Cheat Roulette When I first met Darwin Ortiz, a renowned expert in crooked gambling, at a lecture for magicians in Glasgow, I was eager to pick his brain about casino cheating techniques. Up until that point, I had primarily focused on card tricks, but I was starting to develop an interest in other casino games, especially cheat roulette.
During my visit to Glasgow’s famous Tam Shepherd’s Trick Shop—a local hotspot for magicians—I asked Darwin how cheaters might approach cheat roulette. Rather than giving me a direct answer, he responded with a question: “Do you think a cheater could win if they were able to bet after the ball had landed?”
Past Posting – A Risky Cheat Roulette
Past posting is a deceptively simple idea. It involves placing a bet on the cheat roulette table after the ball has already landed on a number, without the dealer noticing the added wager. To the untrained eye, it may seem like an easy way to get caught and escorted into the back room by casino security. However, when executed correctly, past posting can be an effective strategy, though it is risky and requires a great deal of skill, timing, and awareness.
Many dealers might dismiss the idea that such a move could go unnoticed, but after long hours on the casino floor, with countless distractions at each spin, even the most vigilant dealers may not catch a past posting attempt. It is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that has been used successfully by skilled cheaters.
Using Past Posting to Cheat Roulette
Experienced past-posters typically make their moves sparingly, carefully choosing the right moment and using misdirection to avoid detection. The easiest and most common targets are the red and black bets, which cover half of the cheat roulette table. By sitting near these options, a cheater can discreetly add chips after the ball has landed, making it appear as though the bet was placed earlier.
A classic technique involves resting one’s hand on the table with a chip hidden beneath it. In a smooth, almost imperceptible motion, the chip is slid across the table to land on either the red or black area. It takes practice to execute this move without drawing attention, and timing is crucial. During the excitement of the wheel spinning, a cheater may have a small window to move the chip as the ball lands, especially if they have a partner who can help distract the dealer or create cover.
A more advanced approach involves sliding a chip under the cheater’s forearm, often using tactics like buying into the game with extra money or pretending to place a bet for the next round. The dealer may instruct the player to wait until the table is cleared, creating an opportunity to execute the move.
While past posting is often a one-time strategy for each dealer or table, there have been rumors of elaborate schemes, such as the “Walter Mitty” shot, where teams of cheaters place a stack of chips on the table, hiding the most valuable chip at the bottom. The dealer is supposedly unaware of the high-value chip until it is swapped for a lower-value one.
However, while these elaborate schemes might work once or twice, their long-term success seems unlikely unless the casino staff is complicit in the deception.
Deceptive Tactics for Enhanced Misdirection
Cheaters often work in teams to enhance the effectiveness of their past-posting moves. One member of the team may sit near the cheat roulette wheel with a stack of high-value chips, such as purple chips worth $500 each, and secretly pass some of these chips to a partner sitting across the table. This partner then places the chips onto the layout while the original cheater remains distracted by the wheel, often with a drink in hand.
In some cases, a cheater might buy in with a small amount of money, only to use that cash to cover the addition of a high-value chip to the layout as the ball lands. More daring cheaters may try to place an entire stack of chips on the table after the official “no more bets” signal, hoping the dealer will overlook the discrepancy and allow the chips to remain. If the dealer attempts to remove the bet, it may provide cover for the hidden high-value chips that were added after the spin.
The Problem with Past Posting
Although these techniques can be effective if executed at the right time, they are not without risks. If a casino’s security team suspects foul play, a quick review of surveillance footage will reveal any discrepancies in the betting sequence. The success of past posting largely depends on timing, misdirection, and the ability to manipulate weak dealers or avoid detection by vigilant staff.
The real danger for past-posters today is the sophisticated security systems used by most casinos. Modern technology can track all bets placed on the table, making it easier to detect if a bet was added after the dealer called “no more bets.” In the age of digital surveillance, attempting to cheat through past posting is a high-stakes gamble, and the consequences of getting caught can be severe.
So, if you ever find yourself tempted to slide a chip onto the table after the ball lands, remember that the risks of getting caught are much higher than the potential reward. cheat roulette