just ripping people off?
I don’t believe it’s possible to hit the back wall with both dice and control them to the extent of generating a winning edge. This a perfect example of an alleged skill, like many we often hear about, where it’s easy to quickly voice an opinion for, or against, without qualification. But a scientific opinion requires much more. In the book I document a test consisting of 12,000 rolls. Actually, I dropped two dice from 10″ above the table, same configuration, straight down, and with no obstacles. The results did not indicate a statistically significant presence of control. Even the slightest bounce appears to be an adequate randomizer.
An interesting development in this area is a new book by stanford wong, but since I haven’t looked at the book yet, I don’t know if his work looks at hitting the back wall with both dice’ most dice setters are looking to throw the dice short of the back wall). Even with stanford wong stepping into the controversy, and considering his impeccable reputation and his remarkable body of work, I’m not ready to change my mind. I have trouble seeing past the results of my own test, which is why I state in my book “until I see evidence to the contrary, I remain a non believer.”
How proficient do you think a floor supervisor should be at counting cards and in your opinion which system should we use? Do you agree that it’s the floor’s responsibility to count cards, or is this more of the function of surveillance?
I believe that all floor people watching 21 games should be well versed in the science of counting cards. After all, day to day, they’ll be exposed to more suspect card counters than all other cheaters and advantage players combined. The best and most practical card counting system for the floor supervisor is the hi-low, where the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are counted as (+1); 7,8, and 9 are neutral (0); and the 10, J, Q, K and ace are counted as (-1).
To be truly proficient, however, requires a deeper understanding of the game that goes way past the basic fundamentals of basic strategy, counting cards, playing deviations, etc. But when this proficiency is acquired, the floor person will feel less of a burden participating in the evaluation process, despite being responsible for watching many games and being overloaded with administrative duties.
Here are a few examples of proficiency past the ‘fundamentals’ stage. Every floor person should know what actually constitutes a beatable game in their property. This is a function of bet size, bet spread, and game conditions (cut card placement, speed of game, number of players, etc). When the bet size, bet spread, and conditions don’t meet this criteria, the player can safely be ignored, which is likely to be most suspect players. Remember, the industry is loaded with ‘card watchers’ and ‘imitators,’ so it’s important to have a plan for weeding out all of the non-threats quickly, to have the time to occasionally focus on a real player.
Another example pertains to working with win rates in dollars. If I ask how you feel about a card counter playing with a 1.0% advantage, no club wants their business. But what if I tell you that the same player only has a theoretical win rate of about $2 an hour, now how do you feel? Since the player never attains the theoretical win rates published in the books, the player poses no threat. It’s amazing how much time we spend watching red and green check players on games where there is no theoretical win for the player.
One last example, although this is more a decision made by management, the floor supervisor should understand the problems associated with evaluating the suspect counter too quickly. We routinely overestimate the earning power of these players and rarely appreciate the difficulties and obstacles they face. We also failed to see how much it costs when we back off the wrong player (one with no chance to win long run!). The financial ramifications, along with many other concepts are discussed in the book.
As to who should be responsible for running down card counters, I’d expect the best results when both departments contribute to the evaluation process. One advantage from the floor is that it can provide a much more intimate evaluation (watch the eyes, see emotion, hear comments, etc.) while the sky has its obvious advantages: it never blinks, it can review; it’s a dedicated observer, and it may be utilizing sophisticated evaluation software.
One disadvantage from the floor is the difficulty of supervising many games while attending to many administrative duties. But there are also disadvantages to watching from the sky. For example, against a real tough player who will throw you one curve ball after another, surveillance may see an intentionally bad play and not realize that it was a reactionary play to a boss. Surveillance sees the play, not the boss, and may put too much emphasis on what appears to the’ incorrect play.’ even in clubs where the responsibility lies heavily with surveillance, for real time evaluations, surveillance isn’t always there to watch every suspect card counter, as they have plenty of other responsibilities, too. In these situations, knowledgeable floor supervisors are invaluable.
When decisions were made to market your book, why do so many websites that cater primarily to the gambler offer it for sale? Who exactly is the intended market?
The best place for any gamer to buy quality casino books, magazines, videos and software has always been those retail outlets and websites catering primarily to the gambler. The gambler’s book shop and the gambler general store, two las vegas landmarks, both carry more titles for players than for the industry, but they also offer the best selection of products for gamers, too! Even respected retailers like pi yee press and RGE, who focus primarily on selling to the player, still derive a ton of business from the industry.
If you could peek at the library of the most knowledgeable casino managers and surveillance directors in the world, I’ll bet you that you find more books specifically written for the player than those specifically written for the gaming business. The best books written for the player, have also proved to be our best source of knowledge, and the sharpest gamers know it!
In regard to the intended market for casino game protection – A comprehensive guide, I believe the market is any gamer with a desire to explore the casino game protection topic.
Surveillance is a secondary internal control that encourages compliance with primary internal controls and procedures. Surveillance exists to encourage employee’s to comply NOT to catch cheats. A floor employee’s duty is to comply with the law, internal controls and procedures, NOT catch cheats. If a casino/jurisdiction could devise a set of laws, internal controls and procedures, surely aren’t they expert enough to enforce those laws and procedures without outside help?
For the record, the first cat walks and surveillance rooms were conceived specifically for the purpose of catching cheaters and internal theft; their invention had nothing to do with a means for encouraging employees to comply with procedures and controls. I recognize that things have changed significantly over time, but I’m still puzzled by the rigid, inclusiveness of these statements leading to the question. They seem to suggest that the floor and surveillance are only responsible for following the rules. Who then is responsible for evaluating suspect play?
As to the point of this question, I’m not sure. As to my answer to this question: sure casinos are expert enough to enforce their own laws and procedures without outside help! Where has it ever been suggested otherwise?
The effective pit boss not only has the ability to oversee staff, but also has the ability to watch players switch from one table to the next and has a better overall perspective than floor supervisors who may be monitoring five or six games. Recently, many large high volume casinos have eliminated the pit manager position and box in dice. This has many of us perplexed. Was this action in the best interest of giving quality customer service, or are yet more services denied to the customers? And how on earth can game protection fit into such decisions?
These are interesting decisions–to say the least–that have many traditionalists scratching their heads. As we all know, it’s clearly a decision motivated by money (payroll, insurance and benefits). I don’t see how these decisions can be in the best interest of customer service. With less employees around to accommodate the customer, and to help run smoother more efficient games, you would expect customer service to falter at some level.
As for how game protection fits into such decisions, it obviously wasn’t a factor. Someone is betting that the money saved from eliminating these positions will overcome any leakage attributed to the reduced supervision. And the irony is, due to the rareness of scams and the fact that when they do occur, most are for ‘short money,’ they’re probably right. It will be interesting to see what happens when the first major scam surfaces that targets this new format, and it will. It’s just a question of time.
Are you ready to answer some questions from the dealers and floor supervisors?
I will do the best I can.
Rich, floor supervisor, from A.C. New jersey
In the game of roulette some people say that a dealer can hit a section of numbers on the wheel. Do you believe this to be true and if so, what can the manufacture do to raise the integrity of the roulette wheel so a casino operator would not have any real concerns over any dealer manipulation of the ball or wheel.
The alleged skilled is called ‘section shooting,’ and I don’t believe that it’s is possible, nor do I believe that it’s even a close call. It’s, however, one of the most heatedly debated topics in game protection.
Here are some of the basic reasons why many gamers believe the skill exists (a lengthy segment appears in the book).
