In our organization, marked cards are no problem. Tagged cards

Hello again!

Sergey Kulikov, aka Sailor, is in touch with you again!

A huge number of people, particularly fans of card mechanics, ask me how to discreetly mark playing cards. In our article today I will give you the answer to this very interesting question.

Unfair advantage

This topic is extremely interesting and extensive. Any performer of tricks sooner or later began to think about how to learn to recognize any card simply by looking at its back. There are simply a colossal number of ways to do this. Even I myself, when I was still in my teens, would come up with ways to quickly mark cards on the fly when playing with friends.

Recently, various manufacturers of playing cards have begun to produce decks with a ready-made marking system, which at first glance is almost impossible to detect. Therefore, for such cards there are special instructions explaining the marking system. An example of such a deck is from Daniel Madison.

Typically, such cards use backs with a rather complex swirled or pockmarked design. However, there are quite interesting exceptions when the back of the deck has a minimalist design, but the specks are still present. We can find this in NOC decks released by Alex Pandrea.

But due to the fact that most cards have a rather complex back, the owner of the deck can easily develop his own marking system and mark the deck manually. For example, on the Internet you can easily find a labeling system for the most popular deck - Bicycle Standard. The system there is elementary, but it will be absolutely invisible to the average “uninformed” person.

But today's article will not be devoted to the full marking of each card. Here we will look at the basic principles when we need to mark an already selected card so that we can easily find it in the deck and bring it to the position we need.

So let's get to practice!

Method one!

Mix the deck thoroughly and select two black Aces from it. We put it back into the deck and mix the deck very thoroughly in a variety of ways. In our case, we shuffle the cards mainly using overhand shuffle and riffle shuffle. After that, we ask someone to even remove the deck.

Now we deal cards to five players, like in poker. And it turns out that we gave ourselves these very black Aces.

And how is this done? In this case, in addition to the most complex techniques, the outrageously simple method of instantly scratching the deck is used... With a fingernail!

Yes! All we have to do is slightly bend the edge of the long side of the card with our fingernail! Now it will be perfectly visible to you when it is in your hands. All that remains is to place it in the place we need. The main thing is not to do this arrogantly and look at the deck all the time.

Method two!

We do absolutely everything the same as in the first method: shuffle the deck, choose two Aces (red this time), put them back in the deck, shuffle the deck, distribute it among five and... We already have the Aces!

This method can be perfectly used in magic tricks! I myself often show a couple of tricks that use this technique. All we need to do is bend the cards we need! From the center to the corners of the map. This way, these cards, when in the deck, will stand out. A kind of natural rift will form, thanks to which we can easily bring the cards to where it is convenient for us.

Method three!

This technique is something unimaginable! He's simply brilliant! It's called Double Duke and it was invented by Darwin Ortiz.

We don't choose any cards at all at the beginning. We simply shuffle the deck in different ways.

And let's start playing poker! We deal cards to five players. We select any player and designate him as a victim. When dealt, he will get two Kings. We have two Aces. The flop will hit two more Kings! This will provoke the “sucker” to place maximum bets. However, there will be two more Aces on the turn and river. This way we will win!

This technique is absolutely brilliant in that you will provoke the player to make the maximum bet, but he will lose!

ATTENTION: I advise you to study my course on cheating Unfair Advantage

Demonstration and training

That's all I have for today! I hope you now know how to discreetly mark playing cards!

Sergey Kulikov, aka Sailor, was in touch with you!

It would seem that such a term as marked cards is known to every person, and the age of the prototypes has long exceeded five centuries. However, there are still clients for swindlers and they continue to enrich skilled cheaters. It would seem that the 21st century is in the yard, all the methods of fraud have been studied a long time ago, a well-trained security service, and, after all, an excellent technical base. But no. The hearts of young swindlers still often skip a beat from reports of a successful operation by a group or a single hunter of excitement and dishonest money. The variety of methods for marking cards is great...

It would seem that such a term as marked cards is known to every person, and the age of the prototypes has long exceeded five centuries. However, there are still clients for swindlers and they continue to enrich skilled cheaters. It would seem that the 21st century is in the yard, all the methods of fraud have been studied a long time ago, a well-trained security service, and, after all, an excellent technical base. But no. The hearts of young swindlers still often skip a beat from reports of a successful operation by a group or a single hunter of excitement and dishonest money. There is a wide variety of methods for marking cards.

