American Roulette: Interview with International Casino Cheat Richard Marcus

The true story of a 25-year run ripping-off the world's casinos

Posted by Chuckmonster

VT: You're in the 'Griffin Book' of known or suspected casino cheats/advantage players. Will you get 86'd if you step foot in a casino - even if its to go see Wayne 'Fucking' Newton?

RM: I cannot get 86'd from any casino because all the casinos in which I have previously been read the riot act (three if my memory serves me correct) do not exist anymore. Therefore, I can legally enter any casino in the world. However, in many foreign casinos a passport is required to gain entry. Once my name pops up the red flags in their computers, I wouldn't get in. But I'm a crafty guy. If I really wanted to, I could get into any casino in the world... and do a move.

VT: Do you ever feel guilty about the amount of money you've cheated out of casinos?

RM: Guilty? You kidding! Fuck them! I only regret I didn't make more money. I consider casinos bigger thieves than myself, although some people may view that differently.

VT: What were the easiest and hardest joints to make moves in?

RM: Easiest and hardest are not particular to casinos but rather to individual dealers and pit personnel. All casinos have certain roulette dealers who have "big" turns and BJ dealers inattentive to their games, etc. Then there are sweetheart pit bosses that just love to pay and pay and pay. Just read about "Grumpy" at the Riviera in my book. My favorite casino has always been Caesars Palace in Vegas because of all the money we made there. Dealers there were often more juiced into their jobs than pit bosses, which gave them the authority to pay our five and ten-thousand-dollar moves without as much as notifying a floor man. This allowed us to keep the steam down on our moves and continue beating their tables time and again over many years. Sometimes you ran into real "hawk" pit bosses who grumbled about paying a dollar chip partially out of a betting circle. We avoided them like the plague.

VT: The MIT Blackjack Team outlined in the book 'Bringing Down The House' was the subject of a TV Movie entitled 'Breaking Vegas'. We hear that a similar project is underway based on 'American Roulette'. What�s the scoop?

RM: First is the History Channel's continuing series "Breaking Vegas," which was started by the story of the MIT team last spring. The opening episode is based on me and my book and airs Tuesday night, March 1st, probably at 9pm. After that, movie interest will be generated, and this will make a better movie than the MIT story because it's simply a better story and more original. The MIT team is just another glamorized card counting story, which had already been glamorized by Ken Uston amongst others. Be sure not to miss my show!