There are those who believe that section shooting is an acquired skill, a manipulative skill that can be learned through arduous practice, and no different than typing, golfing, juggling, etc. But there are limits to human capability, which is why no one types 500 words a minute, hits nothing but hole-in-ones, or can juggle 100 objects. Although there’s no reason to doubt that muscle-memory may result in dealers releasing the ball with similar velocities, that’s not enough precision to accurately control the speed of the ball. On the first revolution the error may only be a ½ pocket; after the second revolution, experience has shown the error can jump to 1 pocket, then 2, then 4 and so on. As you increase revolutions, a significant margin of error compounds exponentially. With only 10-12 revolutions–considered very slow–it’s not just 10-12 times harder, it quickly becomes impossible.
Another factor regarding the alleged skill, and curiously, one that many seem to overlook, is that section shooting is an act comprised of three questionably attainable skills, not just one, and they must all occur simultaneously. The dealer must push the rotor to a pre-determined speed, spin the ball with a pre-determined force, and then factor in the ball’s bounce to have any chance of controlling the outcome. Compare these actions to those of the baseball pitcher, for example. He aims only once, and can take as much time as he wants to warm up, evaluate, and calculate their actions. He may be able to throw a variety of pitches, all at different speeds, and all with incredible accuracy, but he doesn’t have to throw three strikes at the same time!
Also, after you work in gaming over a period of time, and perform the same actions day in and day out, many convince themselves that they “should have” and therefore “must have” control over these actions. I believe that every wheel dealer has attempted to section shoot at one time or another. When players start to win, many dealers will alter ball speed, rotor speed, and change the starting point of the spin. Since very few players walk away from the roulette table a winner, dealers falls into the trap of believing that their intervention affected the outcome (bosses are just as guilty). They take the credit and seem to completely forget about the 5.26% house advantage.
It becomes easy to see how this kind of thinking can perpetuate myths.
One last observation looks at the wheel’s capricious nature and how the characteristics of individual wheels change from day to day. Even the same dealer, same wheel, same ball and same spin, practiced or habit formed, will get different results from day to day. This begs the question: how can section shooting develop in the first place?
In short, there are too many factors that transcend section shooting past the point of a learnable, manipulative skill. It’s for these reasons that I don’t believe we need the manufacturers to come up with anything special to address this myth; we need the casino mangers to better understand the physical process. And for all who still have doubts, check out ‘the 17 rule’ in the book for a simple way to test the premise (first documented in ed thorp’s the mathematics of gambling). Convince yourself.
If I may pull from one of my favorite quotes regarding this subject, the following comes from monte carlo, facts and fallacies (sir hiram S. Maxim, 1904).
“… the path through which the ball travels, from the time it leaves the croupiers hand until it finds a lodging-place in the roulette wheel, is so infinitely complicated and depends upon so many unknown and unknowable factors that no amount of skill on the part of the croupier can have the least particle of influence in guiding the ball into any particular pocket or group of pockets; it is simply and purely a matter of chance.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
David dual-rate, las vegas, NV
As per table games protection goes, do you have an opinion on the hiring of dealers who speak little or no english? The reason I ask is that we have asian dealers who converse in native tongue on live games when the opportunity presents itself. This drives me nuts. My shifty tells me not to worry about it. In other words, it’s a customer service thing. I smell trouble.
David, I know of cases where dealers were fired, or not hired in the first place due to problems with their english. I don’t see anything wrong with the requirement that all dealers speak conversational english.
Many years back the 21 dealers were tested by asking them the following question. “you’re dealing the game, you have an ace, you offer insurance, and a player asks you to explain how the insurance bet works?” naturally they all knew how the bet worked, but communicating the details was not easy for many.
I also remember an asian gentlemen, a superb roulette dealer, but his english was weak. His personality was magnetic, however, and every time he marked the winning number he would give the players this big smile, and they loved it. His skills were exceptional and his game was always jam packed, so there’s a case where a dealer was able to overcome his handicap.
In las vegas we are ’employment liberal’ with a work force that comes from all over the world – not to mention an equally diverse customer base – so being exposed to many different languages is to be expected. Dealers talking in their native tongue with players on a live game is a little discomforting, from a security standpoint, but it really depends on the property, management, game, dealer, the action, and the circumstances. I would defer to your shifty!
I told my boss to look up the site and see the ad for this interview. He did. He said the book should have been published 10-15 years ago.
G. G. Dealer, atlantic city, NJ
What benefit is there to me in knowing the methodologies, debunks, myths and misinformation as described in a review of your book if I have no intention of getting into management? To me it is all very simple. Go to work, deal by procedure, smile and go home.
G. G., you’re not alone. I have many friends who deal for a living and they, too, don’t have any interest to ever work in management. But as a dealer, you still play an important role in the business, a crucial role in the pit, and you can always benefit every time you expand your knowledge. In fact, many of the myths and misinformation discussed in the book, pertain to the dealer.
Bill B., surveillance, macau
What do you see as the main challenges facing casino table operations on the game protection front (and) what steps can be taken to meet these challenges?
This is the best question asked thus far, and it addresses the essence of what game protection is all about. Unfortunately, the breath of this question makes it difficult to answer in an interview format. It’s the kind of question more deserving of a response in the form of a research paper. With this in mind, let me make a couple of observations.
The pit faces many challenges on the game protection front. They range from issues dealing with security/protection, operations, even philosophical, and they differ based on what part of the world you work in, what casino you work for, and what level of security/surveillance exists in your property. One of the biggest challenges in today’s environment is to avoid being complacent and just assuming that the 24/7 surveillance coverage, shuffling machines, peeking devices, and similar tools will take care of everything.
Another challenge is to keep game protection an integral part of the business and not overlook the importance of game protection training and all of its peripheral benefits as discussed in a previous response.
And yet another challenge surrounds the question, “how much knowledge should we demand from our pit supervisors?” I know a talented supervisor who specializes in roulette. He was a wizard when he was a dealer and he can hold his own in any discussion about keys for payoffs, pushing checks, procedures, blind spots, and even game protection to the extent of common industry knowledge. But have one of his dealers hit a couple of straight up numbers, and this same boss will whisper to the dealer “pick up your wheel and ball speed.” now, all of a sudden, the dealer is spinning the rotor and ball at ridiculous speeds. The boss doesn’t realize that he’s doing anything wrong, on the contrary, his intentions are all you could ask for, yet his beliefs about protecting the wheel are completely unfounded. It never occurs to him that his intervention sends an obvious message to the typical player: “in this club, we do everything we can to beat the player?”
He never considers that his actions might offend the player and risk losing his business, forever. He overlooks the fact that the excessive ball and rotor speed do nothing but lengthen the decision time and slow down the game. If this boss was well versed in the fundamentals of roulette prediction, and the myths associated with roulette prediction, he would move from competent supervisor to exceptional supervisor. A bonafide working knowledge of roulette and all of its nuances should be the goal of every supervisor or surveillance operator who watches this game, but we rarely demand such a comprehensive knowledge from our people.
And for one last example, consider the continuing challenge to find the perfect balance between security and productivity, and to implement procedures and controls that are truly consistent with risk. Some game protection minded executives are far too cautious, implementing too many counter-measures. This can often be a huge mistake. When these decisions prove to be counter-productive and slow down the game (not to mention creating a false sense of security), you can be looking at a decision that costs money on every table, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The potential loss of handle can be staggering. Look at it this way, “are there any scams that can ‘steal’ money from every table game, every hour, around the clock?