Physical impact on cards

As a rule, not very successful or novice players use a rather noticeable method of marking cards with a fingernail during distribution, bending the corners. This method will bring profits only among inattentive players in a fairly modest casino. For example, the dealer is not particularly involved in the game, and the hero's opponents are inexperienced or absent-minded enough to pay attention to slightly damaged cards.

A more effective way is to prick the card. But for this the player needs an additional item. As a rule, a ring or ring is used, in which a small needle is hidden. The peculiarity of the mechanism is to quickly and imperceptibly hide the needle back into the ring. This method involves tactile identification of strong cards and requires a lot of practice so that the puncture goes unnoticed by other players. Unfortunately, it is difficult to deceive truly experienced opponents with this technique.

Artists and arts

Obviously, during the mafia and gang wars, the following method of fraud arose. According to the source, to effectively apply the method, you must either live as far as possible from the location of the game, or be the winner of a speed marathon, or simply have a permit to carry firearms. Such a poisonously characterized style is nothing more than arrogance, multiplied by the luck of the player. To work with it, each card is simply and clearly marked with a regular paint brush with geometric shapes or other designs.

More subtle and painstaking work is already working on a completely different level. The player preliminarily marks strong and weak cards and their suit by drawing a pattern on the back of the deck. Inconspicuous signs for the public or the dealer tell the player who has which card and whether it is possible to continue playing without risk to finances.

It is believed that an experienced card sharper can read the symbols of his deck or one made in a similar style in a few seconds. This ancient method still remains the most popular for cheaters of all stripes. Sometimes really clever and venerable players managed to replace a clean deck with their own, marked one.

Modern technologies at the service of scammers

Modern players, keeping up with the times and the trend of increased surveillance, use cards marked with special ink, visible only in infrared or ultraviolet radiation, and even then with the help of additional devices. The convenience of such marking is that the player does not have to prepare the cards in advance. To make a mark, you can simply carry ink with you and apply it with a special pad during distribution.

Unverified sources report that using this method, the profit received by the scammers amounted to more than $10 million. And this is in just over two years. The only disadvantage of this method is the evaporation of the chemical composition from the cards in just a month. However, a little earlier it was possible to get a puncture while wearing tinted glasses in a casino, but with the advent of UV and IR contact lenses, this problem eliminated itself. There are very few cases of exposure of this method.

No less known, but not so popular, is the method of barcoding a deck. Specially marked cards are easily identified using a small scanning machine or camera. The difficulties of the method include the fact that it can be extremely difficult to use this method without attracting unnecessary attention.

As a rule, cheating equipment is easy to buy in souvenir and entertainment stores in almost any city in the world. Prices for paraphernalia are quite affordable and will allow a beginner or an experienced swindler to increase their income.

How to protect yourself from scammers?

For ordinary players, the best option to avoid a big loss is not to sit at a table with unfamiliar players in an untested establishment. Or train the skills of extreme attentiveness, caution and suspicion. The advice is also relevant for casino staff. But the security service will still have to join the video surveillance monitors and control everything that happens in the game as much as possible.

Having caught a player winning dishonestly, it would be better to meticulously find out about the method of fraud in order to prevent a reoccurrence.

The WSOP 2017 series was not without a scandal when Douglas Polk discovered marked cards in the most expensive tournament with a buy-in of $111,111. The organizers of the VSOP hushed up the scandal by replacing the deck and stating that the incident was caused by incorrect calibration of the shuffle machine. Later, cards with non-standard markings on the back were seen in other tournaments in the series. Apparently, casino employees considered the differences almost invisible and decided that players were unlikely to be able to study them enough to gain an advantage over their opponents.

This is not the first time marked cards have appeared at WSOP tables. We decided to figure out what the true reasons for the presence of marked cards in the world poker series could be, and we identified 6 main ones.

Fraud (malicious intent)

It seems that, according to players, the most common version of the appearance of marked cards at the tables is fraud. Many people believe that the casino wants to beat them, and some opponents somehow gain an unfair advantage over them. This fits well into the realm of cheating gambling, as it is often portrayed to us in movies and social media videos.

