Working the Telegraph Review

What Is Working the Telegraph?

The term “working the telegraph” refers to a kind of cheat that players in physical casinos use. This cheating technique is linked to ancient communication know-how, which used Morse code. The method involves little movements and expressions that indicate the cards of other participants. Therefore, this system requires two people, in which one is the potential player at the table; while the other is just sitting close enough to view other players’ cards from the table. Before players can successfully cheat in this manner, they must be careful and devious at the same time.

Working the Telegraph Explained

According to the above, “working the telegraph” takes its meaning from old communication means, which involved little expressions that people translate into symbols, and transform into written texts.
Typically, people who try to use this technique adopt the following gestures; beating on the table, or playing with particular clothing items, coughing, scratching precise body parts, yawning, or uttering words or phrases that seem innocent.

However, several different signs indicate the types of cards their opponents have. Although it is an extremely cumbersome task to signal the particular kind of card a player is holding to the cheating participant, many people still manage to get it right. Mostly, since it is hard to specify the type of card without letting others notice, these players manage to indicate how good the opponents’ cards are, how many regal cards they have or if they are about to win a flush.

Although many players use this system to cheat in the game’s infant years, many successful casinos now employ people solely to supervise the activities of players and watch out for such movements. Nowadays, with the technological outbreak, accompanied by gadgets like CCTV, casinos can easily monitor every activity during gaming, without using so many employees.
If a player is caught cheating in this way, he or she will be thrown out of the house and will be turned in to the appropriate authorities.