The only steps we can take to meet these challenges, and many more, is to strive for a deeper understanding of games, the procedures, the threat from cheaters and skilled players, the pro and cons of our responses to cheaters and skilled players, etc. We have to continue our research and encourage others to do the same. Then we have to pass along this knowledge, with perspective. Whoever coined the phrase “knowledge is your best protection” was right on the money.
Staff here participated in a recent game protection presentation. Not to take anything away from the consultant, but I felt that the staff remembered it more as entertainment than education and awareness. Have you addressed this issue in your book?
Yes, I did briefly address some of the issues associated with game protection lectures. If I may, again, let me just pull the excerpt.
Lectures and training programs can help fill many voids that often hinder the progress of supervisors, surveillance, and upper management. Most work their entire careers hearing terms like ‘playing the bend,’ ‘dumping the game,’ ‘playing the turn,’ or ‘slug scams,’ but never get the opportunity to see these techniques, strategies, or devices demonstrated and explained.
With these training programs comes a few caveats, as the lecture format can be restrictive in many ways. First, time is an issue. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to discuss any topic in any depth over a short period of two to six hours. This can result in vagueness as topics are presented quickly without substance. Second, audience size is another consideration. Presenting an intimate subject matter to a large group can be frustrating, at least for me. If at all possible, class size should be as small as practical to help maximize the learning process and insure a hands-on experience. Third, questions tend to be few and far between when upper management and the floor personnel are all in the same group. Most would rather say nothing than risk asking what may be perceived as a foolish question. And, finally, not everyone cares to attend mandatory lectures, especially after working eight hours; this can make for a restless, less than captive audience.
I believe that lectures can be helpful, provided the content is relevant and covers many bases, including scams, advantage play, technology, procedures, weighing the pros and cons of security versus productivity, and even some of the more controversial areas such as inside collusion, manipulating the floor person, and targeting surveillance. Rareness of all scams should be stressed and the material should be presented without instilling paranoia.
Your book talks about dealers and the supply and demand factor here in las vegas. When the MGM and bellagio opened for business, to the astonishment of many they hired a number of break-in dealers. I know many old DI dealers who claim they only wanted young faces, not experience. Do you agree? Is it better to mix the experienced with the new when opening such a big resort? My guess is that both casinos think if you train them your way ….. To me this was a slap in the face to experienced professional dealers.
I can’t speak to the hiring practices of individual properties but, for what it’s worth, I can tell you that I have always been a big fan of experienced help, especially when it comes to dealers.
If you put two bosses together, one who is exceptionally knowledgeable and one with little or no experience, and the inexperienced boss is careful to stay out of the way and not get into too much trouble, it can be difficult to distinguish the two supervisors in term of experience and knowledge.
Take two dealers, however, one with experience and one without, and the differences are dramatic and instant. You can’t fake the talents of experienced dealers. As a break-in dealer I used to travel around town and watch the best dealers for hours; they were always the old-timers. Outside of a few properties, most notably the old binion’s horseshoe always had jobs for experienced help), the mentality of not hiring experienced dealers still prevails in many clubs. The veteran dealer sometimes get knocked due to his lack of enthusiasm, and I have often heard that they’re too stoic, hardcore, and jaded.
There are also those in management who believe that most players would rather play against younger help. If this is true, it may be because most players are novices and most novices are intimidated by our table games (the pressure of making decisions, the speed of the games, etc.).
Perhaps, many novices would rather play against younger help because they associate the younger dealer with less experience, and more on par with themselves.
The argument has been around for some time, and is best illustrated by the following question. When compared side by side, at the end of a year, who will make more money for the house: a serious, experienced pro, or a bubbly, outgoing break-in dealer? Assumptions are that the experienced dealer will get more hands out per hour and make fewer mistakes, but may have trouble attracting and holding the typical players. It should also be factored in that many premium players prefer the experienced dealer.
For the younger, less experienced dealer, it’s assumed that he/she will deal a slower game, make more mistakes, but tend to get more of a response jump starting dead games and holding the typical player longer. For a cold-blooded comparison, the test could also look at the higher costs associated with older employees.
This would be a fascinating experiment for someone like professor kilby or professor eadington. Create the model, plug in some reasonable variables and conditions, and see what happens.
Mr forte, about the book bringing down the house and the MIT blackjack team hitting vegas casinos, what is your take on this story?
I tip my hat off to the MIT team, especially the original group of people who started it all. Although there are more than a few blackjack teams who could tell a similar story, you can’t deny their success or historical impact in the game protection field.
I enjoyed the book and I believe the story to be generally true, with the occasional literary license taken by most authors trying to tell a story … and hoping to turn that story into a movie.
Mr forte, are you allowed in casinos? Can you gamble? Just curious.
Yes, I’m allowed in casinos, and I could gamble if I’d any desire to do so.
Quang, dealer, las vegas, NV
From a business standpoint, there is nothing wrong with casinos banning players who are taking large amounts of money from them; it is their right. But to attach the stigma of being a “cheater” to a person because they count cards; is that right?
I agree with you, we have the right to address any threat, but it’s unfair to attach the negative stigma. It remains an industry decision to offer blackjack to the public, even long after it was discovered to be a game of skill and potentially vulnerable. We also write the laws that govern these games, and they make it perfectly legal for the player to utilize all information made available to him to the best of his ability–exactly what the card counter attempts to do. In nevada we even have legal precedent, as seen in the case: sheriff of washoe county v. Martin (1983) where a player was arrested for bending cards. In that case the court stated:
“by way of contrast, a card counter does not alter any of the basic features of the game. He merely uses his mental skills to take advantage of the same information that is available to all players.”
The popularity of blackjack is based primarily on the public perceiving it to be a game of skill, and that perception is one of the most significant factors contributing to the spread of legalized gambling throughout the world. If we really want to tell it like it is, the only stigma we should be attaching to these players is “the best thing to ever happen to a casino table game.”
Steve, with the implementation of the mindplay system and RFID chip tracking systems, do you think that casinos will become too reliant on technology ? And try to cope (more so) without experienced staff ? ( I note from reading a previous reply of yours that you favor experience , but not all will share your view ) I am sure these devices/systems are not flawless and could be open to ‘attack’ on a large scale, if/when the system glitches/breakdown albeit with or without the help of a third party.
In the ongoing technological debate between the futurists who always claim that better and more exciting things are to come, and the traditionalists who claim that the pit is beginning to look like one giant slot machine, this is an important question. My response is that I don’t believe that with the implementation of the systems you refer to makes the casinos too reliant on technology.
Full fledged accountability systems that (a) identify the player and (b) track each bet and playing decision for computer analysis have been in development for some time. The same is true for chip in chip technologies. Moreover, the industry has advanced to a point in its history where technological innovation is expected, and no longer scorned. I remember when the first peeking devices surfaced and the traditionalists objected; then it was the shuffling machine that ran into some initial resistance; and then many questioned the effectiveness and accuracy of card counter detection software. Look at the industry now and it should be patently obvious that technology rules!
When it comes to technology, if it aids the identification of players, the evaluation process, or the accountability, and/or automation of these processes, you can expect the industry to continue to push the technological envelope. The implementation of the RFID chip tracking system in the new wynn property is a perfect example. On the other hand, I wouldn’t expect to see any progress with technologies that make playing a live casino game more like playing an electronic casino game, as most table game players still need the social interaction for the gambling experience to be fun.
Finally, although the modern casino system/device can achieve almost bullet proof status, over time, I agree with you that no system is flawless or immune from attack. It will be interesting to see how these systems hold up against operator error, operator/player abuse, internal failures, bugs, and sophisticated high-tech cheaters and players.
