Advantage Tool
An advantage tool is any device or method used to cheat, such as a marked card or a holdout machine.
The simple explanation
An advantage tool is any device or method used to cheat, such as a marked card or a mechanical device for hiding cards. It is cheating equipment, not legitimate preparation. Using one is against the rules and in many places against the law.
A closer look
The category covers devices and methods alike. A holdout machine hides one or more cards so that the cheat can slip them into play later. Marked cards let the cheat know the value of a card from its back. Advantage tools differ from legal training software and tracking programs, which do not alter the deal or reveal hidden information. Casinos watch for such tools with cameras and regular checks of decks and tables.
A practical example
A player secretly keeps a card in a holdout machine and swaps it into his hand during a hand. The machine is an advantage tool, and using it is cheating.
Full explanation
An advantage tool is any device or method used to cheat, such as a marked card or a holdout machine.
An advantage tool is any device or method employed to cheat, such as a marked card or a mechanical device for hiding one or more cards. The classic example of such a device is a holdout machine.
The word ‘advantage’ is used here in the cheating sense: the tool gives its user an unfair edge. It is not the same as an advantage player, who tries to find an edge without breaking the rules.
Casinos fight such tools by changing decks, using cut cards and monitoring tables on camera.
If you see signs of cheating at a table, tell the floor.