Late betting
Encyclopedia
Late betting or past posting is making a bet
after the time when no more bets are to be taken. It is considered cheating because information may have become available, including the outcome of the event, that was not available to those making earlier bets.
The term past posting originates from horse racing
where a bugle
r sounds a "call to the post"http://www.horse-races.net/sounds/ctp.wav just before the race begins. This is also the signal that no more bets can be taken. Any bets made after that time occur after or past "the post".
In other forms of gambling, the dealer may announce "No more bets" or wave their hand over the table in a specific manner. In roulette
game for example, past posting refers to placing a bet after the ball lands in a pocket. The player has to distract the dealer's attention to be able either to move the bet to or to place a bet on the winning number. Past posters in roulette games play in teams. According to most cheating strategies the player who succeeded in placing a past posting bet and did not get caught is to make a few more bets (now legal) and leave the table.
This was more feasible in the days before live television or radio broadcasts of sporting events. It is featured especially in the 1973 film The Sting
, which was set in 1936, as the basis for the successful con played on Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw
. In this case they used the wire transmissions of Western Union
before made public to find results of already run races. In addition, Came a Hot Friday
, set in 1949, and starring Peter Bland
, showed a less elaborate practice of past posting, but in this case, the ruse all went wrong.
It was also shown in the movie The Grifters
directed by Stephen Frears
. In the movie, we can see Lilly Dillon played by Anjelica Huston
manipulating the odds this way.
A variant of this is "pinching", where the bet is not moved but its amount is changed after the result. After a losing bet, the player removes chips from a stack through sleight-of-hand to reduce losses. The player may also plant high value chips underneath one or more low value chips visible on top, further reducing the payment for lost rounds, however, a bet found with high value chips underneath low value chips may be seen as suspicious. In either case, the top chip remains unchanged giving the same outward appearance of the bet, and will not be altered if the bet wins. This would be less practical to repeat over and over on the more long-shot bets like straight-up, whereas the even-payout bets on average would only require close to one pinched loss for every unpinched win.
Pinching may be done on many casino games, and in the case of card games, a skilled cheater may use cards to both snatch a chip out of the stack and conceal it as it is slid back to the player's pile.
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
after the time when no more bets are to be taken. It is considered cheating because information may have become available, including the outcome of the event, that was not available to those making earlier bets.
The term past posting originates from horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
where a bugle
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
r sounds a "call to the post"http://www.horse-races.net/sounds/ctp.wav just before the race begins. This is also the signal that no more bets can be taken. Any bets made after that time occur after or past "the post".
In other forms of gambling, the dealer may announce "No more bets" or wave their hand over the table in a specific manner. In roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
game for example, past posting refers to placing a bet after the ball lands in a pocket. The player has to distract the dealer's attention to be able either to move the bet to or to place a bet on the winning number. Past posters in roulette games play in teams. According to most cheating strategies the player who succeeded in placing a past posting bet and did not get caught is to make a few more bets (now legal) and leave the table.
This was more feasible in the days before live television or radio broadcasts of sporting events. It is featured especially in the 1973 film The Sting
The Sting
The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
, which was set in 1936, as the basis for the successful con played on Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw
-Arts and humanities:* Bob Shaw , Irish science fiction writer* Bob Shaw , co-writer for Seinfeld, A Bugs Life and others* Robert J...
. In this case they used the wire transmissions of Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
before made public to find results of already run races. In addition, Came a Hot Friday
Came a Hot Friday
Came a Hot Friday is a 1985 New Zealand made comedy film starring some of New Zealand's best-known actors and comedians, based on the 1964 novel by Ronald Hugh Morrieson.-Plot:...
, set in 1949, and starring Peter Bland
Peter Bland
Peter Bland is a British-New Zealand poet and actor.-Life:He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 20 and graduated from the Victoria University of Wellington....
, showed a less elaborate practice of past posting, but in this case, the ruse all went wrong.
It was also shown in the movie The Grifters
The Grifters (film)
The Grifters is a 1990 neo-noir film directed by Stephen Frears and produced by Martin Scorsese. It stars John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening and is based upon The Grifters, a pulp novel by Jim Thompson.-Plot:...
directed by Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
. In the movie, we can see Lilly Dillon played by Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
manipulating the odds this way.
A variant of this is "pinching", where the bet is not moved but its amount is changed after the result. After a losing bet, the player removes chips from a stack through sleight-of-hand to reduce losses. The player may also plant high value chips underneath one or more low value chips visible on top, further reducing the payment for lost rounds, however, a bet found with high value chips underneath low value chips may be seen as suspicious. In either case, the top chip remains unchanged giving the same outward appearance of the bet, and will not be altered if the bet wins. This would be less practical to repeat over and over on the more long-shot bets like straight-up, whereas the even-payout bets on average would only require close to one pinched loss for every unpinched win.
Pinching may be done on many casino games, and in the case of card games, a skilled cheater may use cards to both snatch a chip out of the stack and conceal it as it is slid back to the player's pile.