A High-End Card-Reading Device
An impressive Chinese device that automatically reads marked cards in order to cheat at poker and other card games.
Comments
Clive Robinson • October 31, 2016 4:00 PM
@ JimBo,
it seems like something not usable in a casino or anything other than casual (illegal) gambling
Yes and for the reasons you give.
However, there are always “informal games” in Las Vegas, usualy found by asking certain types of “hostess” who ply their trade close to but not in the casinos and their hotels.
Clive Robinson • October 31, 2016 4:12 PM
For those wondering about the ban on phones being on the table, it originated not because of the electronics, but from a much earlier ban on cigarette cases and hip flasks. Because they could be polished enough to act as a form of mirror that the person who had the deck could “deal across” it to read the cardface reflected in the “shiner”.
Our poker games around these parts are embedded like ISIS isin dearborne. If one get’s caught bringing in electroniks like that he she or it may find they’re counting more than money when and if they leave.
Fingers, Blessings, Teeth, Sheep.
What was MyInfo saying about the MOB? lol
Take a thing or two hoffa him.
I don’t think card games are friendly when you bring your little brother along.
Dr. I. Needtob Athe • October 31, 2016 5:05 PM
I think it’s entirely possible that we’ll see a device that works without marked cards. A sufficiently high-resolution image could enable detection of slight differences in card backs.
Ted • October 31, 2016 6:42 PM
Elie, who leads Google’s anti-fraud and abuse research, gave an interesting talk on protecting gmail users. All 900 million of them. One of the many lessons he and his team have learned over the last 10 years, is that users and researchers are your best allies and make extremely valuable contributions. Elie: “security is not a matter of one guy. It’s a matter of everyone.”
Drone • November 1, 2016 1:14 AM
Anyone who reads this blog should know better than to even set foot in a Casino.
pattern or color recognition to count a deck? Easy I can do that in a matter of hours with only an android phone compensating for variables from compression and sensor..
using it in most modern casinos? Low-ball US casinos have real time monitoring teams and the ceilings meshed with HD cameras.. Big-game casinos have more security..
I guess they only need the android part for administration tasks. In that case it’d take a second person within WIFI or BT range which is up to three-hundred feet..
All US casinos use the networked shuffle systems at the table that basically spit out the cards typically after an exausted shuffle. I’m not sure how you’d actually use this at a holdem or BJ table even at a low-tech casino..
Ari Trachtenberg • November 1, 2016 10:07 AM
This is old news … it was presented at Blackhat in August!
Ari Trachtenberg • November 1, 2016 10:08 AM
sorry … I meant Defcon.
MikeA • November 1, 2016 11:58 AM
And here I was wondering if modern technology had caught up with the (1960’s) movie wherein our (anti?)hero breaks into a card-printing factory and subtly modifies the “plates” (negatives) for the backs of the cards, waits a few months, and purchases a deck made by that company. After training himself in the correspondence of a particular back to a particular card, he sets off to make his fortune at the casino. Of course, complications ensue, but it seems that, like so many things, now “There’s an App for that”
Does anybody here remember the film’s name?
Thunderbird • November 1, 2016 2:18 PM
I got the impression that several people in the comments hadn’t read the blog entry. The cheating device looks at marks on the edge of the cards and builds a picture of the entire deck–it’s not looking at the backs of the cards (which is how I assumed it would work before looking).
So it assumes that you (or more likely a confederate) supplies the cards. I can see this being extremely effective if used infrequently in an informal game. As others have noted, you may “incur a penalty” if detected.
Layer 9 • November 2, 2016 10:44 PM
DIY, just like 3 part paper.
I couldn’t remember the name for it.
http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2012/01/the-printing-process-edge-painting/
Let’s assume we can batch out decks on our own, then sort and shuffle them for packaging later.
Mmmkay?
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JimBo • October 31, 2016 2:33 PM
While the technology is interesting, it seems like something not usable in a casino or anything other than casual (illegal) gambling. You have to supply the cards (what casino would allow that?), you need the device to be able to see the cards – so they place the phone on the table which would also not be allowed.