Part I: Card Game Cheating · Collusion & Electronic Cheating at Card Games · #2.5
The Baccarat “Nine-Nine” Collusion Scam
How it works
In baccarat, players seated together may engage in covert information sharing about their hands to gain an edge on side bets or to coordinate betting. In some Asian variants, players handle cards, creating opportunities for team members to signal card values through subtle gestures. A more sophisticated version involves players using hidden cameras to photograph fanned cards, then reviewing images to track card sequences through controlled shuffles.
Where it appears
Baccarat (Punto Banco, Macau-style squeeze games)
On the record
In 2017-2018, Ming Zhang and a co-conspirator cheated multiple Maryland casinos of over $1 million by photographing fanned baccarat cards and exploiting false shuffles. The dealer did not shuffle a section of cards, allowing the player to track sequences.
Detection & prevention
The paid halfHow a monitoring room catches the baccarat “nine-nine” collusion scam, and what stops it recurring — written for the desk, not the reader.
Detection · 51 words
Prevention · 33 words
Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.