10 Incredibly Clever Casino Scams That Actually Worked

2. The Savannah

Widely regarded as one of the best scams in casino history, the Savannah was remarkable in both its effectiveness and simplicity. Famous casino cheater Richard Marcus and his gang managed to run the Savannah scam for over five years, without ever being caught. Between 1995 and 2000, Marcus would act drunk at the casino, before walking up to a busy roulette table. Once there, he'd place a couple of chips on a number. The top chip would be worth just $5, hiding a large value $1,000 or $5,000 chip underneath. When the bet lost, Marcus would quickly swap out the high value chip for another one of $5 value the second the ball dropped. If it was a win, he'd leave the high-value chip there, resulting in a huge payout every time. Even after careful surveillance and being marked by several of the large casinos, Marcus was never caught, only revealing it in a book he wrote after becoming rich enough to retire.