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Casino Scams
Casino Scams
Casino Scams
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Casino Scams

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Many gamblers are always looking for some method to shift the odds in their favor and those scams could fill several books. Some Blackjack players try to accomplish it by card counting or team playing by palming cards and swapping them under the table. Some crap players have been known to substitute loaded dice into the game.
Casinos shift the odds in their favor by structuring the rules of games so that "house" has a slight edge. They can, for example, set slot machines so that the payout is only 90% of the money inserted. They don't care who wins, they just want a lot of play. This percentage in their favor is what they call "vigorish."
Poker tournaments are some of the few games of chance that players do not play against the house. In those tournaments, the players pay an entry fee and play against each other. Those entry fees become the prize for winning and the sponsor or casino charges a fixed fee to provide all of the ingredients needed, such as tables, chips, and dealers.
This story uses the author's own experiences in poker tournaments to illustrate some of the things that can happen during the contest. Several fictitious tournament scams that challenge the intelligence of the authorities are intertwined with an ongoing fictitious corporate scam where various people are skimming money from slot machine owners
Not surprising, the mob figures into much of the action in this fast moving account that lasts a little over two weeks. The devious nature of these scams exposes the mindset of shady characters and produces some unexpected outcomes and some surprising results.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 7, 2011
ISBN9781465988720
Casino Scams
Author

Michael Don Fess

Michael Don Fess, an author since the early 1990s, has over twenty published books to his credit. His favorite genre is mystery novels, but has published some non-fiction books. He is a informative speaker at civic clubs and is an accomplished artist.His popular Caribbean Mystery series consist of four books and the historical fiction series about the wild Louisiana politics in 1964 is a three book series. The latest series about "The Secret DNA Code" has a sequel, "The DNA Conspiracy."

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    Book preview

    Casino Scams - Michael Don Fess

    Introduction

    Many gamblers are always looking for some method to shift the odds in their favor and the scams they create could fill several books. Some Blackjack players try to accomplish it by card counting or team playing by palming cards and swapping them under the table. Some crap players have been known to substitute loaded dice into the game.

    Casinos shift the odds in their favor by structuring the rules of games so that house has a slight edge. They can, for example, set slot machines so that the payout is only 90% of the money inserted. They don't care who wins, they just want a lot of play. This percentage in favor of the house is what they call vigorish.

    Poker tournaments are games of chance which players do not play against the house. The players pay an entry fee and play against each other. The total entry fees become the prize for winning and the sponsor or casino charges a percentage or a fixed fee to provide all of the ingredients needed, such as tables, chips, and dealers.

    This story uses the author's own experiences in poker tournaments to illustrate some of the things that can happen during the contest. Several fictitious tournament scams that challenge the intelligence of the authorities are intertwined with an ongoing fictitious corporate scam where various people are skimming money from slot machine owners.

    Not surprising, the mob figures into much of the action in this fast moving account that lasts a little over two weeks. The devious nature of these scams exposes the mindset of shady characters and produces some unexpected outcomes and some surprising results.

    Please enjoy the book

    Casino Scams

    Chapter One

    Las Vegas, December 14th, 2007

    Tony Tiny Valento gazed across his desk and shook his chubby finger at the three men sitting in front of him. They were the best poker players in his organization and he had a mission for them.

    You guys have gotta go to work, he said, Those big poker tournaments have been going on for years and I hear about millions of dollars changin’ hands. I'm sitting here in Vegas, seein’ all that and not gettin' any of the juice.

    I've decided to send six of our best dealers to Tunica to work those tournaments in January and one of you three guys are gonna get to the final table in most of the events.

    That's a pretty tall order, boss, said one of the men, with a concerned look on his face.

    Not really . . . these guys can shuffle and stack the deck with their eyes closed. They can set you up with a winning hand every third or fourth deal and nobody would be the wiser.

    I got in the money last year at Lake Tahoe. With some help with the right cards, I should be able to win the whole thing.

    I know, Tiny said, all three of you are pretty good with the cards. So, here's how it works. I pave the way for you with my dealers giving you the right cards and you get ten percent of what you win.

    Only ten percent, protested one of the men.

    Duh . . . how much is ten percent of a million dollars? Tiny asked as he glared at him.

    The guy swallowed and said, A hundred grand.

