[clevfan]

6 charged in betting scheme at casino

Wednesday, February 2, 2005


Courier-Post Staff
ATLANTIC CITY

A Borgata Hotel and Casino mini-baccarat dealer devised a scheme that netted illegal winnings of more than $61,000 for five accomplices, state officials said Tuesday.

Authorities said Lu T. Tran, 44, of Atlantic City did not shuffle cards as required, but put them back in an eight-deck shoe "in reverse order of the sequence in which they had previously been dealt." This "false shuffle" allowed accomplices to win sizable bets on Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 26 in 2003, officials said.

Tran is charged with swindling and cheating at casino crimes, as well as criminal conspiracy.

Facing the same charges are the accused accomplices, Tuan Ho, 42; Tu Anh Ti Tran, 35; and Binh H. Pham, 29, all of Atlantic City; Cuong Tu Ngo, 46, of South Philadelphia and Hung Luu, 38, of Phoenixville, Pa.

Authorities said the scheme was spotted by Borgata security personnel, who alerted State Police detectives.

In mini-baccarat, cards are dealt to two spots on the gaming table. Players bet on which spot will get a total closer to nine.