One of the world’s most famous gamblers has been faced with cheating and defrauding a casino; Archie Karas, now 62, who had been said to have built up $40 million in winnings over three years within the mid 1990s from a genuine $50 stake years ago only to lose it all back, had been allegedly caught marking cards at a blackjack table in a California casino recently.

Arrested at His House

In accordance with authorities, Karas was taken into custody last week at his nevada house. Karas will be extradited to San Diego to face charges of burglary, cheating and winning by fraudulent means. Karas could potentially face up to three years in prison if he is convicted of all charges.

‘This defendant’s fortune ran out thanks to extraordinary cooperation between a number of different legislation enforcement agencies who worked together to investigate and prosecute this instance,’ said Bonnie Dumanis, San Diego County District Attorney.

The case was opened in July, after Karas whose name that is real Anargyros Karabourniotis was seen on security cameras marking cards in a blackjack game using small amounts of dye. Karas was marking every one of the cards worth ten (tens, jacks, queens and kings), aswell as aces, so that you can gain an advantage over the Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, California, which is situated inland in North San Diego County.

For people unfamiliar with the game, knowing what cards had been coming or what card the dealer had within the hole would be enough to give even an unskilled player a big advantage over the casino. It allowed Karas to make decisions centered on what he knew he would need to beat the dealer, or select whether or not to hit or stand based on what the next card ended up being (or could not be).

Used a Casino Chip to Mark Cards

Karas managed to get the dye onto the cards using a casino chip that is hollowed-out. He’d swipe the chip over the cards he wanted to make throughout the span of the game a move that could be problematic for a dealer to get at the table, but which could be seen on security cameras.

In fact, it’s feasible that Karas had pulled a similar scheme at other casinos as well. When investigators searched Karas’ home, they discovered chips that are hollowed-out other gambling enterprises too. Having said that, no other casinos are making complaints about Karas cheating at the blackjack tables recently.

But further into the past, Karas has received plenty of run-ins with gaming control officials, especially in Las Vegas.

‘The Nevada Gaming Control Board has investigated Karas on multiple occasions resulting in four arrests,’ said Karl Bennison, the NGCB enforcement chief, in a statement. ‘Karas has become a threat to the gaming industry in several jurisdictions.’

Karas’ famous winning streak came during the poker tables from 1992 to 1995, when he took $50 and eventually made millions playing the high-stakes poker cash games, in addition to pool hustling, in Sin City. He was then believed to lose nearly all of that money in just weeks by playing craps, baccarat and other casino games. However, he was constantly able to find backers to get him back regarding the poker felt, where he stayed effective for years. He has also had some tournament poker success, finishing since high as 3^rd in World Series of Poker occasions over the full years, winning an overall total in excess of $200,000 in live tournament play over the length of their career.