Casino Casino Hustlers

Ever been hustled in a casino? Most people have, and if you have not been hustled that only means you have not spent enough time in a casino.

Feel free to post the casino hustles you have experienced, or if you are a hustler what it is you do.

 

There was a guy --- strong accent (maybe Eastern European) --- who used to frequent Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. He would go up to people watching a craps game and if those people had never played he'd make a deal with them. He'd teach them how to play and he would share half of their win. You didn't have to pay any up-front money. But, of course, it was your money he played with.

A lot of people fell for this.

 

Nick the Sick was a crackhead. But he had a great gift of gab. Take a look at my avatar. The machine in the picture is called Diamond Thief. When the valise in the top screen gets totally filled up you get a bonus that averages about 100 coins. Nick the Sick would steer little old ladies onto these machines. Then when they filled the valise up to just one diamond to go Nick would then steer the little old lady off the machine. His agent would then come behind them and spin the play off. The cost at that point was about 10 coins.

 

This might not apply today but in the old days you had to beware of a person walking down a row saying "Change? Change? Change?" like they are a casino employee. The only thing that is going to get changed is money from your pocket to theirs.

 

Frank, for years there were little box ads in every section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that said "Win $250,000 A Year Playing Craps." The RJ finally did an expose on the guy running the ads. He would meet you at the Mirage at a bar close to the craps tables. He didn't charge you up front. He took 25% of your winnings in the first hour. It is a mathematical certainty that a significant percentage of people will be winners in their first hour of play. And I would imagine he was working the other end as well. In effect he was an Independent Casino Host introducing lots of new craps players to the Mirage. I'm sure he got money and/or comps from the Mirage for this.