Cheating: Why Do We Do It?

There are, according to some people, two types of people in this world: those who oppose cheating and the ill-effects it has on society, and those who admire and respect the work of an accomplished con-artist. Depending on how you look at it, cheating is either a scourge of humanity or it's an expression of the innate human talent and ingenuity which allow some to get ahead in life. Those who have been cheated generally take the first approach, and often refer to themselves as victims. The second group of people however, view things differently and would probably instead see `victims` as suckers.

People pose the age-old question: what came first, cheating or the game? Logic tells us that in order for us to have a concept such as cheating, then the game must already exist. However, some suggest they emerged into being simultaneously. We humans are geniuses of guise, deception, and trickery. Our progress has always depended on this. How long did it take us, for example, to realize that it would be so mush easier to chase a herd of bison off a cliff and then later simply scoop up their delicious entrails down below?

Technological innovation has allowed us to dominate and exploit our surroundings to such an extent that it would be normal to feel a tinge of sympathy for all those species that are forced to compete with us. After all, what is hunting and fishing, if not a glorified form of cheating? Where's the sportsmanship in making funny noises with your hands and then blowing birds out of the sky when they come `round to investigate? Wouldn't it be more fair to the animals if we were only permitted to use our natural bodily armaments? US Vice President Dick Cheney recently shot his friend in the face while hunting and perhaps he would know the answer to this one. You can email him at .

We`re not about to suggest that cheating is a great and noble thing, but some people also refuse to place it among what they see as much greater crimes, such as selling guns to children and wearing socks with sandals. This article is intended to examine cheating from a purely non-judgmental view (well, at least sort of) and how it has helped shaped the world of gambling and card-playing as we know it.

To understand why we cheat it is first necessary to understand more about ourselves as competitors. We live in a world which places enormous value on success, particularly of the monetary sort. When we go to Vegas (4 or 5 times a year), we want to win. But hey, what's this we hear about the casinos having a built-in edge that will ensure that they win consistently and profitably over time, regardless of any ability or skill possessed by the patrons/players? That is, however, unless you preclude the ability to cheat your way to victory. We have all seen the movies in which a card-cheat gets discovered and then escorted by a couple of cross-eyed ogres down a dimly lit hallway to a sinister-looking holding room. The casinos have spent millions to clamp down on this infringement of their profits, and the internet is full of disgruntled cheats and losers who have probably been shown these rooms and persuaded never to come back. One of our favorites is the sprawling tirade at www.cardshark.us .

So, what does that tell s about one of our most basic skills? Cheating, like everything else that wants to survive, must evolve. And evolve, it has. The most rudimentary scams of yester-year pale in comparison with the complexities of today's ruses. If you don't believe it, just rent Ocean's Eleven one more time and see if you can find the logical lynch-pin of that heist, for it has eluded me after three viewings. I prefer to blame this not on my simple nature, but rather the baffling techniques and artifice of our most modern cheats and con-men, like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

The tradition of bending the rules to suit our goals is indeed longstanding. Cheating at cards actually became a viable career choice in the 1800s, particularly in the Wild West. Although, markedly more dangerous than today, the temptation was simply too much for some and they risked getting pumped full of lead each time they went on the grift. The first known book about cheating at cards was published in 1902, written by someone under the pseudonym of S.W. Erdnase. Entitled Artifice, Ruse, and Subterfuge: The Expert at the Card Table, it revealed many of the popular cheating strategies of the time, many of which are still in use by grifters and hustlers today. The book is said to have provided the inspiration for thousands of would-be con-men. In the book's preface, the author makes no excuses for his endeavor: "It will not make the innocent vicious, or transform the pastime player into a professional; or make the fool wise, or curtail the annual crop of suckers -- but whatever the result may be, if it sells, it will accomplish the primary motive of its author, as he needs the money". It is not hard to speculate as to the desperate straits of a chronic cheater who would reveal all of his secrets to the public. Could it be he had some mean creditors waiting around the corner while he conducted what his contemporaries surely must have seen as the ultimate sell-out?

And what are today's leading card-cheating methods? Well, the same as they have been since card-playing was first introduced. Card-marking is probably still the most popular. This is when the back of a card it altered in some way to denote its suit and value. Crimping is another popular technique in which the corner of a card is slightly bent in order to make it distinguishable from the rest. Online casinos are now dealing with the rise of collusion-when two or more players share information and attempt to fleece the unwitting. Like Erdnase's original treaty of the different forms of gambling, the internet is awash with material on how to pull the ultimate fast one. There are countless tapes, videos, websites and DVDs entirely devoted to the practise. But be warned, many of these are scams themselves!

But are all of these techniques mentioned above really considered cheating? Even card-counting, although perfectly legal and astoundingly boring, now gets labelled cheating by the casinos. If the eye-in-the-sky catches anyone mumbling figures to themselves while sweating profusely, they reserve the right to refuse that person service. So, if we can't even use math to win at cards why did we even learn it in the first place?

Perhaps people will mention that cheating is predatory and unjust, and against the spirit of gamesmanship. What does one consider cheating? Well, some groups should clearly be exempt from the tricks of con-artists. Old people, for example, have enough to worry about. Those who cheat the elderly out of their money are despicable and vile. Stealing candy from a baby is never going to pass off as a legitimate endeavor.

Something significant and worth mentioning here is that people often don't even realize they are cheating, especially when money is involved. They gain some additional edge and they exploit it. It could be something like the discovery that a randomly placed mirror or other reflective surface is revealing the cards held by an opponent. Rather than notify the unsuspecting dupe, most people - and we mean a significant majority - would instead use this information to their advantage. That is simply a human trait, or at least one possessed by the majority of humans that we know.

For more information on cheating and the dangers associate with it, visit our pages devoted to such information at http://www.gamblingplanet.org/Cheating .