Marked Cards - concerned ? (1 Viewer)

The real scare is rfid cards. Undetectable and they can tell who is going to win the the hand immediately following the shuffle/cut.

Insert into software how many players, what the game is, and poof it knows the winner before it’s even dealt. All they need is an eye in the sky somewhere in the ceiling, fake cell phone, fake key fob, or it’s built into the shuffler or dealer chip rack.
 
Just doing my part to keep the monthly rotation of drama and scandal going.

you're welcome?
Hello Matt! Why yes! I did get new glasses! Good to see you! Here is a gift of cards for U. Many blessings. A white claw perhaps? Yes? Cool! I'll sit on your right.
 
anyone know if a UV light would expose the marked cards?

Could always get a cheap UV flash light as a quick and transparent check vs the glasses?

damnit, IR substances require lenses or cameras to detect

Screenshot 2026-03-21 at 11.20.48 AM.webp
 
cheating can happen at any stakes level. Don’t be fooled into thinking it only happens at higher stakes. Even playing in trusted situations isn’t any guarantee.

Keep you head on a swivel and always pay attentions to you surroundings, protect yourself as much as possible and if something smells funny get away from the game.

In other words…..

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die!
 
It was a friend of friend on here, not my story to share really ( even though based on what happened, I and several others probably lost money to the cheat )
Cheater is no longer playing

I just think that such details help the community know what to look for in their own games.
 
I just think that such details help the community know what to look for in their own games.
One incident here. But there were others.

It’s was very simple.
PL Circus games.
Cheater was the dealer.
game was Dramaha or some draw variant

On dealers action they draw 2 but place their mitt cards on top of their discards and the draw cards
Review their hand and then pull back the 5 cards they wanted.
Leaving 2 on the table as the discard.

hard to notice as they keep cards close to table and just peak at their hand.

I’m paraphrasing what happened. But that’s the jist of it
 
OP has 0% to worry about. a bet means nuts. The most fake action. I don’t see what point of marking his specific cards would be. Marking mine ya that would be a problem

Jk jk

For peace of mind I have gotten into the habit of covering my cards with my hand (not really for cheating mostly just to protect against worn out decks). And immediately scooping in draw into my hand for lowball. You really don’t get to see much of the back of my cards. Just little easy things to make it a little less vulnerable.
 
OP has 0% to worry about. a bet means nuts. The most fake action. I don’t see what point of marking his specific cards would be. Marking mine ya that would be a problem

Jk jk

For peace of mind I have gotten into the habit of covering my cards with my hand (not really for cheating mostly just to protect against worn out decks). And immediately scooping in draw into my hand for lowball. You really don’t get to see much of the back of my cards. Just little easy things to make it a little less vulnerable.

But if you have very small, almost feminine NIT hands - that isn’t possible, hence OP’s concern.
 
I’m super paranoid as well. I thought a good way to overcome this paranoia was to have the glasses as well, or even the contacts just to prove it. Also, it’d be kind of cool if when the host invited the high stakes games he would offer the guests to bring the playing cards and you would rotate the cards in from the guests.
As a host, and even as a player, I’d be incredibly paranoid letting guests bring the decks. So easy for a bad actor to introduce a marked deck that way. Honestly I don’t think I’d play at a game where the deck isn’t provided by the host.

That being said, I DO think the host should allow the players to inspect the decks, the shuffler, the chip tray, ban foreign items being on the table, etc. Obviously there’s no gaming board overseeing underground games, so I believe it should be by committee. The players should get to regulate the conditions (within reason obviously) or choose not to play.

I’d say buy the glasses, and maybe even bring a marked deck with you so you can show the other players what you’re looking for. Make it a “show-and-tell” kinda thing to teach the other players. Don’t directly accuse the host of any wrong doing, just show how easy it could be, and always keep the glasses close just in case…
 
As a host, and even as a player, I’d be incredibly paranoid letting guests bring the decks. So easy for a bad actor to introduce a marked deck that way. Honestly I don’t think I’d play at a game where the deck isn’t provided by the host.

That being said, I DO think the host should allow the players to inspect the decks, the shuffler, the chip tray, ban foreign items being on the table, etc. Obviously there’s no gaming board overseeing underground games, so I believe it should be by committee. The players should get to regulate the conditions (within reason obviously) or choose not to play.

I’d say buy the glasses, and maybe even bring a marked deck with you so you can show the other players what you’re looking for. Make it a “show-and-tell” kinda thing to teach the other players. Don’t directly accuse the host of any wrong doing, just show how easy it could be, and always keep the glasses close just in case…
And then after all of that make sure @TheJestyr never Never EVER! get to shuffle and deal
 
I use a new set up each game mostly because the cards get creased from certain guys pealing and I don’t feel like going thru the decks to pull out the bad cards to cure the decks. At $10 per set up from @justincarothers it’s a no brainer to use a new set up each time for pristine cards. Assuming Justin is not selling marked cards, that would mean someone would need to bring special ink to the game and somehow apply it to the cards during the game without anyone noticing. I don't think any of my squirrels have the aptitude to pull that off. They can’t even put food on a plate or pour a drink into a cup without making a complete mess.
 
