---
title: 'Casino Cheating Expert Reviews Card Counting and Casino Scams From Movies | Vanity Fair'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=ki4Fbctwnjs'
video_id: 'ki4Fbctwnjs'
date: 2026-08-04
duration_sec: 1404
channel: 'Vanity Fair'
---

# Casino Cheating Expert Reviews Card Counting and Casino Scams From Movies | Vanity Fair

> Source: [Casino Cheating Expert Reviews Card Counting and Casino Scams From Movies | Vanity Fair](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ki4Fbctwnjs)

## Summary

In this video, casino cheating expert Sal Piacente reviews scenes from popular movies such as 'Rain Man', 'The Sting', 'Casino', and '21', explaining the real techniques behind card counting, card manipulation, and casino scams. He provides insights into how cheaters operate and how casinos detect them.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to Casino Cheating** [00:00] — Sal Piacente introduces himself as an expert who helps protect assets from casino cheating, referencing scenes from TV and movies.
- **Card Counting is Not Cheating** [00:39] — Sal clarifies that card counting is not illegal and not considered cheating, contrary to popular belief.
- **Surveillance and Computer Devices** [01:05] — Explains how cheaters use computers hidden in shoes to track cards and receive signals on how to play, as seen in movies.
- **Card Counting Detection** [02:12] — Casinos label skilled players as card counters and may ask them to leave, even though it's not illegal.
- **Advantage of Rich Decks** [02:40] — When a deck is rich in high cards, players get more blackjacks and have better options like doubling and splitting, which is the basis of card counting.
- **Shuffle Techniques and Bookmarking** [03:22] — Demonstrates the 'bookmark' shuffle technique used in movies, where a card is secretly kept in place during shuffling.
- **Mechanics and Card Peeking** [04:07] — Explains how mechanics (cheaters) can peek at cards while squaring the deck, and warns about certain deck holds.
- **Cheating is About Judgment** [05:03] — Emphasizes that cheating isn't just about moves but about judgment, as seen in a scene where a player folds a good hand.
- **Hangers and Bottom Dealing** [05:32] — Describes the 'hanger' technique where a card is left hanging to be dealt from the bottom, and how bottom dealing works.
- **The Sting and Cooler Scam** [06:29] — Analyzes the 'cooler' scam from 'The Sting' where a marked deck is switched in to give a player a great hand, then switched out.
- **Juice Decks and Marked Cards** [08:03] — Explains how marked decks (juice decks) use dots or luminous readers to identify cards, and how they are made.
- **Signaling Devices in Casino** [09:55] — Describes the use of vibrating devices and signals to communicate hands in poker, as shown in 'Casino'.
- **Oceans 13 and Magnetic Dice** [11:09] — Discusses magnetic dice and how they can be controlled to land on certain numbers, and the risks involved.
- **Dice Switching and Misspotted Dice** [12:26] — Shows how dice can be switched and explains misspotted dice that only show certain numbers, used for cheating.
- **Percentage Dice and Casino Detection** [14:12] — Explains percentage dice and how casinos train staff to spot cheating, including checking dice for imperfections.
- **Dice Sliding and Table Design** [15:06] — Describes dice sliding and how casino tables are designed with pyramids and lips to prevent such moves.
- **Collusion and Signals** [16:03] — Discusses how two players can collude using signals to share information, as shown in a scene with a straight.
- **Card Palming and Switching** [17:37] — Demonstrates card palming and switching techniques used in magic and cheating, as seen in 'Now You See Me 2'.
- **Shade and Setting Up Cards** [18:27] — Explains how cheaters set up cards during shuffling to control the deal, and the use of braille-like bumps on cards.
- **21 and Team Counting** [20:29] — Analyzes team card counting from '21', explaining running count and true count, and how signals are used to call in players.
- **True Count and Insurance** [22:07] — Explains how true count is calculated and how it affects decisions like taking insurance in blackjack.
- **Casino Countermeasures** [22:52] — Describes how casinos watch for signals and money patterns to detect team counting, and the risks of getting caught.

### Conclusion

The video provides an entertaining and educational look at casino cheating techniques, emphasizing that while cheating is illegal, card counting is not, and casinos use sophisticated methods to detect and deter cheaters.