Rob, gaming manager. Africa
On various forums and other resources on the web some surveillance experts express very little regard for those who like yourself have gained your knowledge by being on both sides of the table. They question the integrity of those who have done this and would have all believe that the information obtained from such sources must be tainted. How would you respond to these views?
I don’t respond … I value my time too much! But given my promise to answer all questions to the best of my ability, and as a courtesy to you and casinodealers.Net, let me just say that it’s impossible to respond to the mentality of anyone who questions the integrity of someone they don’t know on a personal basis, based on a playing career that is almost two decades old, while ignoring a substantial pro-industry career. Apparently, people don’t change in their world.
As to the absurd contention made by these same experts that the information in the book is tainted in some way, I would consider the source(s). Better yet, have them submit something with a bit more substance and specificity … I welcome the opportunity to debate any topic with them and I’m prepared to let the information in the book speak for itself.
William, floor supervisor, las vegas, NV
I have read parts of your book. We have it in the office. I will purchase a copy. I’ll need to meet with my banker first 🙂 – my question is this; what was the most fascinating casino scam you ever heard about.
I guess that all depends on what you mean by “fascinating.”
One of the most amazing manipulative feats I have ever seen was ‘the shot,’ as described in the craps chapter. To see a die thrown 2-3″ off the layout with the illusion of tumbling (in reality, it just hops and skips maintaining its lateral control) is truly a sight to see.
One of the most diabolical scams I’ve ever run into was the ‘percentage sorts,’ as described in the universal scams chapter. To combine such a simple idea, and one that is familiar to most knowledgeable bosses (sorts), with a sophisticated computer derived strategy based on acceptable percentages of intentional reading errors, is a great example of combining an old scam with today’s technology.
One of the most brazen scams I have ever come across involved simply miscalling the dice. What made the scam so interesting was that there was a surveillance camera on the game at all times, and the operator(s) was not a participant in the scam.
One of the more unusual high-tech scams I’m aware off involved marking the plastic cards with a radioactive isotope and then reading the cards through the table with a dosimeter based system.
I find all of these scams to be fascinating in one way, shape or manner.
As an unofficial host of this website I would like to personally thank you for joining us here steve. Outstanding book, I enjoy your style. You present a dry subject to most of us and find a way rekindle the interest. The flow is nice and it is presented in such a way that it also very entertaining to read. The beauty of it all, is the sheer size and magnitude of materiel. Here is bonus feature I bet you never thought about. Now each operations director has something to slam on the conference table to the bean counters! Its a very big book. My question is if you edited down from 1000 pages to 600, what did we miss?
Greg, thanks for the kind words.
In an effort to get the book down to a manageable size, a fair amount of quality information didn’t make the final cut. In most cases, however, we’re only talking about more examples of the concepts already presented. For every scam and strategy, I tried to pick those ideas and moves that would best help illustrate the spectrum of a particular technique or strategy. In the blackjack chapter there were only so many mucks, peeks, and false shuffles I needed to help make my points, yet I’ve collected hundreds of these moves. In the advantage play chapter, the same can be said for slug tracking; any more examples would have been overkill. I found a condensed format to handle all of the novelty games, so much of the more game-specific information was saved. The section on procedures and myths was also shortened significantly, going with just enough examples to hopefully make a few points. One chapter that could of easily been doubled in size was the section on marked cards, as I have been collecting information on this topic for years, and have always thought of publishing a book dedicated to the subject.
I almost didn’t include the chapter on card counting because so many quality books already exist, but there were things I wanted to say that I’ve never seen in player titles. Whether to keep or edit out the poker chapter was a last minute decision but, given the current popularity of the game, the poker room is getting more attention. Every time I added a new topic to the table of contents, in an attempt ‘to cover all of the bases,’ I shortened and streamlined the descriptions of the existing chapters and topics. For the same reason, 30-40 photos were edited out, too.
Finally, there was a fair amount of information held back that never made it into any of the drafts, but it was more of a commercial nature and, frankly, it didn’t fit the informal text-book style format. This included interviews and biographies of some notorious hustlers and players, a chapter called ‘unsolved’ which detailed a number of unsolved scams (I didn’t want to leave the reader hanging), and so on. It was an easy decision to omit this material due to size and general goals of the project.
On a related matter, if I may just take a second and respond to numerous emails I have received asking about plans for a second printing, the possibility of a second edition or expanded edition, and when and if the book’s retail price be lowered.
There will never be an expanded edition (I wouldn’t do this to the current owners of the book). At this time, there are no plans to reprint the first edition. If I ever pursue a second edition, it will include all new information. And the retail price will remain at $200 until the inventory is depleted (unless you get the book through an association, contributor, or volume discount)
Bruce, gaming regulator, new york
I recall reading that you were born on the east coast; how did you got involved in casino gambling in the first place … what brought you to vegas, and how did you catch the”casino bug”?
Anyone from the east coast will tell you that gambling is everywhere. In my neighborhood, the bookmakers openly walked up and down the streets with cigar boxes filled with the betting slips from the numbers, sports and the ponies. Poker, short card games, and dice games were common. As a teenager, las vegas charity nights were becoming popular, so I had the chance to deal poker and blackjack at an early age.
Somewhere down the road I ended up with scarne’s complete guide to gambling (john scarne) and beat the dealer (ed thorp). These books further fueled my interests in the world of casino gambling.
I took my first junket to las vegas when I was 18 years old and caught the ‘casino bug’ big time. I always knew that I would come back someday. While attending school on a basketball scholarship, I couldn’t shake my desire to see what las vegas was all about so I moved there when I was 20, immediately went to dealer’s school, and started dealing craps two hours after I turned 21. Today, I continue to find the same fascination with the gambling business as I did when I was a kid.
John, surveillance supervisor, san diego, CA
steve, what is truly more important to the success of a casino’s table games environment? Sweating the money or catering to the money.
I suspect that when you say “sweating the money” you’re referring to the game protection aspects of supervision (not unprofessional conduct), and when you say “the money,” you’re referring to the all customers. If I have this right, then we have another customer service versus game protection question, which has been addressed previously. Your terminology, however, raises an interesting question of interpretation, and other points.
Your reference to “the money” could be interpreted by many to mean a focus on premium players the money players. If so, it should be noted that even the small players have proven to be invaluable commodities in the biggest clubs. Individually, they may not contribute as much to the bottom line, but they can be a significant contributor as a group. They also help in ways we don’t get from premium play, especially in terms of the successful table game environment you refer to. Smaller players tend to have more fun; they smile, laugh, and converse more then premium players; they also provide a shill like presence keeping the pit crowded. These factors all have a magnetic quality that attracts more players.
If your reference to “sweating the money” actually refers to sweating the money in the traditional sense, it happens to be one of the most colorful topics in our business, but a practice that should be avoided at all costs for one simple reason: there’s absolutely nothing to gain.
Sweating the money can come in many forms and from all capacities. Classic examples include upper management changing the schedules of its shift mangers after experiencing low hold percentages; the floor supervisor keeping the ‘unlucky’ dealers off high limit games; or thedealers changing the shuffle in an effort to get the game back on track. In worst case scenarios, people lose their jobs. Some even see many of our traditional controls as a form of sweating. For example, when the floor counts the drop, bill by bill, the public is left with the feeling that we are sweating every $20 bill understandable in a 500M+ club. Even watching the traditional custom of the dealers ‘clapping out’ has been construed as a form of sweating; it suggests to the public that as an industry we’re sweating the integrity of every employee.
