Special Reports by Steve Forte (All 15 Reports)

False Shuffles and Cuts

scrape strip

bevel double-cut

up-the-ladder (no stepped packets)

favorite zarrow

bottom zarrow (Bob White)

fake finger-strips

carrying top/bottom slugs (three methods)

Subtleties

relaxed protected-position, loop cuts, the gambler’s cut/stepper illusion

selling the f-strip in magic

zarrow-to-cutter subtlety

changing the square-up

delayed push-through

OTT riffle protection

fake-square-ups

erdnase remedy

face up/face down strips

Notable Marked Decks

line/scroll work

How It’s Done (Edward A. Litzau, 1938)

blockout ink

formulas

applying the ink

blending the ink

blender formula

polishing the cards

polka dot. white wings

juice

frames

line shade, highway shade

4-corner shade

scratch, thumbnailing (from rank to sophisticated)

percentage sorts

mysto

Early Inspirations

Jonathan H. Green

S. W. Erdnase

John Scarne

Inspirations Outside the Gambling World

Mentors

Contributors

Bill Malone . . . OTT pull-out

Rod the Hop . . . pull-out

Jack Carpenter . . . fan-strip shuffle

Sal Piacente . . . total recall scanning (‘TRS’)

Noel . . . N-Transfer

David Malek . . . riffle stacking

Jack Tighe . . . one-handed pop-up second

FF . . . greek deal

Miguel Webb . . . one-handed cooler

Advantage Players

background

available information

casino weaknesses

gaming statutes

one fair solution

Modern Perspective

advocate opinions

legal definitions

targeting weaknesses

Strategic Deception

lawful deception

casino philosophy

history

gamesmanship

casino practices

Summary

Observations

experience versus knowledge; wisdom; the Revere syndrome; young cardmen

practice tips, warming up, perfect practice, plateaus, speed, rhythm, positive

takeaways

75%, 95%, 100% rule

Overlooked

cut, strip, three-pile cut; two-card transfer

Gambling Moves

squared side-to-side shift; short riffle; no-retraction second deal

Magic Moves

Jennings steal; OTT false cut to the table; one-handed roll-over cut

Stunts

one hand only (Frank Thompson)

up-th-ladder aces

too many drops

super deal

The Keller Library

Casino Game Protection (Unpublished Manual)

tipping and flashing (hole card and hit cards)

exposing the deck

dealing seconds

deck condition

stacking the pickup

location play

rolling the deck

dumping the game

subs

altering new decks: daub, sorts, crimps, sand

hand mucking

pinching and pressing

Distractions

General Guidelines

Correctable Errors

Summary

Hand-Mucking

terminology, partnerships and crews, table position, methods

two-for-two mucks, favorite two-for-two mucks, squeeze muck, scoop muck, jump muck, deal-face-up muck, super-fast muck

left-hand/right-hand muck

slow-motion muck, drop muck

old-fashion muck

the chop, blackjack chop, double-down chop, continuous chops (Roger Grayson)

resting positions (Rod the Hop)

double chop

buckle muck, nosey muck, more mucks

Steals & Break-offs

pitch steal, thumb-nail break-off, any number of cards

five-card stud switch, seven-card stud switch

Switches

classic two-player or two-position switch, hit-switch, ace-up switch

lucky-spot switch, more switches

Interesting Question

Stunts

Stunts

slug demo

forte’s favorite

boxing-the-deck demo

OTT sequence, overhand shuffle sequence

perfect strip, rapid-strip aces, four packets – four aces

two riffles: aces from top to bottom

transfer-based stunts; slug, transfer, ace stack, cooler

full-deck control stunts, red-black demo, dealer’s school

false dealing demos, dealing from the middle piles

stacking demos

false shift/hop demonstrations, briefs, mucks & coolers demos

revelations, flourishes, Jack Carpenter, springing the aces

one riffle – four aces

stripped and stripped again

summary 

manufacturing process

asymmetrical backs, one-way backs, logo asymmetries, flawed asymmetrical designs

references – strategizing asymmetrical backs

modern designs

manufacturers respond

history – early makers, modern card makers

industry countermeasure – ‘the kill’

tolerances and regulations

world game protection conference

basic economics

summary

the cardman’s perspective

manufactured MARKED casino cards

Contributors

Olivier Cave – full-grip bottom deal (FRANCE)

LLZ – elevator hop (USA)

Tom Gagnon – zig-zag pass (USA)

KS – table cascade (GERMANY)

Bertrand W. – push-through (SWITZERLAND)

DC – zarrow shuffle (CANADA)

Johannes Maussner – pull-out w/block transfer (GERMANY)

Eddie McColl – center deal (SCOTLAND)

CR – riffle cull (CANADA)

Benjamin Parviainen – overhand stacking (FINLAND)

Caleb Simpson – touch transfer (NEW ZEALAND)

Modern High-Tech Card Marking

Honorable Mentions – Juice

Color Blocking Systems

High-Tech Marking Systems

Magenta System

Cyan System

Other Color Systems

Detection

Technological Integration

Poker Analyzer

Camera System

Considerations in Ink Formulation

Application Techniques

Other Considerations

Illusive Systems

Conclusions and the Future of Card Marking

casino consultant, casino scams

false shuffles

Erdnase, box, pick-up strip, f-strip (positioning strip), double deck, full-deck

stacks

lay stack, pick-up stack, riffle stack, key-card scam, high-low shuffles

shifts, hops, and briefs

riffle shift, t-shift, charlier shift, cut-card shift, classic hop, elevator hop, briefs

attacking the shuffle from the outside – location techniques

attacking the cut from the outside – drop cuts, steer game, warp cut, one-card drop

false deals

strike seconds, pushoff seconds, one-hand seconds, greeks, centers, shoe  bottom

peeks & flashes            

bubble, heel, double-down peek, v-peek, deal-down peek, flash, heel flash, shoe

peek, muck

scoop, drop (no prop), snap, look and tuck, hesitation, double down, hand washing, transfer, two-player switch, bug, sleeve holdout, knee-spread

coolers

one-deck coolers, multi-deck coolers

strong-arm cheating

hole card/player’s card switches, capping, lay-a-ways, shiners/gaffed shoes

playing hole card

spooking, first basers, front loaders, express, index dealers, submarine dealers

Casinovations

deadlock

the lesson

final observations

David Malek — The Hustlers Bottom Deal (2025)

deck-hand finger flash – an obvious solution

tell when dealing Erdnase bottoms

natural cover

get-ready

back-end pitch and take

consecutive bottoms,

forward pushoff

one-handed bottom #1, one-handed bottom #2

special guest — Xavi Serral

demonstrations

Artanis bottom deal

special guest – Gary Plants

more bottoms

special guest – Bernard Bilis

experienced cardmen

new to the hobby

expanding your non-technical knowledge

gambling books

crooked gambling catalogs

learning more card and dice games

gambling collectibles

advantage play

professional dealers

electronics

probability and statistics

computer programming

The GSOH Test

questions and answers