## Transcript

you take out three cards, take out the queen of club, Watch that ace of diamond you have to bet where it is.
'cause I put the ace of diamonds over here. I made that ace of heart Hi, my name is Sal Piacente
hired me to help protect their assets. from TV shows and movies on casino cheating.
This scene is from "Rain Man." - We cheat.
but a lot of people do think card counting is illegal Card counting is not cheating. he's not past posting us.
- [Sal] Surveillance made some good observations. which means where the dealer takes his card. which means he's not adding to his bet
Now they talk about using computers. For example, if you look at these shoes right here, So you could actually see the switches inside it.
They keep track of every card that's being dealt Once the computer decides on how to play your hand,
on this little solenoid right here and tells you to play your hand. could play Blackjack better
But he was doing was doing with these computers could do, He was able to keep track of how many cards were left. and they're winning and surveillance
they just gonna label him as a card counter. and say, sir, you'll play is too good for us. - Somethings not right.
That's obviously a false statement is very easy to do on a six deck shoot, All you're doing is keeping track of the ratio
When a deck becomes really rich in high cards, You're gonna get more black jacks. Number two, you don't have to hit your 12 to 16.
you have additional options the dealer don't double, double after a split, they are all designed to do one thing
to let you know when a deck becomes rich, intense. - 2040 stud, that's the game. that set up for that game.
everybody gets two cards face down And then the last card is dealt face down and you gotta play the best five out of the seven.
This is the shuffle that Worm used, And this is exactly what he did. He did a bookmark.
and then he shuffled Also the way Worm held a deck. A mechanic is another name for a person who cheats
And this guy could fix games. I can do so many cheating moves. When I squared a deck up, I could look right at it.
As I'm squaring the deck up in my hand like this, but it's all hidden right here. My thumb comes to the other corner and pushes it forward.
I could peak the top car by bringing it up on my heel. And in many of the old books, they say, if you ever see anyone hold a deck like this stay away.
this is how dealers are taught the whole deck. So just because someone does hold a deck like this - I like what I have, bet is 20.
- [Sal] People might not realize Well cheating isn't about the moves, it's about judgment. And that's why he folded that, that hand.
and that's why he got out. - Hold on there a fucking second. - What is a hanger?
But when I come out, that might happen. You can see the second card is coming out, I left that second card hanging out.
- What, what are you saying? - Bottom dealing means that ace So if I was dealing, when I get to myself,
I'll take it from the bottom. is getting the cards you want on the bottom. if you watch the shuffle, I've peeked down right there.
So I want to keep this ace on the bottom for the deal. the officer was always looking down at his hand. that woke him up or alerted him.
This next scene is from the Sting. - Come on, Doyle, we'll be in the station in another hour, I'll cut it in on Clayton's deal.
that you're gonna cool someone out, which is two really good hands. they're gonna go all in.
same back design, same brand. So when he comes out, and then the blue deck gets switched in
So there's four people in the game. Paul Newman's gonna get a great hand. - Four nines
- [Sal] The switch that he used right there. here with my four threes right here. So if I was gonna play this hand right here.
Lonnegan and his partner just knew But when Paul Newman turned over the four jacks, This next scene is from "Austin Powers."
- 17 - You have 17, sir.
- I like to live dangerously. 21 with either a red lens on for luminous readers
But normally it's just done with series of dots. is a deck of cards that they call a juice deck. that if your eye is not trained to see this,
If you look at this card right here on the table, there was one part of the card right here There's a little dot dead center.
Here there are two dots right here, diagonal. that's how you know what the card is First, the deck is made very, very, very, very strong,
And then after a while it's made lighter We're pretty soon you're the only one that could read it. - King for you sir and three for you.
is the way they were dealing. When they showed Austin Powers hand, And then the dealer dealt him a second card.
from the start. - I also like to live dangerously. - As you wish, sir,
- [Sal] This next clip is from "Casino." and signaling his buddy at this table.
These are the ace bandages, And this is the whole device right here. the thighs, the most sensitive part of the body,
This goes on your toe This device right here is made for signaling. from point a to point B, this could be used.
where this thing is vibrating, you'll feel it. If it's Poker, I can tell you what hand I have. I can tell you the whole card,
In my opinion, it was it's so real world. This next scene is from "Oceans 13."