    You think you're worth more than that for two weeks work?

    He swallowed again and shook his head.

    Then get your ass out of here and go practice. My dealers will tell me if you screw up. I can guarantee you won't like it if that happens.

    Chicago

    Julian Skowten rubbed his hands together as he joined three other men at the corner table in Binski's, a neighborhood bistro on Chicago's south side.

    Man, its cold out there, he said. The windy city is living up to its name.

    Yeah, dis is da coldest December I can remember, said Larry the mouth Skelley. What chou got up your sleeve to get us out on a day like dis?

    Julian's pock-marked face spread into a big grin as he snuffed out his cigarette.

    Well guys . . . you're gonna love this. I have figured out a way to beat the big cash prize poker tournaments.

    You gotta be kidding, said Martin Bower, setting his coffee cup down. That's next to impossible.

    Okay, okay . . . no plan is foolproof, but I can stack the odds heavily in our favor.

    He paused his discussion as the waitress stopped by the table and took their orders.

    That idea of pocketing chips and swapping them during the breaks worked pretty well until those guys got caught, said Martin. Enforcement of that new penalty made it tough on pocketing chips.

    Yeah, said one of the guys. I got kicked out of a minor tournament when one of the dealers saw me take chips off the table.

    Okay, okay . . . so they caught onto that scam but this one is nearly bullet proof. We're gonna need at least twelve guys to make it work, said Julian. Eight more besides us four . . . and they have to be good players.

    What do you have in mind? asked Martin.

    I'll explain the details when we get the group together for a light run-through. We need to think about who we can recruit to go to Tunica next month.

    Man . . . you're full of ideas, said Larry. I got two buddies who awready plannin’ to go. When you gonna have dat meetin’?

    Let's plan to meet in the back room at the Leisure Palace over on 42nd street. I'll set it up with Jodie and we can meet at two o'clock next Wednesday.

    What do you think our take could be? asked Martin.

    We could split over two million dollars thirteen ways, said Julian. Not bad for a couple of weeks work.

    I thought you said twelve guys?

    Yeah . . . that's in addition to our inside man.

    All three looked at Julian wide-eyed.

    North Little Rock

    My last trip to Tunica Mississippi was eleven months ago in January, said Matt Dublin. I go over every year for the World Series of Poker Tournament. I enjoy the competition and I'm going back next month.

    How far is it from here? asked his friend, Joe Shaw.

    I can leave North Little Rock and be there in two and a half hours even with the heavy truck traffic on I-40.

    How can you stay sharp if you only play once a year?

    Well . . . my little secret is some software I have been using for over fifteen years. It's a well designed computer game that allows you to play Texas Hold'em and it's just like being there.

    Joe's face showed disbelief.

    I kid you not . . . you can bluff and it will bluff you and I guarantee . . . if you only played the sure hands, you will lose.

    The computer game is really that smart?

    It's not only that smart . . . it trained me to know how and when to bluff. Last year, I bluffed a man into folding three jacks . . . it even surprised me.

    So it's a game of bluff?

    No . . . if you go to that well too often, you get drowned. You have to have some luck and catch some cards, too.

    Joe shook his head. It sounds awfully complicated to me.

    It is a combination of luck, skill, and endurance. You have to walk a fine line."

    "Just like Johnny Cash sang . . . You gotta walk the line," Joe said with a chuckle.

    Stamina plays a big role in the game, Matt continued. The major tournaments all start at noon and I've see these young guys come to the table after having been up all night playing cash games.

    You see a lot of young guys?

    Are you kidding? I call them plungers . . . they are very aggressive and they'll go all in at the drop of a hat. Most of them are college drop-outs and you won't see them around when it gets down to the final thirty or forty.

    Well . . . you won't see me around at all, said Joe. I'm not one to take such risks.

    I guess you don't play the ponies either?

    Oh, I go over to Hot Springs once or twice a year with a group from the office. We have a party at Oaklawn when we go . . . my two dollar bets don't seem to affect the odds.

    You probably bet every race. Don't you know you're guaranteed not to win?

    So . . . why go?

    There is an old expression, my friend. You can beat a race but you can't beat the races. If you go to party, two dollar bets are pretty cheap entertainment. If you go to win money, you should only bet the races where you can pick a winner.

