Since the very first casino opened its doors, an endless war has raged between the operators trying to protect their money and the criminals trying to steal it.

The casino's "Eye in the Sky" catches most of them eventually, but recognizing the signs of a scam unfolding right next to you is a fascinating skill.

How Cheaters Manipulate Casino Chips

The most common and arguably the most difficult-to-detect method of table game cheating is a sleight-of-hand maneuver known universally as "past posting."

This scam requires absolute, flawless timing, massive distraction, and the steady, lightning-fast hands of a professional close-up magician.

• Modern roulette tables feature advanced sensors to detect any chip movement after the ball drops
• Dealers are trained to intensely stare at the chips immediately after announcing the winning number
• Past posting is a severe felony offense, not a simple misunderstanding of the rules

Card Marking and Edge Sorting

In card games like Blackjack and Baccarat, the entire house edge relies entirely on the fact that the next card in the shoe is a complete mystery.

Edge sorting relies on finding tiny, microscopic manufacturing defects in the geometric patterns printed on the absolute back edge of the casino's playing cards.

Dice Sliding at the Craps Table

However, highly skilled mechanics attempt a scam known as "dice sliding," which completely removes the random tumble of the dice.

By keeping the desired number facing upward during the entire slide, they only have to worry about the random outcome of the second tumbling die.

Attempting to cheat a modern casino is an incredibly foolish endeavor that almost universally ends in severe felony charges and prison time.