In recent news, two individuals have been caught red-handed and are now facing the music for their underhanded tactics at the poker table. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan filed felony charges against Vaagn Galustyan and Armin Martirosyan. The duo reportedly swindled over $30,000 from two local casinos by marking cards to cheat at poker. According to a news release from the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Galustyan, 52, and Martirosyan, 53, could face up to three years and eight months in prison if convicted on all accounts.
Avid players of Mississippi Stud Poker, the accused were not content to leave their fortunes to chance. Instead, they resorted to bending corners on cards to edge out an advantage. The DA’s office detailed how the cheaters operated in Pala Casino, causing a loss of $19,250, and replicated their scheme a week later at Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center to win $13,410. These losses are significant, considering that casinos depend on the fairness and unpredictability of games.
Card marking is as old as the hills, yet schemes like these are becoming less fertile with current surveillance technology. To mitigate these practices, casinos employ rigorous scrutiny, using cameras and regular deck changes to keep the gameplay above board. "This method of cheating at cards goes back hundreds of years but with modern technology, the practice can be detected and those who would scam local casinos can be brought to justice," DA Stephan explained, per the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
