Have you ever witnessed a dealer being arrested? Or experience an unfair poker play at a casino you visited. Poker dealers have an exceptional skill set. They are experts in hosting a great game or guiding novice players. But, just when you think the game is running smoothly, the dealer might pull up a sneaky trick up their sleeves that can turn the game against you.
Dishonest dealers can cheat in multiple ways. So, when you're playing a live poker game, it’s best to keep a lookout for inconsistencies in shuffling, unusual hand outcomes, sleight-of-hand technique, and suspicious interaction between dealers and other players.
How do these dealers cheat anyway?
When you know what tricks these dealers use, you can easily catch them before incurring a big loss. Keep reading the post to find out the 6 Ways Poker Dealers can cheat.
Magicians aren’t the only experts with cards. Casino dealers are extremely pro when it comes to sleight of hands. But how do they do this little magic trick? Let’s find out!
If you aren't too careful, the dealer can cheat you with the art of bottom dealing. In this technique dealers hand out the bottom card of the deck instead of the top one. The trick is they keep their dominant hand on the bottom card while keeping the top card in a sliding position. It makes the players believe that the deck is being dealt from the top while its completely the other way around.
Pro Tip# If you notice a different sound (weirder than usual), when cards are being dealt, you might wanna keep a close eye on the dealer's hands.
While the dealer may pretend to shuffle the cards, they may actually stack cards in such a way as to score a win for themselves, the casino, or the players they are working with. For instance, they may keep a few aces at a particular position in the deck and hand them to their desired player at the right time.
It's the same as bottom dealing, except instead of the bottom card, the card in the second position is dealt first instead of the top card. A dealer using this technique is known as a “second dealer” or a “two dealer.”
Palming cards is a secret technique where a card is secretly moved from the deck to the dealer’s palm. First, the dealer places the card to be palmed on top of the deck. They then create a slight mess of the deck to have an excuse to square it up.
Using their pinky, the dealer pushes the card over slightly, angling it into their palm. As the dealer squares the deck, they let the card spring into their palm by moving their thumb. The middle finger is used to press the card securely into the palm.
The card is held with the base of the thumb and the pinky, keeping the other fingers relaxed. The dealer may work out this technique by distracting the players with their chats or making them look elsewhere. Those who are good at it can perform this technique without anyone noticing.
The dealer may work with certain players at the table against the casino. They do this either by signaling each other about hands, switching the cards, or distributing favorable cards to their confederate. The winning player, in return, may secretly share his winnings with the dealer.
The dealer puts tiny, undetectable marks on the cards to remember their value. It could be a minor scratch or small coloring. The dealer may not mark every card in the deck. Even the aces would do the trick. It’s not foolproof, though, and it may get caught soon.
Another illegal act is “chip dumping”. This involves losing chips intentionally to colluding players. This is done to move chips to another person for later use in the game.
When the dealer knows the outcome, they may secretly increase the number of chips to ensure a higher payout for the colluding player.
A dealer may intentionally misrepresent bet amounts to favor the house or specific player. If the dealer is colluding with a player, say, John, who places a big bet on a strong hand, they might pull a few tricks to give John an edge.
This may include ignoring a small call from the opponent or not putting enough chips into the pot, allowing John to lose less money. The dealer may also announce the false bet size, making it smaller or bigger to influence the other player’s decision.
It is one of the most common techniques used by dealers to cheat in a poker game. A dealer may slightly lift a card to get a glimpse of its value then signal the player they are working with.
As a result, the player will know when to fold or change their strategy to maximize their collective profits.
Another unethical act is ‘flashing’. The dealer may intentionally expose the face-down card to reveal its value to a player. They may use prearranged signals and cues before flashing the cards. An expert dealer may perform this act without being detected.
Dealers are extremely professional people. They know their game. But even the most expert ones can have a bad day. Casinos are quite strict on their rules regarding cheating and scams. If a dealer is caught in a big fraud, they have to face serious criminal charges like fines, restitution or imprisonment.
The casinos have surveillance cameras all over the place. All the dealers are strictly monitored. The law enforcement or the casino may review the footage upon suspicion and ban the dealer from the poker room or the entire casino. Ultimately, the dealer loses their job and good reputation at the table.
Now you know how sneaky poker dealers can be. They are no less skilled than a talented magician. They may use multiple techniques in one game, giving an unfair advantage to themselves or the players they are working with. Sometimes a dealer is found cheating for the casino itself. But mostly they conduct a false game play for their own financial gains. However, with the casino's strict surveillance, a dealer may think twice before cheating.