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I use a new set up each game mostly because the cards get creased from certain guys pealing and I don’t feel like going thru the decks to pull out the bad cards to cure the decks. At $10 per set up from @justincarothers it’s a no brainer to use a new set up each time for pristine cards. Assuming Justin is not selling marked cards, that would mean someone would need to bring special ink to the game and somehow apply it to the cards during the game without anyone noticing. I don't think any of my squirrels have the aptitude to pull that off. They can’t even put food on a plate or pour a drink into a cup without making a complete mess.
Imagine the pure genius if all this time Justin has been producing marked cards that only he could decipher. He intentionally sells his set-ups under $10 undercutting his competition until nearly every PCF'er has his cards then begins to attend meet-up after meet-up cleaning up.
 
Thread question specifically about luminescent markings not physically damaged cards.

This came up in the Dal Negro group buy thread, I dont want to spam that thread so started this.

I guess I always knew magicians sometimes use marked cards, and sometimes you'd hear about marked cards in a casino or high roller home game.
After just looking at their website salemakredcards.com im a little like WTF, am I being paranoid? you hear about low stakes cheaters, we all probbaly know at least one.

So I'm thinking of buying some glasses to read luminescent markings, and doing a quick check of cards in play at home games now.

Does that sound crazy?


Feels like if you know what your regular game uses for cards, it wouldn't be too hard to swap a deck out.
Or even just mark a couple with the luminescent ink.


https://www.salemarkedcards.com/
cards just ordered for the High Pond meet-up. Thanks @MatB .. now let's all get the glasses and see if you still punt
 
As a host, and even as a player, I’d be incredibly paranoid letting guests bring the decks. So easy for a bad actor to introduce a marked deck that way. Honestly I don’t think I’d play at a game where the deck isn’t provided by the host.

That being said, I DO think the host should allow the players to inspect the decks, the shuffler, the chip tray, ban foreign items being on the table, etc. Obviously there’s no gaming board overseeing underground games, so I believe it should be by committee. The players should get to regulate the conditions (within reason obviously) or choose not to play.

I’d say buy the glasses, and maybe even bring a marked deck with you so you can show the other players what you’re looking for. Make it a “show-and-tell” kinda thing to teach the other players. Don’t directly accuse the host of any wrong doing, just show how easy it could be, and always keep the glasses close just in case…

While showing up with x-ray specs would give me cause for pause, actually bringing a marked deck to the game (even if you proclaimed it to be to help stop cheating) would probably get you uninvited from most games. Carrying around tools of the cheating trade and bringing them to games is going to be a bad optic, automatically pronouncing you don't trust the host or their game. It would not make a great first impression. :cautious:

In all the ways to cheat, inserting a fully marked deck is gonna be on the higher risk/lower percentage plays IMO. Card mechanics, signaling/partnering, nail marking, money shorting, etc... would all probably be higher on the attempted ways to cheat in a low to mid stakes home game.

But of course if @MatB is in you game and running like god then by all means check that deck.... ;) :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
Also why I use @justincarothers Broken Arrow Pro. When people have asked me why not use Copaq I show them sites like the one op listed. I say BA are smaller limited runs. I can show them the Group Buy I can show them my dibs even. The market for shady cheater decks isn’t with Broken Arrow. Also helps to have less expensive cards when they’re new everytime.

Still would be cool to have the glasses.
 
And I've always been in agreement with @Goldfish just use new decks every session and/or whenever there is an issue with cards in a deck. It's a very small investment.
Sealed decks don’t mean much to a mechanic or magician. It’s very easy to tamper with a “sealed” deck. But it is a nice optic for lay people.

While showing up with x-ray specs would give me cause for pause, actually bringing a marked deck to the game (even if you proclaimed it to be to help stop cheating) would probably get you uninvited from most games. Carrying around tools of the cheating trade and bringing them to games is going to be a bad optic, automatically pronouncing you don't trust the host or their game. It would not make a great first impression. :cautious:

In all the ways to cheat, inserting a fully marked deck is gonna be on the higher risk/lower percentage plays IMO. Card mechanics, signaling/partnering, nail marking, money shorting, etc... would all probably be higher on the attempted ways to cheat in a low to mid stakes home game.

While I agree it wouldn’t be my ideal first impression, by the time you’ve been there a couple times, I think the guys you play with would be fascinated by different cheating methods and devices. Unless of course they’re cheaters themselves lol

I struggled with this same thing early in my poker career. I had already been a magician for years and wasn’t sure if I should tell the other players, especially in some of the underground joints. But I decided it was better to share it with them then them find out later. And I gotta say, it was SO well received! They loved watching me perform and appreciated my openness and felt safer knowing there was someone who understood cheating in a very real, practical way at the table.
 
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We are waiting for some demonstrations!
What’s funny is I posted that first video, got some decent response, filmed an edited a second video, but then that external drive got corrupted so I never re-shot it…

I’ll go back and review my notes. I think I was doing false cuts/ways to nullify a cut in game as my second video.
 
I have similar fears. A guy I trust just scared the crap out of me.
anyone know if a UV light would expose the marked cards?

Could always get a cheap UV flash light as a quick and transparent check vs the glasses?
Came here for this too but saw answer that IR isn’t UV….

—-

Did anybody contact the shadeball seller for IR glasses? I want some for sure.

I looked on Amazon but the hits seem to be IR blocking not IR shifting. I presume that’s how these work? Is that even possible? I don’t really understand optics that well.

If anybody ordered these decks I’d also love a few cards to show myself and others the glasses work. We can do GB and chop up 1 deck.
 

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