| There are always some people out
there that try and cheat at poker. They’re too lazy to try and improve their skill
level, and instead they spend their time trying to win money dishonestly. The most common
form of cheating online is collusion. It’s performed by two or more players who
connect some other way as they play together. They’ll
be connected via chat group or telephone, and they’ll know what each player is
holding. If they pool their money they will have multiple hands and much better odds
together against the other players. It can also be the same player playing multiple hands
on multiple player accounts, from different IP addresses.
Collusion is detectable if you know what to watch for.
They’re will be examples of “soft play” where a player will not bet in a
situation where they should have. This is often preceded by a lot of aggression from the
two players, forcing the other players out of the hand with re-raises. Or the players will
show this aggression, only to dump the pot to one player on the river. Another sign that
there’s been collusion going on is when multiple players all leave a game at the same
time.
Online casinos are active in recognizing betting patterns
that point to collusion. But they can use all the help they can get. There are a lot of
hands played, so if you can recognize collusion and report it to them, they’ll be
sure to follow up. So the next time you’re playing and two or three players seem too
aggressive, and are making odd bets and folds, don’t hesitate to report it. |