This is quite possible in home games or not the most prestigious gambling establishments, but definitely not at the world series of poker. You need to understand that to cheat with marked cards, the player-sharp and the dealer must collude, since the game is played with casino cards. But this is difficult to do under the supervision of tournament directors and other establishment employees, especially since the cards change regularly (as do the dealers at the tables). In addition, in tournaments of such a well-known series as the WSOP, not only the casinos, but also the players themselves are vigilant.

There is, of course, another possible plot in which the cards could be marked, the most delusional of the possible ones - the WSOP conspiracy theory. Purely hypothetically, we can assume that in the series all the decks have subtle marks that only “selected” players and/or dealers know about, and with their help the series organizers can regulate the course of events. But it would be difficult to hide this from the tens of thousands of players who come to the series. And in general, the likelihood of such global poker fraud is extremely low. Therefore, let's move on to other, more likely reasons for the appearance of marked cards at gaming tables.

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Manufacturing defects

WSOP playing cards are produced by Bicycle with a signature series design. EPT once ordered printing from COPAG, and WPT uses Bee cards. All three brands are prestige brands.

But, no matter how the top manufacturers of card decks convince everyone that they have a very low percentage of defects, they still exist. An indicative example of this is the situation at the WSOP 2011: in the $1,000 NLHE tournament, when the poker players sat down at the final TV table, one of the players, in the spotlight, noticed an incomprehensible mark on the back of one of the cards (4♠), which was immediately reported to the organizers. They reviewed the deck and it turned out that the identical marks were on the cards of spades from 2 to 5. The deck was replaced, but the cards from the new box turned out to have exactly the same marks. A similar defect was detected on all cards in the batch. Play at the final table had to be paused while searching for a solution to the problem. As a result, the WSOP organizers moved the finalists to another table, since the difference in the cards was only noticeable in the bright lighting.

It becomes clear that most likely there was a manufacturing defect, but, unfortunately, there is no information about further WSOP proceedings with the deck manufacturer. Such issues are often resolved peacefully by replacing the defective batch, but only if no one was hurt or went to court.

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Shuffle machine problems

A shuffle machine, or Card Shuffler, is a special device for automatically shuffling cards. They are designed to simplify the work of dealers, but in reality sometimes it happens that they only add hassle. So, for example, this year at One Drope with a buy-in of $111,111, a problem with the shuffle machine, namely, incorrect calibration of the device, caused “non-standard marks” on the cards. In 2015, there was a more interesting scandal, though not at the WSOP, but at the Super High Roller Cash Game - there two queens of clubs were put on the board. As it turned out later, one of the cards remained in the shuffle machine from the previous deck, which means that the casino ended up with two damaged decks at once. Let's remember this epic moment at the poker table and take another look at the reaction of the high rollers:

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Improper storage

In a casino, cards, as one of the main inventories, are stored according to all the rules, but there are cases when the deck can be unintentionally damaged without even being unpacked. This happens extremely rarely, and, as a rule, is noticed by casino employees before using cards at the gaming tables.

Deck wear

Casinos closely monitor the wear and tear of playing decks and replace them as soon as the cards begin to differ minimally from each other. Or at least one of the cards gets damaged. The home option “take from another deck” will not work here.

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The problem with worn out cards is always easy to fix - just replace them with new ones. Casinos regularly purchase decks in batches from manufacturers. In some cases, they make special orders with branded shirts, as happens every year at the WSOP.

During the game

We are all living people and during the game it may happen that the cards are damaged (either on purpose or by accident). The player can scratch one of them, put a stain on it, get dirty or tear it. As soon as someone at the table notices a card that is different from the others, the deck is immediately changed.

An example of deck damage during play was seen in 2010 at the $50,000 VSOP Poker Players Championship tournament. During the hand, one of the poker players called the tournament manager and pointed out to him that one of the cards had a corner torn off. The dealer completed the hand, and then the card was replaced. The “marked” one was the ace of spades. It was never possible to find out who tore the corner of the card. But it is doubtful that any of the players in the $50,000 tournament thought of intending to mark the card in such a makeshift way.

Despite the fact that in the vast majority of cases, non-standard marks on cards appear randomly, this does not mean that during the game some savvy poker player will not be able to notice them and take advantage of the knowledge gained. So, whatever one may say, such cards have no place in the game. Not only poker players are not interested in this, but also the organizers.

It is worth understanding that it is unprofitable and risky for casinos to use marked cards, since players can easily notice this and “rob” the establishment, and in addition, rumors about such an incident can significantly damage their reputation.