Sweating the money is obviously not conducive to an enjoyable casino experience for players or employees. When upper management sweats, it sends the wrong message to the floor and the dealers who begin to associate losing with doing something wrong. When the floor/dealers sweat the money, it can easily reach an offensive stage that reeks of outright greed. Imagine the typical player who does nothing but lose; he finally wins a bet or two and is confronted by sweaters; what could be more insulting? Also, for many players, if they start winning and sense the ‘bleeding’ from the floor, nothing makes them happier than to get up and quit. They do it for spite, to insure a win, and we as an industry lose the chance for the house advantage to do its work … we eliminate our biggest advantage: the long run!
Even against skilled players and cheaters, there is no justification for sweating the money. Skilled player just play the ‘iggi’ and purposely add cover to their play in an attempt to create doubt, making the evaluation more difficult. Once they find a reason to leave, they may stay away from your shift but not your club, or they can just have team members play your shift. With cheaters, I remember an old-time hustler once explaining to me the psychology of the sweater, “the closer they get, the less they know … but a boss who stands 10-15 feet from the game with a smile and tries to give you enough rope to hang yourself, now he’s problem.”
Although I could relay many stories of good people who were forced to sweat the money due to issues of job security (an egregious practice), sweating the money is generally a sign of ignorance. To make matters worse, the practice usually starts at/near the top of the casino hierarchy and it tends to be contagious. When the games are dealt honestly, dealers and supervisors have no control over chance fluctuation, and should never be given the opportunity to intervene in the process, or be responsible for the outcome of these processes. They should focus on dealing and supervising according to procedures, and let the games run their course. That’s why top management is always easy to spot; you walk through the pit and everybody’s doing the same thing with the same smile, win, lose or draw.
I’ll get off the topic with a true story, and one of the most extreme cases of sweating the money imaginable. It involves a female 21 dealer in a strip club many years back. She’s dealing to limit action and busting every hand. Each time she busts, the boss cringes and moves one step closer to the game. It finally gets so bad that the boss is practically standing on top of her. And then it happens. She busts again sending the boss into an uncontrollable rage. He winds up and suckerpunches the dealer right in the kidney! The cards go flying in the air, the dealer falls straight back to the floor, and everyone comes to her rescue. Lying on the floor, after a minute or two, the dealer’s eyes finally open slowly. She looks straight up into the sky and utters three magic words that would grant her a prosperous early retirement: “CALL MY ATTORNEY!”
T. R. Table games, biloxi, MS
Mr. Forte, have any casino managers purchased the book in bulk and handed it out to their floor supervisors? To me this would be an investment, not a gift if indeed your book delivers only half as advertised.
Yes, a number of casino managers, vice presidents, and general managers have purchased the book in bulk, but not nearly to the extent of ordering enough copies for all floor supervisors.
If your fellow floor supervisors also have an interest in the book, check with your boss. For any club with a desire to purchase enough books for all floor supervisors, huge volume discounts are available.
Thanks for the plug. I, too, believe the book would make a great investment for any property. And I do believe the book delivers as advertised. It’s generally pitched as the most in-depth study on casino game protection ever revealed, but between you and me, this isn’t much of a stretch. Casino game protection – A comprehensive guide is the only in-depth study ever devoted to the subject!
Scott, casinodealers.Net
steve, this interview has made it clear to me how differently we all view game protection, so as a final question, what exactly does the term mean to you?
It’s interesting how we come full circle to your question. At first glance, the question seems so elementary, but it’s not.
First, the essential background. Prior to the 1960s, the term ‘game protection’ specifically referred to the protection against cheaters and internal theft. After the early 1960s and the publication of beat the dealer (ed thorp, 1962), the term also included the protection against card counters. In the early/mid 1970s ‘advantage players’ were added to the list, as the industry learned of the tell players, warp players, holecard players and, later, the shuffle trackers. Then, over time, the sharpest operators began to realize that a number of internal industry threats should be added to the list, as they could also result in significant loss of revenue. These included problems associated with incompetent help, weak and ineffective procedures, overreacting to suspect play and backing off the wrong player, etc. Today, game protection is best defined as the science and practice of protecting the tables games from any threat to the bottom line.
The science of game protection is all about one’s knowledge of theft, scams, and strategies. The practice of game protection is all about how we use this knowledge to better protect the games and insure optimal performance (staffing, controls and procedures, game protection philosophy, the relationship between the pit and sky, suspect play guidelines, time and motion issues, game protection training, etc.). When you combine the science with the practice, you get a subject significantly wider in scope than many ever realize.
This was a very busy interview. Probably more than you bargained for. We all appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Any closing thoughts?
Let me just say thanks to all those who submitted questions.
Casino game protection forte
Casino game protection: A comprehensive guide is the culmination of almost 30 years of research into the arena of casino cheating, advantage play, electronic player assistance, and you name it. 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.
Since every casino in the world is different regarding its level of security, overall pit expertise, and quality of surveillance, their security needs are also different. What might be considered an obsolete technique in a premier property, could very well have application in the peripheral markets. In fact, no casino is immune from the craftiness of the professional cheater or the sophistication of today's advantage players. Therefore, a wide range of scams and strategies are presented in this work from the standpoint and conviction that there is a time and place for every scam and strategy discussed in its pages.
Casino game protection covers everything from marked cards and "coolers" to advantage play and electronic assistance; everything from game manipulation and sleight-of-hand to the subtleties and psychology of the most successful scams and strategies ever encountered; everything from gaming law and procedural issues to the most common myths and misconception are discussed in detail.
Scams and strategies run the gambit of rank and amateurish to sophisticated and professional, so with each topic, a variety of moves were selected that best illustrate the spectrum of a particular technique or strategy. Also covered in some detail is the historical development of many of today's scams or strategies. This background provides us with a deeper understanding of how and why certain scams, strategies, and procedures have evolved, which may, in turn, provide us with some sense of what to expect in the future.
The research begins with discussions of those important background topics that lay the groundwork for the detailed game information to follow. After the games are covered, along with chapters dealing exclusively on card counting, and advantage play (focus on shuffle tracking), we'll look at some universal scams (focus on marked cards). The final chapter looks at the science of detection and numerous related topics.
Numerous references to existing works are sited, and every effort was made to give credit where credit was due. An extensive glossary and index is provided, along with a detailed bibliography to help point you in the direction of quality information for further research.
Written in an informal style, and with almost 500 color photographs, the book also features plenty of entertaining anecdotes and sometimes-colorful language. The goal was to make casino game protection both interesting to read and easy to understand . All designed to maximize the learning process.
Casino game protection was written for all capacities and levels of experience. If you are new to gaming, this book provides your opportunity to separate fact from fiction, and to expand your game protection knowledge in short order. For veteran gamers who believe that the cornerstone of an effective, confident supervisor, pit boss, casino manager, or surveillance operator is a well-rounded knowledge of game protection, this book will provide an invaluable reference tool. Casino game protection was written with the hope of providing all gamers, especially those with a thirst for knowledge, and regardless of their level of experience, with a definitive guide to this vital industry topic.
Finally, the book provides the rarest of insight and perspective, as the author is one who has worked many years in the industry, played many years as a successful high-stakes professional gambler, and later as a casino consultant with clients worldwide.
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card counting on a small bankroll
by arnold snyder
by raymond X.
blackjack ball
by arnold snyder
by steve forte
by nick alexander
By arnold snyder
by stuart perry
to the forum
by james grosjean
by arnold snyder
FROM ET FAN:
Playing dealer tells
[last year, steve forte game me a copy of a 24-page handbook he had authored titled “advantage playing: the ultimate way to play winning blackjack.”
