I’ve read a magazine focusing mainly on casino stuff. In one of its articles, it was stated that “If you just call somebody on the river rather than raising them, you hurt all other players in the tournament. It’s not ethical poker, so don’t do it”. I don’t exactly understand what it means. Can you help me?

Thanks!

Regards,
Crocker
Crocker,

The only thing that I can think that this article is talking about is just calling on the river when you have the nuts. In tournament poker, if you do not bet or raise with the nuts on the river, then this is considered soft playing, which is a form of cheating.

Otherwise, there are many times that calling on the river is the appropriate play. Don’t worry about that unless you have the nuts. If you have the nuts, raise.

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What Happens When There’s Disconnection?

When there is disconnection, the server will immediately work things out so a player will be reconnected in no time. If unluckily, the player can’t reconnect, it will dip into the player’s “disconnection protection” pool of credits. In the event the player has one, the dealer will declare him or her as all-in for the duration of the hand though of course he or she is not at all. This is one way for the player to stay on the game.

On the other hand, if in case the player don’t have any “disconnection protection” credits, his or her hand will be immediately folded no matter what his or her hand is. If in case he or she have a good hand, then it will be a total disaster. Hence, it is very important that a player secures good internet connection and non-crash-prone computer for safer, better playing experience.

Possible Cheating

Some cheaters take advantage of the “disconnection protection”. They know that if they have any “disconnection protection” credits, they will be automatically be all in so oftentimes they intentionally disconnect themselves from the table so they could cheat and manipulate the game.

As of the moment, though getting disconnected is still a threat to many beginners, things are a bit better. Some sites limit the number of times one can be protected by “disconnection protection”. Some sites even have “no all-in” tables so cheaters won’t have any chance to take advantage and cheat.

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Collusion is a scheme by which two or more players agreed to play as one against other players at the table. Basically, there is sharing of information so an unfair advantage could be achieved.

Angling is the acting out of turn by which there is folding, betting, or checking early so the game and so as the results be manipulated. This a technique not directly punishable as there is no direct cheating considered in acting out early.

Finally, misrepresentation of a hand is the act of purposely calling a wrong hand at showdown to manipulate the game. Typically, it is accomplished when cards are of four straight or all black or red cards.

Need for Safe Online Poker Games

Cheating can take place even in online poker games, therefore by all means, you must only play in safe poker sites. Nowadays, safe poker sites would include Full Tilt Poker, Poker Nordica, BetFair, Intertops.com, and Poker Stars. These poker sites are considered safe because of some security softwares that are totally dependable.

However, although the poker sites aforementioned are considered safe, you still have to do your part. You must be very careful in your dealings and cautious of your actions. Doing so will more or less likely eliminate all cheating possibilities and not doing so of course will mean the opposite thing. Remember that no matter how safe a site is because of its security software if you are careless and incautious, it’s useless.

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Well, we all know that almost all of the cheating techniques of today are accomplished during when the cheater is the dealer, so using a dealer shoe will be very helpful. However, it has some flaws, causing some to say no it.

How a Dealer Shoe Helps?

In a dealer shoe, cards will be well concealed and will only be retrieved by sliding them out of a small crack in the front part. Because of this, it will be tough for cheaters to apply some sleight of hand dealing maneuvers and eventually cheat.

Basically, cheaters will have lesser opportunities to cheat and to take advantage of others when a dealer shoe is in use. Of course, if there are lesser opportunities to cheat, there would also be lesser cheating possibilities and greater chances for achieving fair games.

Does a Dealer Shoe Really Have Some Flaws?

Dealer shoes can indeed lessen possibilities of cheating at the table. However, despite its effectiveness, it is not widely used by many players today because of some flaws found in it. For some, a dealer shoe can:

• be a practical method of dealing in games other than poker.
• be inefficient to use because in a poker game or any other game that has a rotating dealer, it needs to be passed around the table.
• make a game unfriendly because it seems to suggest lack of trust with the dealer and in the game itself.

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Your Instincts When There’s Cheating

If you are an experienced poker player, you most likely can easily ascertain whether or not you are being cheated. You instincts for possible cheating will be strong enough to help you out. Indeed, this will be your advantage. Considering also that expert or seasoned cheaters will never admit he or she is cheating or he or she cheated, your instincts will be your only guide in knowing the truth.

By all means expert or seasoned cheaters will deny acts of cheating. Worser, they would even place a certain amount of doubt in player’s minds that they are being cheated as well. Of course, they would never place this lasting impression in the minds of other players that they are a cheater as they could never play poker the same way again. They will be known to everybody as a player who cheat and who deceive and take advantage of others. Nobody will then want to play with them.

If such cheaters will protect themselves by showing they too are victims of cheating, knowing you are being cheated will be something hard for you and so as knowing when to end the game to save yourself. But you will always have some instincts to back you up during hard times. You can trust them. Doing so cannot hurt you but can actually save you from trouble.