Here it is appropriate to mention the story of Phil Ivey’s fraud, who simply noticed a defect in the deck and, instead of informing the dealer about it, continued the game and won seven-figure sums (twice, in different casinos). The court was not on the side of the poker player, although he is still trying to prove that the fault lies solely with the casino, which “missed” the marriage. Well, or, at the deck manufacturer.

Be carefull! You should not ignore the problem of marked cards, as you will not get full enjoyment from the game with a damaged deck. Moreover, you can lose significant amounts of money just because of a small spot on the back of one card. Check your cards before every game. Revealing a new deck in front of all players and asking others to do the same will reassure everyone that the deck has not yet been used or marked.

Depending on the professionalism and dexterity of the swindler, playing cards can be marked in such a way that this will only be noticeable upon careful examination of the cards (by light or touch). Cards used during play may be marked before the start of a tournament, at home or in a poker club, or during play, regardless of the setting.

Thus, a mark on playing cards can be made in one of the following ways:

Mechanical defects You can mark playing cards without using additional devices simply with your fingernail. For example, create a small chip on the edge of a card, make a shallow groove, or erase the design of a shirt. Typically, such defects are created involuntarily and gradually accumulate over time when using the deck. Plastic-coated playing cards are most susceptible to mechanical marking. Easy to apply during the game, easy to read by other players.

Design Features Attentive players pay attention to the graphic features of the card backs. If the back of playing cards is made without borders (from diamonds that intertwine with each other), then there is a possibility that the design will be shifted to the side on different cards. Some unscrupulous and unknown manufacturers produce cards with different designs. At first glance, such cards do not differ from each other, although they were taken from the same deck, but upon closer examination, the difference is obvious.

Design modification More advanced scammers use complex patterns on the backs of playing cards, adding small elements to the pattern. Such a speck is unlikely to be noticed by other players during the tournament, and can only be detected upon careful examination. There is no best way to mark playing cards. You can detect differences in design by quickly flipping through the deck (cartoon effect). Requires preparation before the game.

Regular paint Marking cards with a felt-tip pen, pencil or pen is a very simple method. Usually a small dot or thin stroke is made in a certain place on the back of the card. Difficult to use during the game, not counting cases when the cards get dirty from spilled drinks or simply from dirty hands. Such cards should be replaced immediately.

Special paint This method involves the presence of special ink, in the form of a small pad, and special glasses. At a convenient time, the fraudster will discreetly mark the card he needs with ink. Special ink will be invisible to the naked eye, but clearly visible through special glasses. Easy application of markings during the game.

Pinned cards

For this type of speck, you will need a special tool or just a needle. For a greater effect (less noticeable specks), a recess is made in the place of the drawing, or better yet, on the line. It is easily detected, both by the dealer when shuffling the deck, and by other players, and is justified by the imperfection of the material of the playing cards. Rest assured, you will not find such cards from any professional manufacturer. It's not easy to get a puncture while playing.

The use of several methods on one map at the same time is extremely rare, as it increases the likelihood of detecting speck. On the other hand (also rare), one deck may contain cards with different markings. For example, aces are pierced, and twos are marked with a barely noticeable scratch. Most likely, only one card will be marked, and the sharper will definitely wait until it hits the table.

When playing in gambling establishments, pay attention to the playing cards used at your poker table. Perhaps the club is simply saving on new cards, and the marks were formed naturally (or with the help of players or dealers); regular players have already made certain conclusions for themselves and are using this to achieve more significant results. Don't be shy; it's good practice to ask for a replacement deck if you think the cards are marked.

Currently, marked cards are available to anyone who wants to achieve results through dishonest means. On sale you can find both a ready-made deck and special equipment for processing cards (hole punch, ink). Most often, sold decks or individual cards (high cards) are made from cards of well-known brands, etc., all that remains is to replace the desired card. If , then the mark will be made during the game. Less commonly sold are cards from unknown brands, or simply cards for magicians.

What are marked cards? First of all, we should dwell on the concept of specks. This word is of German origin. According to Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary, “specks” are small spots, splashes, ripples on any object. Another designation for this concept, according to the same dictionary, is the coloring of the back of a card, “back,” or book. Often, according to the compiler, such a term was used in the activities of cheaters (dishonest players) to designate marked decks. Marked cards are cards that have undergone some changes in appearance or tactile appearance. That is, the scammer has made some (or all) of the cards easily recognizable.

