Las Vegas Swindler-- Press, Pinch, and Post
Perhaps over the weekend you saw this article in the New York Times. If you didn't, let me fill you in. Meet this guy, Jubreal Chahine-- the latest in a long line of Vegas small hand operators to face the music.
Check out that mug. Jubreal has been arrested 14 times since 1999 for cheating at nearly two dozen Las Vegas casinos. Jubreal is a dying breed-- he's an old fashioned casino cheat. He uses classic legerdemain in order to manipulate his odds of winning casino games. He uses techniques that have been common knowledge for nearly two hundred years-- the three most common are known as the press, the pinch, and the post. The press is where you secretly increase the amount of money you've wagered after the game has begun. For example, slipping an extra hundred-dollar chip into the betting area after having been dealt an ace at the blackjack table. It sounds easier than it is, especially when dealers have to The pinch is like the press's harder cousin. It's where you secretly decrease the amount of money you've wagered after the game has begun. For example, after the dealer has been dealt an ace at blackjack, you might want to reduce your wager. The post is similar to the press. It's where you place a bet after the game of chance has already ended-- for example, placing a chip on the winning number after a roulette ball has already landed, but before the croupier has pegged the number.