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Because of the presence of cheaters and their cheating schemes and techniques, it would be hard for poker players to have honest games. They could catch cheaters in action but it would be a bit hard for them most especially if they lack enough experience. Perhaps, what they can just do is to make some preventive measures like in particular use of marked card protocol. Well, marked card protocol is a preventive measure that is mainly for the detection of some marked cards. Implementing this could help you achieve better, honest poker games.

How Marked Card Protocol is Accomplished?

Marked card protocol can actually be accomplished in a regular deal while keeping an eye in every card being dealt. Well, cards that are marked good enough are hard to spot, but crimps and shading can be noticed if you look at the cards closely.

The trick would be a quick but sharp look at the cards once per hour or two. You can flip through the corners of the cards like pages in a picture book. This would reveal any crimps or marking if there is and would ensure that the deck is safe to use.

Watching over players who look at the back of the cards closely or who watch over the cards of other players suspiciously can also be effective. This can help you in ascertaining who the cheaters are.

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Changing of Decks

Typically, changing of decks can be done once in a while. The most advisable, at least once in every hour, this can already keep a game honest and free from any cheating scheme.

To change decks in a card room or casino, you can just request the deck to be changed. You just have to know the ruling of the card room or casino in terms of changing of decks as some only allow such once during a particular period of time, typically once every two hours.

Changing of Decks Can Lessen the Cheating Risk

Changing or swapping of decks is an effective preventive measure to take by those players who play accordingly and wish for a clean, honest game. However, it doesn’t guarantee total freedom from cheaters and their cheating schemes, most especially when we speak of expert cheaters who are capable of cheating no matter what preventive measure is carried out against them. It can only lessen the risk of cheating taking place at the table as it prevents players from cheating because they know there are those who are on top of things, watching very closely over the deck.

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As of the moment, anglers are in almost every poker game so the threat or the risk of getting risk is very high. If you are an honest player who all the time plays according to the rules, this is something alarming for you. You can’t hide away from this reality. You can’t even ignore this as you’ll going to face this at some point.

Well, you will actually find it hard to know if you are already being victimized by anglers or just by new players who most likely act out of turn innocently, who in real sense have no intention to cheat. And if by chance you realize you are being victimized by anglers, you will also find it hard to prove it and find justice for it as Angling is not directly against the rules of most poker rooms. Thus, the best thing you can is to just try to split up possible anglers at the poker table.

Split Them Up!

Yes, prevention is always better than cure. And this goes the same in poker. It would be already hard for you to eliminate anglers in your way when the game finally starts so it would be best if you try to split them up prior to the game or when the game has not yet started.

To split cheaters, just take a simple complaint about their play then floor manager will most likely mix up the tables. So you can effectively accomplish the splitting of cheaters, quietly stand up from being seated and see the floor manager.

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If you are the player being victimized by cheaters misrepresenting a hand, you are into trouble as you can not easily take them out of the poker room. As aforementioned, misrepresentation of a hand is not directly a violation. Even though there is already presence of intention to cheat, you can not do anything. In fact, you can not even prove that misrepresentation of a hand has happened for the purpose of cheating and manipulation of the game. Thus, it is always best for you to verify a hand first.

Verifying a Hand

It pays a lot to verify a hand. Basically, it keep the other players at the table honest and free from any intention to cheat. It makes players play with their hands the same or similar way to that they should be playing. Similarly, it makes them play in pots which they should be involved with.

Most likely, if verification of hand is effectively applied, everybody will play accordingly; knowing they can be called out at any time.

Equivalent of Hand Verification

Another way of equal importance and effect with hand verification is the slow pacing by which players who have pot interaction is advised to do things in a slow pace. By players interacting with the pot slowly, you can be sure that no money could be taken from the pot illegally using sleight of hand techniques.

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Generally, in games aforementioned, dealers don’t have to hold the deck at all as the cards are dealt face up. Of course, if cards are dealt face down to players, then they can hold the deck.

Why Hold the Deck?

Cheaters would do everything so they could hold the deck with both their hands. By having the deck for a reasonable period of time they could carry out their cheating scheme successfully. They could peek at cards, bottom deal, second deal, shift the cut, deal extra cards and the like. And finally, they could win the most pot or even the entire pot. If you are an experienced observer, you may not be able to see all of the cheating techniques being applied right before your very eyes and be victimized without your knowing.

Catching the Cheaters

It’s better and helpful for you to stay observant and at times even suspicious in games like the aforementioned ones where it is not necessary for dealers to hold the deck. You must know that dealers in such games who hold the deck for no reason at all are more or less cheaters. Most likely they are holding the deck because they are to apply their cheating plan so they could take home the pot. If by chance you come face to face with them, it would not be a bad idea to ask what they are up to. At least if they are to cheat, you can prevent them. They can’t anymore victimize you. See the floor manager immediately upon catching such cheater.

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