Part I: Card Game Cheating · Collusion & Electronic Cheating at Card Games

Scam #45: Pinching (Removing from Losing Bets)

How it works

The opposite of bet capping - a player removes chips from a losing bet before the dealer can collect it, reducing their loss. The cheater uses sleight of hand to palm chips from their bet or subtly reduce the stack while the dealer is focused on collecting other losing bets. This can involve distracting the dealer, using body positioning to block surveillance view, or executing the move during the chaos of a busy payout. Pinching is often used in combination with past posting to create a “press and pinch” system where the cheater both reduces losing bets and increases winning ones.

Where it appears

Blackjack, all table games

On the record

Pinching is considered more difficult than past posting since it requires taking something away (which dealers are trained to notice) rather than adding something. However, skilled practitioners can execute pinches in milliseconds, making them nearly impossible to catch without surveillance review.

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.