    I suppose you win a lot when you go?

    Usually I do . . . of course, I can't be right all the time. I just have to be right just often enough to make a profit.

    Joe walked away shaking his head. I hope the odds of selling your art work is better than that.

    Winner’s Grand Casino, Tunica MS

    The meeting room at Winner's Tunica Casino filled rapidly as various managers took seats. They were preparing to finalize the schedule and other details for the 2008 World Series of Poker January event.

    The word from upstairs, began Dave Pillot, the General Manager, is that the entry fees will be lower for each event. In theory, that will attract more players and we do need to fill up these hotel rooms.

    It's the economy, said Raymond Kinney, Events Director. The golf course and music shows aren't enough to draw big crowds these days.

    Well . . . you all know those empty rooms are killing our bottom line over in the Rose Garden Hotel, continued Dave. Even the special $49 room rates for the poker players are better than nothing.

    This tournament has always made money, said Nate Boggett, Casino manager. Those guys play Blackjack when they aren't playing poker. Two years ago I watched one well-known poker player drop twenty grand at the crap table.

    The new Martha's Place Buffet has helped some too, said the Food and Beverage Manager, but it has killed our specialty restaurant business.

    "Okay . . . the first event is set for January 28th and will begin at noon, as usual. The entry fee has been dropped to $200 plus a $35 fee for most no-limit events. Two years ago it was $500 with a couple of $300 events thrown in. This year, the main event has been set for February 13th and the entry fee will be only $1,600, down from $5,000.

    Wow, said Nate, that should bring them in out of the woods.

    I'll have to rehire all of the housekeeping staff that we furloughed back in September, said the hotel manager. I just hope they haven't left town.

    I want this to be the most profitable tournament we have ever hosted, said Dave. I'll tell the tournament director to be stingy with those food vouchers they give the players.

    I hope those tournament dealers are drilled on spotting cheats, said Nate. The last thing we need is a scandal. Business is bad enough without scaring people away.

    Heads nodded around the table.

    North Little Rock

    Matt Dublin sat at his computer looking at the WSOP website for the Tunica event. As usual, when he tried to make room reservations, the standard rates applied. For some reason each year, players were required to call the poker room in the casino to book their room to get the special $49 rate.

    Yes, he said when the poker room contact answered, I need a room from January 27th to January 29th. I'll be checking out on the 30th.

    I need your Winner's International player's number, she said.

    Matt repeated his name, then read her the number on his Winner's Casino card.

    What about the main event dates? she asked.

    If I win anything in the first three, I'll come back for that event.

    He gave her his credit card information. After a pause, she came back on the phone with his hotel confirmation number. He thanked her and disconnected.

    Having finished the landscape watercolor he started two weeks ago, he could now turn his thoughts to Christmas and New Years day. In the meanwhile, he had practice sessions to play on the computer.

    He clicked on the poker icon to start a new video game tournament, having amassed over three million fictitious dollars in previous attempts. The software loaded and he clicked on his screen name, Big Matt, to enter a new Texas Hold'em tournament.

    Chapter Two

    Chicago

    At 2:00 PM in the back room of the Leisure Palace, the invitees were pouring in out of the cold, shedding their coats, and noisily finding chairs. Julian Skowten watched with interest as the odd assortment of men settled into their seats.

    Alright men, said Julian when they were seated, you're here because you are good poker players and you like to win money.

    He saw smiles and heads nodding.

    What I'm about to tell you has never been tried, so it has a pretty good chance of working.

    A lot of things work the first time they're tried, Martin Bower chimed in.

    That's right, Julian continued, and this plan should give us a huge edge over the other players. It doesn't guarantee winning tournaments, but should assure us a big share of the pot. With a little luck, we could win it all.

    So . . . out wit it, said Larry, the mouth, my curious is gettin curiouser.

    After the laughter subsided, Julian continued.

    I'm sure most of you remember the group of Orientals who got caught pocketing chips and giving them to one of their better players to increase his chip stack. They knew that would give him an edge.

    He saw heads nodding.

    As you know, during the early rounds, we try to accumulate chips. Your goal will be to play conservative until we get close to being in the money. Stay in the game at all costs . . . don't go all in unless you have a gut cinch.

    Then what? one of the new members asked, getting impatient.

