Beware Of Three-Card Trickery
People who are caught up in the gambling fever of the races can fall prey to respectable looking men in suits who 'rob' punters of 50 or 100 a time, said Mike Mooney who has worked in some of Miami's top casinos catching card hustlers and cheats and now works as a magician at Karma nightclub's VIP Lounge and at corporate parties throughout Ireland.
"Last year what amazed me was that the people who were doing it looked like businessmen, dressed in suits. People are drawn in by being allowed to win once, but it is absolutely impossible to beat the dealer," he warned.
"The only one to pick the right card is what we call a 'plant', that is a person known to the dealer. It's a con game that cannot be beaten, but people will still bet on it, because the odds are 3:1 and it looks impossible to lose, but actually it's impossible to win," he finished.
Meanwhile, Gardaí at Millstreet station have advised the public to be aware of counterfeit 50 notes, which may be in circulation at the Races.
"In previous years we've seen a good few incidences of counterfeit currency," a Garda spokesman said. "The Galway Races is a good place to put them into circulation," he claimed.
A record crowd and a record bookie and tote spend of well over 3 million has already been recorded in the first days of the races.
With the weather holding fine, over 20,000 people have already come through the turnstiles at Ballybrit, with the event seeing the benefit of money that has been ploughed into a new stand and upgraded facilities.