Country of origin of cards

Let's turn to the history of playing cards. You can learn about the first maps by studying the culture of early China. Records from the 9th century AD tell of a leaf game. The game was played using 38 cards, each of which had its own meaning and position. Scientists argue that in those days cards were not only intended as gambling tools, but were also used as gaming currency. Depending on the designation, a single piece of paper could symbolize either the smallest coin or the price of a small province. Of course, the game did not reach the poor.

Subsequently, during the Mongol conquests of the early 13th century, the game spread to India and Persia. According to the theory, Mongol warriors adopted the principle of the game from the conquered Chinese in the early thirteenth century and introduced innovations into the culture of the Iranians and Indians. Depending on the characteristics of the worldview, card games have acquired different forms and quantities. For example, in India the cards became round, and in Persia the deck included only eight cards. It was from the latter state that, according to numerous statements, the cards migrated to Egypt.

It was there, approximately in the middle of the 13th century, that the first deck of 78 cards appeared. At that time, cards were primarily used for fortune telling. According to scientists, the cards were richly decorated tablets made of gold or ivory. There is a theory that 56 cards, called the “Minor Arcana,” subsequently became the classic deck of playing cards of that time, and the remaining “Major Arcana” are the founders of the legendary Tarot cards. However, no one except the occultists recognized this theory.

European integration

Later Asian games of chance were most often tied by their suit to the seasons, and by the number of cards to the number of weeks in the year. Accordingly, the deck had four suits and 52 cards. This is exactly the deck that came to early Europe along with the slaves and captives of the Italians. Italy became famous for its specific game of thirty-two cards and its method of production using engraving prints.

Card games arrived in Russia straight from Europe around the seventeenth century. The deck at that time already looked quite similar to the modern version and was a copy of the French one. It was the French who introduced the four suits familiar to us - spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts, based on the symbols of their monarchical component.

A modern deck has 52 cards ranging from Ace to Two of four suits and two additional cards - jokers, which can change the course of the game.

When did card scammers appear?

Most likely, marked card scams have been around since the advent of gambling. There are no exact indications of the appearance of sharpers, but it is known for certain that the Middle Ages in Europe already persecuted card fraud through beheading and other equally radical methods. In the Russian Empire in the 18th century, any card games other than solitaire were banned, which, however, did not prevent the development of magicians and the general recognition of card tricks.

Later, with the advent of indulgence in gambling, the number of scammers only increased. This situation is perfectly illuminated by the literature of that era. Cheaters were then equated with heroes, and trouble awaited him only from inflated partners. It was during that period that the main development of techniques for marked cards occurred.

Despite active and inexorable technological progress, players and magicians still use techniques that are centuries old. It is believed that the first player caught was the man who left greasy fingerprints on the then snow-white deck. According to legend, it was then that the “back” appeared - a design on the back of the card, the same for the entire deck. This gave a new round of tricks and tricks for professional scammers.

At the moment, several basic methods of marking cards are used:

• Physical (creases, punctures, other damage);
• Visual - painting, dots, etc.;
• Luminescent
• Optical.

Simple, like everything ingenious

If we dwell in more detail on each type, we will get a most interesting picture of the possibilities of human genius. The first option is, in general, classic. There are many methods, proprietary and designed for the general public, to achieve the desired result. Initially, players simply twisted a certain corner of the card to determine the suit or value, but this method was too noticeable and was often revealed by fooled opponents.

Later, the method of marking with nails was adopted. During the distribution of cards, the player noted strong cards and could determine by the notches where this or that card was located. This method is often used now, but its disadvantage is that it cannot be used in a larger number of games and is not sufficiently obvious to other players.

The evolution of the method led to other methods of physical influence. Over time, special rings with a small needle began to be used for marking, which allowed the fraudster to navigate the suits and meaning of the hand by touch. One of the most famous and mysterious magicians, Charlier, in the 19th century invented an ingenious, as simple as anything, method of making marking invisible. This original came up with the idea of ​​dividing cards into two layers, piercing the back part of the card, leaving the front intact.

The magician used two marks on each card, one of which determined the suit and the other the value. After the manipulations, the cards were re-glued and used for tricks or games. This method of marking a deck is still considered too labor-intensive and not always convenient for use in modern conditions. There were no less original ways to influence tactile sensations. For example, some professional players scratch the coating off the card in certain areas and then rub it until it shines with a soft rag.

