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Casinos> Gambling Articles > Protecting Yourself from Online Poker Cheats
Protecting Yourself from Online Poker Cheats
Poker cheats have been around almost as long as the game
itself. A traditional poker cheat knows how to work the cards and online poker
cheats are no different. If given the chance, they will take your money.
Cheating Frequency
It’s hard to know exactly how many players are cheating
online. Some say it’s rampant, while others say it’s barely a concern.
Basically, it just depends on whom you’re talking to. Regardless, there is no denying that it is
happening.
If you visit poker forums, you’ve seen the accusations fly.
Players frequently accuse one another of cheating. Of course, some of these
accusations are nothing more than a bout of paranoia or a display of poor
sportsmanship. But, not all of them. Online poker cheats do exist and if given
the chance, they will tip the odd in their favor.
Spotting Cheaters
Fortunately, online cheaters are usually easy to spot if you
know what to look for. Though some of them are very good at what they do, most
of them are stupid and/or greedy. They will try to pull off their scam in ways
that are so obvious that they are easily detected by the trained eye. If you
want to protect yourself, learn how online poker players cheat. By knowing how
they cheat, you’ll know what to look for.
How Online Cheaters Cheat
Online poker cheating is a bit different than the cheating
that goes one in casinos and smoky basements. There are only so many ways that
you can cheat in online poker. Here they are:
- Colluding-
This is the biggest online poker scam that exists and the most common
form of cheating. Chances are you’ve seen it happen at one or more of the
tables that you’ve sat in on. In case you haven’t, collusion occurs when
two or more players play at the same table and share information. They
then use the info to help each other make better choices based on the
odds. Players stay in contact via phone, online messenger, etc.
Because they are usually
splitting the winnings, colluders have to be able to play their combined hands
well to make it pay off. Fortunately, most players are so inept at this form of
cheating that they inadvertently call attention to themselves. Those who are
really bad at it do not even use an accomplice. They simply use two computers
and two different screen names.
When watching for signs of
collusion, keep your eyes out for players who participate in “foot-sawing”.
Just like in regular poker, foot-sawing is used to sweeten the pot. A player
with a weak hand helps out a co-conspirator who has a strong hand by staying in
the game and raising in an attempt to get others players to bet more.
- Poker
Bots- This is the ultimate solution for a cheater who is either too
busy or too untalented to cheat in person. Poker bots are programmed to
play the table for you. Bots can win, but they lose just as frequently.
It is impossible for the average
player to watch for bots. Fortunately, you don’t have to. Site security usually
spots them before they cause too much trouble. Only bots can play 48 hours
straight without having to take a bathroom break.
- Pulling
the Cord- This is the virtual equivalent of pretending to pass out on
the poker table. When the cheat realizes that he has backed himself
into a corner that his hand can’t get him out of, he disconnects his
Internet connection in hopes that the house will let him keep his wager.
No need to worry about these cheaters. The house is
watching them and they’re wise to the scam. It is one of the easiest and
quickest ways to get banned from an online poker site.
Hackers / Software Cheats- There are tons of
these software programs on the market. Most promise extraordinary things, but
rarely deliver. The software usually comes with shareware and an odds
calculator. Some programs even have the audacity to claim that they can track
and show you the hand of every opponent at the table. Most online poker experts
agree that the idea of hackers and software being able to do this is nothing
but a myth. Cheaters who buy these programs usually waste their money and end
up getting cheated themselves.
How Online Cheaters Get Caught
Just like in regular casinos, the house is always watching.
Online poker sites monitor players 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They
watch everything, including game logs, rake patterns, win/loss percentages,
accounting records, and withdrawals. The house also makes it hard for a player
to cheat, because they can trace the cheaters through IP addresses, locations,
etc.
Sites also count on tips from the players who play at their
tables. Tip-offs are almost always investigated. If a player has numerous
accusations against them, it is almost a sure sign that they are cheating. If a
site catches a cheater, they are almost always instantly banned. In many cases,
cheaters are not allowed to keep or withdrawal the bankroll that they
accumulated.
If you suspect that someone is cheating, you should notify
the house immediately. If you feel that nothing is being done about it, leave
the table and leave the site. Online poker is not limited to one or two sites.
You can easily find a new table somewhere else.
Additional Tips to Help You Spot a Cheater
- Watch
for repetition. There is a time to play and a time to fold. If you see a
player exercising horrible judgment over and over again, he might not be
just a poor poker player. He could be trying to sweeten the pot for
someone else.
- Pay
extra attention to the players who never play fast pre-flop. They may be
taking this time to talk to other players about their hand.
- Be
mindful of other players’ reaction times. If they are slow to react time
and time again, they may be using cheating software, odds calculators, or
worse.
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