Cooler Shoe

[jimpenn]

Cooler. Colloquial expression for the pack of pre-arranged cards (usually in 6- or 8-deck games) with which a cheating team, through collusion with pit crew members and especially the dealer, replaces the original casino cards, just before their insertion in the shoe. Extremely profitable for the cheaters if they can pull it off and a most serious felony for everyone involved.

I have been a member of various BJ forums for over 7 years and have never read or heard of any casino being accused or caught of using a Cooler. I don't understand why because too many people involved to make it work without someone exposing casino to this type of cheating. Is anyone aware of a case where this has happened and, if not where/how would I research a past situation where "someone" exposed this method of cheating by a casino?

 

[BJinNJ]

Breaking Vegas

There's an episode of "Breaking Vegas" that deals with
a small team that started out palming cards among
members, then advanced to cooler swaps with the
help of a dealer. Eventually they were caught and
served small time, but not until they were wealthy.

BJinNJ

 

[EasyRhino]

You don't see a lot of discussion of full on illegal cheating on message boards. Probably because it's illegal. But occasionally in some mainstream news stories.

Last year a cheating ring that originated at one of the local casinos and involved colluding dealers doing false shuffles got busted. I coincidentally remember that casino going changing their shuffling procedures a year or two ago, so I guess the timing works out.

 

[davidpom]

I've (personally) never heard of this practice outside of the USA.

 

[blackchipjim]

mechanics

If you are good at observation and a quick pick up on cheaters then go to the caribbean casinos. Mind I don't mean the whole place in general but there are a few islands that will leave you just wondering. I know the sound a card makes when seconds are being dealt from a hand held deck. I watched a tourist lose his ass to a unscrupolus dealer in a carib casino. The poor fella was unaware what was going on but the dealer stopped doing it after I wouldn't leave and just watched him. Yes there are cheating dealers and pit bosses but they are more prevelant in places where you don't have a leg to stand on challenging them. blackchipjim