“it’s not something that I’m selling,” he said. “it’s part of a seminar I’ve put together to teach blackjack players legitimate and powerful methods of beating the game without counting cards. I don’t know if you can get much out of this booklet without the seminar. Most of the topics in here are just sketchy outlines that coincide with the live demonstration I do.”
Within a week, I’d called steve about the possibility of publishing a section of his handbook. “this chapter on tells is fantastic,” I told him. “I’ve never seen anything like this in print. Playing tells has always been a mystery to me. You’ve got more useable information on this subject in four pages than I knew existed.”
Steve was discouraging. He wasn’t at all satisfied with the material “as is.” “it’s just an outline,” he said. “I’ve got 40 pages of notes that explain that stuff. Maybe I could get my notes into some kind of legible form and send them to you.”
The first typed, single-spaced 22 pages of steve’s “notes” arrived a couple of months later, with a promise of more to come. Reading this material, I felt that same way I had felt when I’d first seen steve’s unparalleled poker protection - cheating and the world of poker books and videotapes on how dealers cheat. This was potent, hitherto secret information that had never before been made available to the general public.
Myths on playing dealer tells
In his treatise on tells, steve demolishes many of the long-held myths about the arcane subject of tell play.
Myth #1: you can’t be taught to recognize and exploit tells. Finding tells is a natural psychological ability that most people just don’t have.
Steve shatters that myth. “I learned a lot about playing tells from real pros who have been doing it for years,” he told me. “and I developed a lot of this knowledge from my own years of observation. This is a science like anything else. There’s nothing magical or mystical about it.”
Myth #2: dealers with readable tells are hard to find, so only vegas or reno locals, who observe the same dealers day in and day out, can exploit tells.
“that’s just not true,” steve says. “A good tell player can walk into casinos anywhere in the world, where the dealers check their hole cards, and exploit tells. Tell players create tells in dealers. They don’t wait for them to appear.”
Myth #3: you have to play at high stakes in order to get dealers involved enough so that they’ll exhibit tells.
Not so. Big money and tokes may be important factors in involving a dealer in the outcome of a hand. Steve won’t be the first person to tell you that. But dealers are just human beings. As long as a dealer either likes or dislikes you, he can become involved in your hand. It’s always the person at the table, not just the money, that involves the dealer.
Myth #4: you have to be an outgoing personality type to play tells. If you’re just a quiet, regular player, you’ll never run into sufficient dealer involvement to generate a tell.
Steve destroys that myth with a whole section on “ghost tells,” – tells that dealers are already subconsciously exhibiting because of some other player or players at the table. If the dealer is coddling up to some lavish-tipping high roller, or burning up about some obnoxious drunk, you’re liable to find “ghost tells.”
Myth #5: tells are barely visible, subconscious, unique little quirks that are almost impossible to see.
Fact: tells may be subconsciously generated, but they are far from invisible, nor are they “unique.” many tells are blatant. Most can be categorized and analyzed. Most players don’t notice even the most obvious tells because tells appear natural. If they were unusual postures or movements, everyone would notice them.
I expect to have the remainder of steve’s treatise on this subject edited by next month. I’m very proud to present here just a small portion of what steve has already sent me on this subject. Steve’s comprehensive report on tells, titled read the dealer, will be published next month.
If you think tell playing is too esoteric and complicated for you, I suggest you read the following excerpt from read the dealer (blackjack, cards, poker) . –arnold snyder]
Definition of a tell
A tell is a form of nonverbal communication. Tells are signs and body signals that tell us something about the person we are observing. You can use the science of body language in many ways to gain an advantage in the game of blackjack.
Tells can be used to detect a pit boss who is suspicious of your play. This could give you the opportunity to “pull up” (leave the casino) and possibly avoid getting backed off or barred. Tells will also let you know when pit supervisors are completely unaware of your presence. This will allow you to get away with bigger bet spreads and more aggressive playing strategies than normal.
You can use the proper body signals and actions to make dealers deal faster and deeper. You can also cause dealers to shuffle up the unfavorable decks if your body signals are strong enough.
The science of body language can even be used to get a player out of a favorable seat: a seat that might allow you a hole card play, a readable warp, or maybe just better position for the count game.
The most profitable way to gain an edge with tells is to read the dealer immediately after he checks his hole card. If you can learn to detect the various dealer body signals, if you can learn how to get a dealer emotionally involved in the game, and if you can understand what motivates a dealer to think and act the way he does, you can scientifically evaluate the strength of the dealer’s hand.
Some of these observations and principles come from playing poker semi-professionally for a number of years. Poker experts oswald jacoby, john fox and mike caro have some great material on tells in print. In particular, mike caro’s new book, caro's book of poker tells , is the most detailed book ever written on the subject.
All blackjack players are urged to study these authors, as virtually all the principles explained can be applied to the game of blackjack. Blackjack expert stanford wong’s winning without counting and ian andersen’s turning the tables on las vegas both cover the art of playing tells, but they just touch the surface of what is available to the blackjack player.
Most of my ideas on tells were developed while using various advantage techniques that gave me hole card information. Playing warps, playing hole cards, applying key card location techniques and various card cutting ideas put me in a very unique situation. I often knew the dealer’s hole card before the dealer even checked it. I was able to study the dealer’s body signals to see if his actions agreed with or contradicted this information. This is probably the ultimate way to learn to read tells.
The biggest myth about playing tells is that they are difficult to find. Well, I have to agree that tells are extremely difficult to find. But the problem is in this approach: you don’t find good tell games, you CREATE THEM.
Bu causing a dealer to get emotionally involved in the game, you will get reactions. These reactions are the body signals or “tells” that can be read and exploited by the knowledgeable blackjack players.
Tells come from emotional involvement
If the dealer is indifferent to whether you win or lose, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find profitable tells. The key is to force the dealer into rooting for you or against you. He must be on one side or the other; there can be no in between.
Remember, dealing blackjack can be an extremely boring job; probably one of the most monotonous and overrated factory jobs around today. In order to break a dealer out of his trance and his usual stone wall personality, you’ll have to be creative and a little offbeat. Try to do something a little different than a dealer is accustomed to seeing in an eight-hour shift. Let’s take a look at just a few ways to get dealers emotionally involved in the game.
When trying to get a dealer on your side and truly rooting for you to win, try:
1. Compliments on dress, jewelry, dealer ability, etc. Tell the female dealer that the ring or the watch she’s wearing is just like the one you bought your wife or girlfriend and she’s crazy about it.
If you’re playing with an obvious weak dealer who seems to be struggling, compliment him on his game. Tell him it’s nice to play with a good dealer who takes his time, etc.
The best way to compliment a dealer is in the presence of a pit boss, shift boss, or casino manager.
Try lines to the pit supervisor like, “if you had 100 dealers like jeannie here you’d have the friendliest place in town,” or “I have a bunch of my friends from minnesota staying across the street but if all the dealers here are like jeannie, I’ll bring them over tonight.”
2. Let the dealer know up front that if you get lucky he will also get lucky and have the opportunity to earn some money. This gives him a reason to root for you.
3. Ask for advice. Make him feel like he’s the expert. Now he has to root for you or make himself look bad.
I like to take an easy-to-play hand like two 8s or two aces against a small card, turn them face up innocently so the dealer can see the total and ask “do you split these?”
Although dealers are not supposed to assist players in playing the hands, most dealers will give you some friendly advice to make the correct play. They don’t know what they have in the hole and don’t feel like they’re out of line by helping you.
Naturally, if you win make a bet for the dealer for his “expert advice.” but even if you lose you should make a bet for him and say “thanks. Anyway, at least I know I played the hand the best way.” you’ve now shown the dealer that his advice will be rewarded. Next time you need a little help in playing a tough hand, make sure the dealer has a ten up.
