pentazepam
Legend
Loyaler
Summary of Richard Marcus’ Story (from Great Gambling Scams by Nigel Goldman)
Richard Marcus, described as the world’s greatest casino cheat, grew up fascinated by gambling and trickery. As a boy, he lost his prized baseball card collection to schoolmates who cheated him, which sparked his determination to be on the side of the cheaters rather than the victims.
By his teens, he was already pulling scams with friends, such as switching marked $20 bills or staging fake jewelry “loss and reward” schemes at gas stations.
At 21, he went to Las Vegas with $20,000, won big, then quickly lost everything. Homeless, he eventually got a job as a casino “shill” (house player) at the Four Queens and later as a dealer.
His life changed when he met Joe Classon, a seasoned cheat, who recruited him. Marcus helped rig baccarat shoes, enabling Joe’s team to win thousands.
Marcus then became part of Classon’s elite cheating crew, learning moves like pastposting (adding higher-value chips after a winning outcome was known). They successfully used this in blackjack, craps, and roulette, sometimes winning tens of thousands in a single night.
Their most daring exploits were in roulette, where Marcus would pose as a high roller to give credibility to their moves.
He never served prison time, always staying one step ahead of investigators, particularly Steven DeVisser, a top casino security expert.
Marcus eventually retired, later publishing books and consulting on casino cheating and game protection.
Richard Marcus – Other Interesting Facts (from different online sources)
Born: 1956 in New York; grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Known For: Inventing and perfecting the “Savannah” move (a special pastposting scam using low-value chips to disguise high-value bets).
Biggest Hauls: Estimated to have stolen millions of dollars from casinos worldwide between the 1970s and 1990s.
Never Convicted: Despite being detained and investigated multiple times, he was never found guilty of a felony.
Author: Wrote books such as American Roulette: How I Turned the Odds Upside Down and The World’s Greatest Gambling Scams.
Consultant: Later worked with casinos and security firms to train staff on spotting cheating techniques.
Media Presence: Has appeared in documentaries, podcasts, and interviews, often candid about his past scams.
Legacy: Considered both a “legend” and a “villain” in the gambling world; admired for his skill but notorious for exploiting casinos.
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