- I've never seen surveillance rooms that were that secure. - Again, sir, it's in lock down. I'm telling you right now that's not happening.
You'll always be able to get out of a surveillance room. - Snake eyes, all of it.
- [Sal] The dice acted very, very suspiciously. So these will always get ones. now you're gonna get sixes on those dice.
When he hit the lighter or hit the switch. That's the hardest part about using magnetic dice You'd hit that magnet the wrong time,
he was gonna see a die flip over when it shouldn't. remember, the casino does not have to cash out those chips. the casinos can refuse to cash those chips out
This next clip is from "The Cooler". Oh my God, I can feel a kick. They usually in the hand before then,
just to show you how dice can be introduced into a game. for these red dice. They switched the blue.
See how dice switch works like this And when you reach down and pick them up, these dice drop from the palm at the same time,
One of the first things that boxmen is taught always look for a clean hand. the way dice is spotted
So if I have a six on top, When miss-spotted dice are really used, here's what they look like.
These dice only have the numbers four or five, six on them. These dice right here are the most preferred method They're percentage dice.
With magnetic dice, they can act differently. Loaded dice. And the only reason why they work is because the human eye
If I put this die in that table right now, that the person sitting across from me We're all looking at four, five, sixes.
- Let's get it, let's get it - So the cheaters will make their money and keep playing till they lose.
and that's the end of the scam. this is gonna cost you a hundred grand. - The stick person never passes the dice out
So that's something you'll never see. - Fade the action means, I wanna book the bet. Whoever, whoever wants to bet I'll take it.
they have the right to say no roll. - No, roll Watch how that looks.
So watch this six gets slid But when you see this on a full 12 foot craps table, it never tumbles, is being spun.
that both dice are being thrown legitimately. that has like little triangle shapes And also the wall has a lip, a 45 degree angle.
they're gonna tumble to ensure a player cannot slide the dice. - [Sal] If you look at the dice on this clip,
the two and the five have to be on opposite sides on a legitimate pair of dice. - I don't think it's an accident that Bob keeps winning.
how Gwen circles the table with appetizers and then he lays down a big fat bet and wins. is probably the number one scam
When two people get involved with collusion you can do it right in front of everyone. I wanna bring in my wife D.
With this hand I call. - Straight She is, ace, two, three, four, five.
I just called, When it gets to me. now when it gets to her,
And now she'll fold She knew I had a straight on the back of the cards
Okay, this is a fine hand. - Two pair I want to tell her what I'm holding.
- Eights and deuces. I said the word fine, fine means eights and deuces. This next clip is from "Now You See Me 2."
[speaking a foreign language]
I'll give you one example, So I have a card in my hand. as I come out like this,
So I'm nonchalantly wanna show you both hands But as far as flipping his card behind my back This next scene is from "Shade".
we need a third to take down some of the big pots. You can't always have the same person winning the money. - If they say it's a soft game,
- So what'd you want me to do? - That means just playing honestly, - That's, what's known as base or bottom dealing,
But you know, don't worry. setting the cards up as you shuffle them. And I want to set these cards up as I shuffle.
So now, if I deal these cards out, So you got me beat. where they put a little bump in the card, like a pinhole.
So all the queens and kings might have like and then when you deal, as soon as you feel that braille, then you deal seconds.
multiple shift to control the ace's So here go the four ace's. You could do a push through move
And then from here, where this deck looks like they're being mixed,
they're gonna be there for me. This next scene is from "21".
over being a solo counter And then when the count gets rich, because you calling people in, in the middle of a shoe.
No, he came in the middle of a shoe. Well, guess what his teammate was. that was the calling signal.
- Changing 10,000. to transfer the count. She's holding the count with plus 16.
for the viewers, the running count and the true count. of high cards versus low cards
The true count tells you in each single deck that remained, You take the running count,
And you divide that by the number of decks remaining. If there's one deck played already, Five goes into 16, three times.
Everything in card counting works off the true count. - Can I split that?
- Jack counts plus 15, was the correct basic strategy, a 16 is the worst hand you can have.
When you have a high count, For example, insurance, which means, do you want a bet if I have a Blackjack?
there are a lot more non tens than tens But when the deck becomes advantageous then you do take insurance.
the first is gonna tip me off as the money. So if I'm watching the money but guess what? He came in mid shoe
somebody on his tables with that person. and you wanna be guaranteed and you'll come home with a small one.
And thank you Vanity Fair.