The Context: Factors that Make Cheating Easier or More Difficult in Live Poker Games

Cheating in live poker games is quite different from doing the same in online poker. For one thing, cheaters who work together or alone do not have to deal with having all of their hands and wagers recorded on the spot, as happens with gambling software that automatically keeps a detailed log. Live games, on the other hand, must rely on the observational skills of casino staff, and surveillance devices such as security cameras. On the other hand, cheating in a live casino is harder because you yourself (i.e. your gestures and words) are under physical surveillance. If you are colluding with someone, you cannot use phone calls, text messages, chat programs, emails, etc. to communicate with each other. The alternative is to use subtle body language signals, which may be detected, forgotten, or misinterpreted.

Still, in live games, it is possible for players to contribute to the maintenance of honesty and fair play (as opposed to online poker, where the casino software and staff have to do all of the work alone). Below are some things that players can do to help combat online poker cheating.

1. Check to see if anyone is around who should not be there, or does not need to be there. Perhaps this observer might be colluding with a player, particularly if you happen to be playing a high-stakes game outside a “professional” gambling establishment, a la Angelina Jolie’s character in the film Original Sin.

2. Check your dealer. If the dealer uses a “mechanic’s grip,” which allows him/her undue control of the cards. The dealer’s pointer finger is likely to be in front of the deck.

3. See how other players handle their chips. If a player is suspiciously disorganized or throws chips at the pot instead of sliding/stacking them neatly into the designated area, he or she could be hiding something. Furthermore, a player who leaves the game and offers to “help” organize the pot might be stealing a few chips.

4. Look at seating arrangements. If a particular pair of players always sits together (without being relatives, friends, spouses, etc.), and are either less aggressive or more aggressive with each other than with anyone else, they may be colluding. Also, try to see if a particular player is eager to sit in a specific spot. He or she might be trying to take advantage of a certain kind of dealing process. Then again, it is also possible that this player is more comfortable being early or late in the hand, or does not want to be a blind.

5. If possible, request a brand new deck to ensure that the cards have not been marked, or that (horrors!) the dealer is not able to collude with any players by passing out cards in a prearranged deck.

In many cases, it is hard to be sure whether party poker cheats, even if they show signs of doing so. This “sign” may be an honest mistake. An accusation against that player might be more trouble than it is worth, particularly if people suspect that your accusation is a way to make up for losses and/or disrupt a game that is not going well for you. Discretion may be the better part of valor: simply fold, or get up and leave.