This technique can only be noticed by touch if you know well what to look for. There is also a method to identify strong cards using wax and soap. To do this, you need to keep the cards for a short time in a humid environment, and then rub the cards of the strong suit with soap, and the cards of the weak suit with paraffin. Thanks to the different ease of sliding, the player will easily determine the meaning of the cards. Certain craftsmen sometimes cut off the corners of high cards; this method allows the player to select only the necessary cards from the hand.

For trained eyes

Visual marking of maps is still the leading method. First of all, because of its simplicity and invisibility. In order to detect markings on a deck, considerable experience in recognizing markings or independent use of this method is required. There are many stores around the world where it is fashionable to buy cards marked by the manufacturer. But an experienced fraudster will never trust his finances and reputation to a mass producer.

Making a marked deck yourself will be more reliable, faster and of better quality. As a rule, two labels are required for designation - the value and suit of the card. An interesting nuance is that the suit of diamonds is not marked. The same applies to kings of any suit. That is, three cards from the deck have only one mark, and one does not have them at all. It is important for the player that the speck is invisible. Most often, the mark complements the pattern on the shirt, and for an untrained person, a small line or spot will be indistinguishable or unimportant (a factory defect or exploitation, he will think).

A skilled sharper will instantly find his way around the opponent's cards. Experienced craftsmen advise marking the upper left corner, which most often remains open in the “fan” position. Some magicians even label the side of the card with a meaning. Sometimes coloring of cards is done by applying fingerprints painted with printing or other ink.

Modern technologies protect fraudulent interests

The method of marking cards using luminescent ink is quite modern. Thus, in a certain spectrum, marks on the cards become visible. The convenience of the method lies in the fact that such markings are invisible to anyone except the player who has an optical device with lenses of the required spectrum. It is considered one of the most successful, since in order to detect dishonesty, you need to have similar glasses or lenses.

Among the latest achievements there are also many different devices that are easy to use, but difficult to detect. For example, a scanning device, most often disguised as a gadget. Such a device can make calls, send messages and, in principle, behave like a regular smartphone. But when you turn on a special mode or enter a certain password, it will perfectly show all the labels of the deck.

Thus, the prospects for the fraudster are extremely wide.

Modern technologies sometimes require the work of a sharper with a partner and a small technical base. A separate condition is binding to the place of action. For example, a hidden camera with expanded coverage of the lighting spectrum is mounted in a smoke extractor. The player puts on a headset and follows the instructions of the operator, who observes what is happening in the game and tracks the tagged cards.

There is also a more complex option, in which a reading element is mounted into the playing table. Accordingly, the scam must be prepared in advance. The deck must be equipped with microchips, and a partner during the game tells the player about the position and meaning of the cards. These methods are good because it is extremely difficult to detect fraud and are often used in fake gambling houses.

Defocused vision will give you new horizons

The optical illusion method is based on the structural features of the human eye. That is, lines are drawn on the back with dashes at first glance, which, when the vision is defocused, give an idea of ​​the denomination and suit of the cards. This deck is called a jus deck and is extremely difficult to prepare on your own. However, you can purchase it for a very reasonable price.

In addition to the above methods, there are many more ways of cheating. However, they are already copyrighted and are not available to a wide audience. Such techniques are kept strictly secret and are often passed down from generation to generation.

Mention of marked cards is often found in music and literature. Until now, a successful gambler or illusionist is almost an example to follow, and their fame excites fragile or greedy minds. Therefore, when encountering a description of a sharper in a work, one rarely encounters a condemning position of the author.

For magicians, the use of marked decks came somewhat later than for players. And, despite better motor skills developed by constant training, marked cards are still rarely used by professional magicians. At one time, an illusionist could be severely punished for finding marks on cards. But now the motivation is somewhat different.

An experienced master is afraid of being caught in a lie and being out of favor with the public and, accordingly, without income. However, people's loyalty is so high that more often than not they will happily accept such a trick just by asking to see the tags. The age of debunking myths gives the magician the choice to remain a mysterious magician or reveal his secrets for the amusement of the public.

What is typical is that the same people can come to the show repeatedly and joyfully greet the revelation of the same machinations. However, beginners and inexperienced magicians still successfully work with marked cards, gaining recognition and fame at least in certain circles.