4. Be a good loser. This may sound crazy but it is by far one of the strongest approaches to get dealers on your side. When a dealer hits a miracle hand with a miracle card break up the tension and make him laugh. Try lines like “did you ever work with siegfried and roy?” or “keep this up and you won’t get a christmas card from me this year.” dealers don’t run into this type of player very often. The majority of players, including card counters, are sore losers. It is quite a relief and pleasure to deal to someone who doesn’t take losing seriously.
Here’s a great way to take a losing session and create a plus and possibly a big edge for your next play. One of my favorite plays is to always keep a couple of $5 checks in one pocket and my session bankrolls in other pockets. After losing the last bet in a session bankroll, search your pockets as if looking for more money but only come out with the two $5 checks. Toss the $10 to the dealer, and tell him, “well, I guess I blew more than I thought, but if I have to lose all my money I’m glad it was to you. At least I had some fun.” smile and walk away silently.
It doesn’t make any difference if you have $20,000 on you. Just walk away from the table like you just blew your life savings, then gave the dealer the last $10 to your name.
Later on in the shift, take your jewelry off, open up your tie, and mess up your hair. This gives the appearance of having gone through the worst two hours of your life. Walk up to the same dealer and tell him that you’ve just borrowed some money and put your jewelry up for collateral. But that’s okay because now you have a chance to win enough money to get back home to see your wife and son! You know the little boy, he’s the one that just had the leg amputated. He gets around pretty good though. The rubber leg works just fine.
Yes, I am laying it on a little thick but I want to show you how far this approach can be taken.
You can also get tells from people who hate you
Now, let’s take a look at a few ways to get a dealer against you and rooting for you to lose:
1. Complain about the hotel, restaurants, luck, etc. Dealers listen to players complaining all day and can become immune to it. It’s really nothing new to hear a player piss and moan. In order for this approach to work try complaining about things you never hear a negative comment about. Breakfast at the horseshoe, quite possibly the best breakfast in town, or the buffet at the nugget, quite possibly the best buffet in town.
If you are lucky enough to get comped into a presidential suite at caesars, complain about the room dйcor, etc., even though it hasn’t cost you anything. Always complain about what the casino is most proud of and best known for. Don’t forget to mumble a lot, dealers hate players who are always mumbling.
2. Brag about how good you are. Tell everyone at the table how you won two million dollars last year. You should be betting from $5 to $15 when you make a statement like that. Tell other players how to play their hands. When a poor player would, for example, split tens, tell him, “good play. About time someone knows how to play around here.”
If you see a player make an insurance bet tell him to take it back. Tell him you have been counting the picture cards and you know for a fact that they’re all gone. Naturally, your count should be about a true 10. On the next hand when picture cards start popping up all over the place, you can expect some strange looks. Not only will you have a dealer trying to beat you, but you’re liable to have three or four players rooting against you, too.
Ignore them and continue to be extremely overconfident. Let everybody know how unbeatable you are and how you beat this same dealer all the time even if you’ve never seen the dealer before.
3. Here are a couple of my favorites: get change for a toke, then never make a bet for the dealer. This will leave him hanging and wondering why you asked for change in the first place. If you ever get questioned simply say, “that’s how I keep score.”
Try making a bet for the dealer that is small in comparison to your action. If you’re an aggressive green or black check player and start out a session $500-$1000 winners, bet $1 for the dealer. There’s no telling what kind of strange looks you’ll get but one thing is for sure, you will get a reaction as the majority of dealers would consider this toke an insult. ♠
For more information on playing tells, see book of tells by peter collett.
See the blackjack forum professional gambling library for more information on professional blackjack techniques.
A few historical references to edge sorting
As part of my duties as expert witness for phil ivey, I had to write an "expert report." this report was centered around answering three questions, one of which was, "is edge sorting well-known to the casino industry?" in order to answer this, I scoured books, magazines, websites, newsletters, message boards, training manuals, card manufacturer sites and every other source I could find that mentioned edge sorting or asymmetric cards, no matter how minor the mention. I also searched out evidence that implied indirectly that edge sorting, or more generally first-card knowledge, is commonly addressed in game protection. For example, smart shoes, the harrigan brush and plastic face plates. I wanted to build an overwhelming body of evidence to establish that edge sorting is well-known. I believe I succeeded.
In this post, I want to share some of what I found. I have quite a bit more. In what follows, I list some of the book, magazine and newsletter references I presented in my report. Where possible, I have included a pdf file including the relevant part. Here is the list:
- “advanced tactics in casino advantage play”, by abram alexander, ASIN: B005J5CSYZ, kindle book, 2011 (various pages) es_reference_001
- “casino game protection: A comprehensive guide,” by steven L. Forte, ISBN-13: 978-0975986400, publisher: SLF publishing LLC, 2004 (pages 171 – 174)
- “casino management,” by bill friedman, ISBN-13: 978-0818403118, publisher: lyle stuart, rev sub edition, 1982 (page 44)
- “how to detect crooked gambling, marked cards and loaded dice,” by frank garcia, ISBN 0-668-04043-2 , publisher: arco publishing company, inc., 2 nd edition, 1977 (pages 101 – 103) es_reference_004
- “magic with cards,” by frank garcia and george schindle, ISBN: 0-7607-1010-4. Publisher: barnes and noble, inc., 1993 (page 110). Es_reference_005 [the "one way" card trick is as old as your grandfather!]
- “beyond counting,” by james grosjean, ISBN-13: 978-0910575171, publisher: RGE publishing, 2000 (page 161).
- “baccarat fair and foul, by professor hoffman,” published in london in 1891 by george routledge and sons, limited (SBN 091-1996-78-8), ISBN-13: 978-0870190025 es_reference_007 [the point of this reference is to show how long that game protection for baccarat has been discussed in the U.K.]
- “contemporary casino table game design” by eliot jacobson, ISBN-13: 978-1-883423-17-9, publisher: blue point books, 2010 (pages 94 – 117). Es_reference_008
- “dealing with cheats: illustrated methods of cardsharps, dice hustlers, and other gambling swindlers,” by A.D. Livingston, ISBN-13: 978-0397009862, publisher: lippincott; 1st edition, 1973 (pages 40 – 43). Es_reference_009
- “blackjack ace prediction,” by david mcdowell, ISBN-13: 978-1879712102, publisher: spur of the moment pub. (2004) (pages 103, 104).
- “casino playing card guide, book 5, caribbean, foreign, racetracks, australia, canada, canadian riverboats,” by sandi steffner and janice O’neal, publisher: eagle creek gaming, 2008 es_reference_011 [notice the genting cards]
- “blackjack secrets” by stanford wong, ISBN-13:978093592620, publisher: pi yee press , 1993 (pp. 137 – 138) es_reference_012
- “advantage play for the casino executive,” by bill zender, 2006 (pages 81-85)
- “casino-ology2,” by bill zender, ISBN-13: 978-1-935396-43-7, publisher: huntington press, 2011 (pages 165 - 169). Es_reference_014
- “stanford wong’s blackjack newsletters,” stanford wong, volute 5, 1983, page 45.
- “marked cards” by steve forte in the “the intelligent gambler” newsletter from conjelco, number 23, spring/summer 2005. Es_reference_016
- “one step ahead – sophisticated gamblers use legal techniques to gain small advantages at casino games,” by michael konik, spring 1995 issue of cigar aficionado magazine. Es_reference_017
In the end, none of this mattered to his lordship, judge mitting. He did not consider the answer to the question relevant in his decision-making. The only question the judge had to answer was, "did ivey cheat?"
