Warning: Undefined array key "post_type_share_twitter_account" in /var/www/vhosts/casinonewsblogger.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/cryptocurrency/vslmd/share/share.php on line 24
Posted on: October 2, 2025, 08:45h.
Last updated on: October 2, 2025, 08:45h.
- Pair allegedly bent cards to gain unfair betting advantage
- Prosecutors say suspects won over $32,000 through scheme
- Casino surveillance and tribal cooperation led to charges
Two gamblers accused of crimping cards during Mississippi Stud Poker games at casinos in San Diego County, Calif. are facing felony charges carrying up to 44 months in prison.
Vaagn Galustyan, 52, Armin Martirosyan, 53, were arraigned Tuesday on two counts of felony conspiracy. The pair were caught multiple times on security cameras surreptitiously bending the corner of high-value cards at the Pala Casino and Harrah’s Resort Southern California, according to the San Diego County DA’s Office.
How the Scheme Played Out
By subtly marking certain aces, tens, and face cards, the suspects could later identify those cards as they reappeared in the game. That information allowed them to bet more aggressively when they knew strong hands were likely and fold when they were not. In this way, the pair won $19,250 at Pala Casino, prosecutors said.
The pair tried the same trick again a week later at Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center, this time pocketing $13,410, according to prosecutors. A third accomplice remains unidentified.
The suspects entered the casinos separately to avoid suspicion before joining the same game. After their session at Pala, they left with their chips rather than cashing out immediately. They returned in the early hours of the morning in different clothes and went to different cashiers to collect their winnings.
What’s Mississippi Stud Poker?
Mississippi Stud is a house-banked poker-style game where players use two hole cards and three community cards to make a five-card hand. Instead of playing against others, gamblers bet against a fixed payout table, adding wagers as each community card is revealed.
Strong hands such as flushes or straights pay out, while weak hands lose all bets. Because betting escalates as cards are revealed, being able to spot a high-value card ahead of time can tilt the odds heavily in a player’s favor.
Cheating methods such as bending or marking cards are nothing new in gambling, but casinos have invested heavily in surveillance and card technology to catch them. Security teams monitor tables in real time, decks are swapped out frequently, and many cards are plastic-coated to resist tampering.
“This method of cheating at cards goes back hundreds of years but with modern technology, the practice can be detected and those who would scam local casinos can be brought to justice,” said DA Summer Stephan. “I’m proud of my office’s relationships with tribal governments and the cooperation we continue to have with them to successfully prosecute a variety of crimes that occur on tribal lands.”