However, it was magicians who proposed a great variety of methods of marking for cheaters. Legendary wizards brought a special charm and grace to the techniques of cheaters, which are available to every swindler today. Krapa methods are used both for enrichment and for personal self-improvement. However, many of the author’s ingenious techniques have long been lost irretrievably.

An easy way to get a personal and unreadable marked deck

To create tagged cards you will need a new deck. Next, a novice swindler (or wizard) must clearly understand which of his senses is more developed: touch or vision. If visual perception is dominant, a deck with subtle color markings will be created. To do this, it is necessary to apply the image on the back of the card with very thin lines and dashes so that the designation is understandable only to the owner. For some it is more convenient to draw an inconspicuous leaf, while for others it is more convenient to carefully circle several cells. It is better if the applied ink differs slightly from the color of the pattern. For example, a shade of color will do, or vice versa.

For the tactile type, it is best to carefully scrape off the plastic coating using the clock face method. The dial, as you know, has twelve divisions. If we take as an axiom the correspondence of the ace to the number 12, then its spot will be in the upper zone, 11 - the queen - a little lower and to the left, and the six is ​​parallel to the eleven on the right side. Depending on the position of the “clock” it is easy to determine the suit.

At one time, a scammer was caught using soft sandpaper. In order not to repeat the annoying mistake, it is best to use a current and sharp needle. Using a magnifying glass or lens, you can see how the smallest defects appear on the card. In order not to get caught due to the lack of gloss, you need to polish the hole with a soft suede cloth.

How can you tell if a deck of cards is marked?

First of all, in order not to fall for scammers, you need to be extremely vigilant. The player must carefully check the cards for mechanical damage and creases. It is advisable to examine all cards in the light, paying attention to the integrity of the plastic covering the card and the absence of wet deformations. Some decks may vary among the cards in terms of wear.

Particular attention should be paid if strong cards show too much aging (or newness) compared to weak denominations. Household stains, fingerprints visible from a certain angle, colored or dark stains on a shirt, as a rule, signal cheating on the part of another player. It must be remembered that sometimes even dissonance in the sound of a shuffled deck can mean danger.

The classic way to check for visual changes is to simply bend the deck so that all the cards click through. If there are marks on the back, the design of the back will “float”, that is, there will be minor changes in the pattern or color of the cards being checked. However, this method requires a trained eye and extreme concentration on the image.

Some experts recommend using only a new deck of cards before starting a game in unfamiliar company. Unpacked in front of witnesses, it should guarantee safety from fraud to players. However, a professional sharper is distinguished not only by his experience in marking, but also by his sleight of hand. Often such a deck will, after some time, contain several well-known cards or cards prepared by a scammer. Or, after a few moves, the main cards will be marked right during the game.

Reasonable advice would be to carefully monitor the hands of a suspicious player; most often it is the fingers that give away even an experienced swindler. Particularly noticeable will be the momentary physical impact of the sharper on the cards in order to steal the cards. It would also be useful to observe the eyes and facial expressions of the theoretical swindler. Even with spectral lenses, he needs to peer at the marks so as not to miss his card. The disadvantage of such a study is that a not particularly experienced player will fall for such a hook. After all, the noble profession of cheating itself requires caution and inconspicuous actions, gestures and inexpressive facial expressions. It is difficult to recognize an experienced swindler, but it is quite possible.

In order to be guaranteed not to be left in the “fool”, it is best to play in high-quality and protected gaming houses, and preferably also in familiar company. Only in this way can you guarantee the safety of yourself and your finances from attacks by scammers.

When you come to the casino, you need to make sure that the security service is strong, that there is video surveillance, and that the croupier is attentive. This will help protect the player at least a little from scammers. By using a deck with a unique back, you can also hedge your bets a little.

The long history of marked cards allows us to think about human nature. Greed and ingenuity, simplicity and genius.

Cards have accompanied humanity long enough to become faithful assistants and entertainment for any social stratum.

It is difficult to meet a person who has never encountered card scammers or magicians. Scammers give humanity a painful but necessary experience. Wizards allow you to believe in a fairy tale at least for a little while. Each of them is equally important and useful for humanity as a whole. And for humans in particular, no one has canceled the safety rules when communicating with unfamiliar players.