Ex-gambler deals casinos a new hand
Monday, oct. 6, 1997 | 12:03 p.M.
When it comes to casino security, steve forte is all business.
As president of international gaming specialists in henderson, forte, a former professional gambler, conducts seminars on casino scams everywhere from southern nevada to as far away as adelaide, australia.
His normal fee for security seminars with casino supervisors ranges between $4,000 and $6,000 per day, but he has received much more -- as much as $50,000 for a private, six-hour seminar with barron hilton, chairman of the hotel chain that carries his name.
It seems like a lot of money, but it's pocket change when compared with the amount that could be siphoned from casino coffers by a slick group of thieves.
Although there are no firm totals as to the extent of cheating in casinos, some speculate that cheats, or "crossroaders" as they're sometimes called, steal $100 million annually from casinos throughout the world.
"that number doesn't surprise me," said barney vinson, gaming instructor at caesars palace. "as an example, nine tons of slugs are taken out of slot machines in clark county each year."
Forte, 41, thinks $100 million in theft each year is an exaggeration, mainly because most casinos have tightened security procedures.
But that doesn't mean a good scam won't pay off.
"one of the most famous occurred in sun city, south africa, years ago," forte said. "it was an inside job. There were about 20 (casino) people in on it."
A player who was in on it would bet a shell painted to look like four green chips at a high limit blackjack table. When the player won, the dealer simply paid him. When the player lost, the dealer scooped up the shell, dragged it over the black $100 chips in the rack, surreptitiously filling the shell with four black chips, and then calmly placed the shell in the row of green chips.
Then the player would buy in for another $100, and the dealer would give him the shell filled with $400 worth of chips.
And they did this over and over again.
"they netted millions before they were finally caught," forte said.
Law enforcement officers who have taken forte's seminar say he understands game security like no others.
Dan camillo, a retired special agent with the federal bureau of investigation, asked forte to lecture at the bureau's academy in quantico, va., several years ago when camillo was stationed in las vegas.
"his mind is incredible -- like a computer," camillo said. "and he certainly knows his stuff. He revealed things to us that we didn't know existed: the ability of some to cheat, slight of hand techniques, electronic devices. You name it."
But casino executives note that what forte knows best is how a casino can achieve the perfect balance of security and productivity.
"steve looks at the reports and computer printouts, and then he will come up with ways to beat the game," said bill zender, director of casino operations at the aladdin. "they he'll tell you exactly how he would go about attacking the casino."
Zender also noted that forte knows what a casino can do to increase play, such as offering blackjack games with liberal rules, and dealing most of the cards out before the shuffle.
Some of these measures scare casino executives who prefer to offer only six- or eight-deck shoes, and dealing out only half or two-thirds of the cards, thereby preventing skilled players, also known as "advantage players" from keeping track of the cards.
"people looking for an angle have always been a big deal to casinos," said joe milanowski, gaming analyst for USA capital, a las vegas brokerage firm. "in some ways casinos don't make a distinction between cheaters and players who are very skilled. Casinos don't like guys who are very skilled."
During his seminars, forte challenges casino executives to look at the concept of skilled blackjack play as an invaluable public relations tool rather than as a threat.
"blackjack is the most popular casino game in the world, and I think the reason is because people perceive it as a game of skill," forte said. "yet, the casinos, which offer 100 times odds on craps and display the winning numbers over a roulette wheel, want to deal only three of six decks in a shoe to blackjack players and offer very unattractive rules."
Forte believes casinos should offer more liberal blackjack rules, and should promote the games. He explained that the number of players who know just enough about counting cards to get them in trouble at the tables far outnumber the truly advanced players.
Both forte and zender estimate there might be only a few hundred among the millions of blackjack players worldwide who pose a real threat casinos.
In their playing days, both forte and zender were among them.
"I was a good player, but nothing like steve," zender said.
Noted blackjack authority arnold snyder said it better.
"steve forte knows more ways to deplete a dealer's chip rack than any player I've ever met."
Vic taucer, casino management instructor at the community college of southern nevada, said the entire industry "thirsts for the knowledge" on game protection that forte offers in his seminars.
Casino executives confirm this in thank-you letters sent to forte after taking his seminars in recent years.
"I have learned more about casino game protection in the eight hours of lectures with steve forte then in my previous eight years with the N.J. Division of gaming enforcement, and as surveillance director at one of the largest casinos in the world," writes michael gore, director of surveillance for genting international resorts & casinos in malaysia.
"I would recommend you to any casino that wishes to heighten its game protection awareness," writes joseph wilcock, vice president of table games at treasure island. "we found your instruction on shuffle tracking and ace location especially interesting."
Advanced card counters, forte explains, often can tell almost exactly when the aces will be dealt out by watching closely how the dealer shuffles the deck.
"getting an ace as your first card in 21 gives you a 50 percent advantage over the house," forte said. "it doesn't get much better than that."
Unless, of course, the player has a computer strapped to his leg.
Forte explained that until a state law was passed in 1985 prohibiting the use of mechanical devices at the tables, it was legal to use miniature computers to play blackjack in nevada.
Legal -- but not tolerated by casinos.
"once I was playing at vegas world with a computer strapped to my leg in the early 1980s, and bob stupak walked up and sat next to me at the table," forte recalls. "then he started asking me if I'd ever heard about miniature computers."
Forte told the casino owner that his girlfriend had a personal computer but that forte was not exactly computer friendly, so he didn't know much about it.
"we talked for a while longer, and he eventually barred me," forte said with a smile.
In his playing days, forte was barred from several casinos for skilled play. In each case, he left without putting up a fight. He understood only too well casino procedures toward advanced play.
Today, forte is one of fewer than a half dozen acknowledged casino security consultants in the world, and taucer noted he is unlike anyone else in the field.
"steve is only one who knows game protection from both sides of the table," taucer said.
A native of newton, mass., who moved to las vegas as a teenager, forte started dealing craps on the strip the day he turned 21, and later worked as a floor supervisor and shift boss at several properties.
Today, the only time forte goes into a casino is to conduct a security seminar.
Still, he follows trends in casino security like a smart wall street broker follows changes in the market.
"today these properties spend millions on state-of-the-art surveillance systems," forte said. "they bar no expense when it comes to personnel, high speed cameras, switching systems and computer equipment."
Most of this high-tech equipment is used above the casino pit in an area commonly known as the "eye in the sky."
Security personnel in several strip properties use voice recognition systems, forte said.
"it's a detection software package. A technician who is watching the game from above calls out the value of each card as it's dealt, and calls out the bet, and the computer evaluates whether the player is keeping track of the cards or doing anything illegal."
Casino officials are extremely taciturn about revealing how much is spent each year on security, but gaming analysts such as milanowski say the money is "significant" and is spent on everything from surveillance equipment to legal fees.
"casinos very vigorously prosecute the guys who try to rip them off," milanowski said.
Advanced players such as card counters who don't cheat aren't prosecuted, but they are often photographed by casino security teams and then asked to never play again.
With all the pitfalls and dangers awaiting cheaters and even advanced players, why do they continue?
"it's like willie sutton once said when they asked him why he robbed banks. 'because that's where the money is,'" zender said with a laugh.
Forte noted that as the casinos get smarter and more sophisticated, so do the advanced players.
"that's why game protection will always be so important."
so, let's see, what we have: casino game protection - A complete, one-volume course in the science of casino game protection, an invaluable training tool for management, pit personnel, surveillance, security, and related law enforcement agencies, and a must read for all gamers hungry for knowledge! At casino game protection forte
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