Infamous blackjack cheats
From fruit machines to poker, everyone enjoys playing casino games. But while you may enjoy a night of gaming just for fun, there are some that are determined to win big and win many times over.
While being a skilled poker player or slot machine enthusiast may be a way of making a living for some people, games of chance (such as blackjack or roulette) can often be too risky to consistently earn money from. This is where cheating comes in. Although there are professional gamblers out there who stick by the rules, there are also professional cheats and conmen, employing a range of techniques and strategies to ensure that they get what they want.
One of the most prolific games for this is blackjack, which often attracts cheating teams who work together to ensure a big win. Here we take a look at some of the most infamous blackjack cheats in history, as well as how they worked together to get what they wanted.
Joe Classon
One of the most famous cheats of all time, Joe Classon not only conned casinos out of thousands of dollars, he also ran one of the most successful cheating groups in the business. Starting with his brother in the 1950s, the pair employed the past-posting technique to get money out of the dealer. By the 1970s, Joe had formed a team with several other prolific cheaters.
Joe’s wife also got in on the act, dancing in casinos to distract dealers, while stealing chips from tables as she went. In a glamorous twist she eventually met and married a Hollywood producer. Joe left cheating behind in the 1990s, choosing to cut his losses and enjoy his ill-gotten gains while he could.
Sherri Skoons
Sherri Skoons has achieved notoriety in the blackjack world for not only being one of the few women cheats, but by using her charming nature to bamboozle the dealers and win more cash. Sherri began as the girlfriend of a blackjack cheat, but soon joined the ring he was a part of and began to win big on her own. Sherri employed a ‘ditzy blonde’ persona to fool the dealer into thinking she was harmless, all the while coolly and calmly taking thousands of dollars. She also flirted with other players to distract them, moving all over the US to avoid detection. However, like Joe she has since left the world of blackjack cheating behind, and is reportedly now studying forensic psychology in America.
Dustin Marks
Dustin Marks is famous in the blackjack world for being an ‘insider cheat’; that is, he was a dealer that worked to cheat players and his bosses out of money, ensuring plenty of cash for himself. He employed a number of techniques, including subtly glancing at the card as he dealt it and false shuffling. He employed partners to pose as players, using his skills to ensure that they won and then dividing the winnings between them; he also insisted on his partner betting no more than $100 at a time, to avoid arousing suspicion. Dustin is infamous among casino cheats due to the fact that he never got caught, and has since written a book about his experience.
The murky world of casino cheating is an interesting and complex one, and while you would never contemplate doing something similar it can often be fascinating to read the stories of high daring and sophisticated techniques.
The game itself is also a gripping one, and whether playing blackjack online or in a casino you’re sure to have an exciting evening with friends or alone. Just keep an ear out for any of the names mentioned above: you don’t want to be on the receiving end of one of their cons!
