Poker Players Are Cheating With Tiny Hidden Cameras

Poker players are allegedly using tiny hidden cameras to cheat in high-stakes games.

According to a report by WIRED, recent investigations have uncovered a sophisticated cheating method in high-stakes poker games, which involves the use of miniature hidden cameras to spot dealt cards.

Poker experts have noticed a pattern where players consistently achieving winning results far beyond their skill level often have small, unassuming objects on the table — such as a medication bottle, a battery charger, or an everyday smartphone in its case.

Although there was no direct evidence of cheating at first, an ongoing case in France this summer finally revealed how some players are gaining an unfair advantage.

Following tips of suspicious behavior at a major casino in Enghien-les-Bains, French police with the Central Racing and Gaming Service (SCCJ) launched an elaborate in-person and video surveillance operation around two suspected players at both blackjack and Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker (a type of poker played against the casino rather than against fellow players).

Authorities arrested two individuals who employed modified phone cameras and tiny earpieces to secretly film cards being dealt at various casinos across Europe. This method allowed them to transmit information about the dealer’s cards to an accomplice, who then relayed it back to the player via an earpiece.

The cheaters were reportedly modifying smartphone cameras with tiny mirrors that allow them to look out across the card table, even when a phone is placed flat down. Android Authority compares the devices to a clandestine version of the periscope cameras some phones use for high-performance zoom.

“Shoes” allow the dealer to distribute cards and help them to prevent players from catching a glimpse of the card’s face whilst being dealt around the table. However, these hidden cameras are positioned low enough to catch a small glimpse — just enough for cheaters to make the system work.

An accomplice watches the camera remotely and communicates with the player at the table using a tiny earpiece, which can only be removed with the help of a magnet.

Professional poker player Matt Berkey also tells WIRED that he has observed suspicious behavior from an unfamiliar player who consistently sat next to the dealer, wore earbuds, and always seemed to win on the river card. This pattern suggested the use of hidden cameras to gain an unfair advantage.

To combat this cheating technique, casinos are implementing stricter policies, such as banning phones from being placed at table level and retraining dealers to minimize card exposure. However, the challenge persists due to the fast-paced advancements in video technology and the creativity of cheaters.

“As the suspects in France allegedly showed us, today’s video technology is truly amazing,” Ben Dowsett writes for WIRED. “Would you ever have guessed a mini camera could accurately capture which cards are being dealt during the split second they’re exposed as they’re pulled from a blackjack shoe?”

 
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