Many of you have probably heard the saying, “Cheaters never prosper.” But there are plenty of blackjack players who are willing to test this thought with various blackjack cheating methods. Most blackjack cheats involve slight of hand tricks, and if your hand isn’t slight enough, you can end up in jail. That’s why the BlackjackLife staff doesn’t recommend blackjack cheating to players. But if you’re still interested, here is a quick look at some of the most common blackjack cheats.
Bending Cards
One of the more popular blackjack cheating methods involves slightly bending cards so you know what they are next time they’re dealt. For example, if you’re holding an ace, you can put a slight bend in the corner, and look for the bent card later on. Unfortunately, many dealers are highly trained when it comes to spotting bent cards, so this is a hard cheating method to pull off. Furthermore, most bent cards are removed from the deck immediately when they’re spotted.
Switching Cards
Working either as an individual or team, players can switch their cards with more favorable ones to beat the dealer. As an individual, these cards are normally hidden in your sleeve; with the team effort, players sit next to each other and try to switch their cards when the dealer’s not looking. But even if players manage to pull one over on the dealer while switching cards, they still have video surveillance to worry about.
Dealer Collusion
Instead of trying to pull tricks under the dealer’s nose, some players will attempt to work with the dealer. Typically, the cheater(s) and dealer know each other outside of the casino, and they devise a plot that sees the player cheat to win while the dealer turns a blind eye. Afterward, they split the profits with each other. The major problem with this cheating method is that many dealers are pretty well paid, and they’re not willing to risk their job for a few extra bucks.
Spooking
One of the tougher blackjack cheating methods to catch is spooking, which is a team effort. One player stands behind the dealer somewhere so they can see the dealer’s hole card when it’s lifted, while the other conspirator plays at the table. The person behind the dealer then relays what the hole card is when they see it. This blackjack cheating method definitely takes a lot of skill and teamwork to pull off because it’s so tough to see the dealer’s hole card without being obvious.