Richard Marcus, a former casino cheat turned protection consultant, has revealed the details of how he swindled $36.6 million from casinos across the globe. Known for his cunning techniques, Marcus spent over 20 years mastering the art of casino deception.
The “Savannah” trick
One of Marcus’ most famous strategies was the “Savannah,” a simple but effective method he still considers the “best cheating strategy ever.”
The move involved placing a high-value chip, like a $5,000, under a low-value chip, such as a $5, on the roulette table. Dealers couldn’t detect the hidden chip unless they leaned in, something Marcus said no dealer ever did. “Even if they tilted their heads, I knew they couldn’t see it,” Marcus explained.
If his bet won, Marcus would celebrate and ask the dealer to check the cameras, which would confirm his large bet. If it didn’t win, he would distract the dealer and swap out the high-value chip for a low one. “If I let them take that chip, we’re just gambling like everybody else,” he said. “I had to take it off.”
Early lessons in deception
Marcus’ ability to cheat casinos started long before he entered the gambling world. Growing up in New York, he was introduced to the concept of trickery at a young age. “It all started when I realised two of my friends were ripping me off when trading baseball cards,” Marcus recalled.
“It propelled me to come up with a scam so that I could get money from them.”
From teen gambler to casino cheat
By the age of 17, Marcus had already won big on the horses. He then traveled to Las Vegas, where he got a job at a casino dealer school. It was there he met Joe Classon, a notorious casino cheat who invited him to join his professional cheating team.
“We became a four-man casino cheating team. We were like a rock ‘n’ roll band,” Marcus said.
Marcus quickly rose to the top and became the leader of the group, traveling around the world to scam casinos. He was proud of his ability to avoid detection. “I was the only high-level casino cheat who never got caught,” he said. “Everybody knew I was cheating, but nobody could catch me. That’s the difference between me and everybody else.”
The thrill of the scam
For Marcus, the thrill of outsmarting casinos was just as important as the money. “At first, it was all about the money, but then it was adrenaline rushes, ego…the fact that I was able to do all this,” he said.
He mastered the art of manipulating casino personnel to maintain his cover. “All the other moves, I was able to create by psychologically manipulating the personnel on the floor, convincing them that I was a legitimate high roller,” he added.
Walking away from the scam
After years of evading detection, Marcus noticed that the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the FBI were tailing him. “You could hear people in the surveillance industry saying they’d never seen cheating like mine,” he said.
“They were taking roulette wheels apart, looking for digital equipment. It was just a simple trick.”
Realising he had reached the end of the line, Marcus decided to retire from his life of crime. He had pocketed millions and knew it was time to quit.
The Great Casino Heist
In 2005, Marcus published his book, The Great Casino Heist, where he detailed his successful schemes. “When they read what I was talking about, they realised the vast knowledge that they thought they had was…nothing,” Marcus said.
His book exposed how little casinos knew about professional cheating teams, and he admitted that had he known how much they didn’t understand, he could have made even more money. “Had I known how little casinos knew at the time, I would have made double,” he said.
New career in casino protection
Today, Marcus is no longer a casino cheat. He now works as a casino protection consultant, helping gambling establishments prevent scams. “I really have pulled the biggest con of all time,” he quipped.
“For 25 years, I risked my ass to get the money. Now I come to these casinos, and they just give me the money.”
From his early days of small-time cons to his global casino scams, Marcus’ journey showcases his brilliant yet illegal ability to outsmart the system.
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