    As you know, as players lose, one of the tournament officials pick people from other tables to fill those seats. At some point, they break up whole tables and assign those players to empty seats at other tables.

    What's different about that? asked another new member of the group.

    The difference is . . . our inside man, one of the officials, will be moving you to tables that fit the plan.

    Murmuring filled the room as several members looked at each other.

    This is the same concept as the Orientals had except for how the chips are swapped. When two of our group are sitting at the same table, pre-arranged by our inside man, and you become heads up in the game, the one with the fewest chips will go all in" first.

    Smiles appeared on a few of the faces as they saw the brilliance of this plan.

    One of you, he continued, will end up with double the number of chips, helping to give you an advantage. As you are skillfully moved around, we should end up with two or three members at the last three or four tables with a nice pile of chips. The edge for a skillful player, as you know, is a big chip stack.

    How will the inside guy know who we are? Martin asked, knowing it was on everybody's mind.

    We'll all wear those small gold colored Chicago Bear pins on our shirt collars. I'll have them ready to hand out at the tournament. That should make it easy for him to spot.

    Won't that be kinda obvious? asked another.

    Not with all the logos and good luck pieces players wear. If anybody asks . . . it's your good luck charm.

    Are we only going to play the main event? asked one of the guys.

    Nope . . . we're gonna play all events. The first one starts at noon on January 28th. When you lose out, just go sign up for the next one. I want one of our players at the final table in every tournament. The winnings from the first tournament will fund all of the entry fees for the next.

    "Why would one of the officials participate?'

    How many people can make an extra $150,000 in two weeks just by doing their regular job?

    Tunica

    Dean Flanders, hotel manager for the three Winner's Grand Hotels in Tunica, replaced the telephone receiver when the conversation ended.

    They're bringing in a hundred extra dealers this year for the tournament series, he said to his assistant. They want us to set aside a hundred rooms for them.

    Looks like some of them could double bunk, said the assistant.

    Dean chuckled. Some of the guys may request a room with two beds, but most of them will want a room to themselves. I guess the tournament would have to pay them more if we didn't give them private rooms.

    We're struggling to line up enough housekeeping staff for the event. Some of the ones we laid off have moved elsewhere to find work.

    We'll just have to do the best we can . . . if we have to skimp on service to anyone, it'll be the dealers. By the way, the Casino boss says we have a few whales coming in for the last week of the event. Make sure you have their schedules so we can pick them up in the limo.

    We may need a couple of extra shuttle drivers, too, the assistant reminded. Those poker players are up all hours of the day and night. We won't be able to cut back on the late night shifts.

    Dean nodded. Tell housekeeping to start ten days before the tournament with a major cleaning effort. Things have gotten a little sloppy while business was off.

    Will do, he said as he departed.

    North Little Rock

    Matt Dublin looked at his computer monitor to be sure he was now at the final table of this $5,000 entry fee Texas Hold'em tournament. A first place win would add $786,000 to his fictitious bankroll and much more to his confidence level. In the previous game, he called an all-in bet and lost.

    It always amazed him about the level of patience the game required. He compared it to the live events he played and remembered how sometimes he sat for over an hour without playing a single hand. In the early rounds, the blinds are small and you can get away with that. Later in the game as the blinds grow larger, one has to catch some decent cards and win some chips.

    January 28th was less than two weeks away, so he increased his time at the computer. He never played online because he didn't trust the websites, so his practice was limited to this computer game.

    His mind wandered back to a crazy hand during the previous year and the ace-ten in his face-down cards. The dealer turned over two Jacks and a nine, the flop in the center of the table. A player to his left made a reasonable bet and all but one other player folded.

    Matt remembered reasoning with two more cards coming, he could catch another ace, which would give him two good pairs or a King and Queen would give him an ace-high straight. He called the bet and stayed in the hand.

    The fourth card was another Jack and the player to his left made a sizable bet. Matt's instincts told him the man had a pocket pair and those three Jacks gave him a full house.

    The other player folded and Matt had to make a decision. He knew another ace would give him the winning hand and another nine would give the board a full house. If the other player had a smaller pair than nines, he would split the pot. He called the bet and stayed in the hand.

    To everyone's surprise, the river card was another Jack. The board had four of a kind, which bested the other player's

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