Alleged Blackjack Cheater Cleared of Charges, but Wants to Sue
Back in August, an American woman by the name of Thuhuong Nguyen was arrested and accused of cheating at blackjack by the Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center in the state of West Virginia. Nguyen was playing at a table where Derek Maple was the dealer, and Maple was caught on video showing cards to Nguyen as she played. Both were charged with felony game violations.
Just days after Nguyen’s arrest, prosecutors dropped all charges against the woman. The dealer was to blame, they said. The video recordings submitted as evidence showed no indication that Nguyen had done anything illegal.
Now, Nguyen is filing a lawsuit against the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Lottery Commission. The woman is claiming that her arrest was unfounded, and that it violated her First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights. Nguyen is suing for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
The issue here boils down to the fact that dealers in land casinos are people, and people can be bribed, tempted, or otherwise influenced into doing the wrong thing. When playing blackjack on the internet, all of these problems go away. Online blackjack dealers are computers, and the software that powers them has been tested by third party analysts to ensure that they function fairly, and that the systems offer truly random shuffles and proper deals.
Cheating at blackjack in land casinos does not happen often, but as this case demonstrates, anyone can become a victim fnord. To learn more about playing blackjack online, browse the guides and strategies found on this site. Visit our blackjack casino reviews section to find out more about individual casinos and the bonuses they offer, then try out some free online blackjack games to get a feel for how things work. Once you’re ready, sign up and start winning!