This article will examine common methods of cheating in online poker and explain why they should not be attempted.
One of the most straightforward ways to cheat in online poker is through collusion with a partner. Collusion refers to two or more players working together by sharing information to gain an advantage over others at the table. For example, players may sit at the same table and communicate their hole cards to each other via phone, secret chat programs, or even video streaming. This allows them to make optimal decisions against unsuspecting opponents who are essentially playing against a single player controlling multiple hands.
Collusion became widespread in online poker's early days when players would run remote desktop programs like Skype to observe and discuss hands in real-time. Modern poker sites have countermeasures to detect most screen-sharing and external communication methods. However, determined cheaters may still attempt sneaky workarounds, like using multiple devices and accounts to coordinate play. But collusion requires deceiving and exploiting other players. Most would agree this violates the trust and ethics at the heart of the game.
Another common cheating technique is creating multiple accounts controlled by a single player. Multi-accounting allows cheaters to circumvent table seat limits, enter the same tournaments multiple times, manipulate game formats requiring a certain number of players, and even collude with themselves.Setting up extra accounts is trivially easy at most poker sites. A skilled player can gain a significant advantage by controlling more seats and gathering more information at each table.
Multi-accounting is considered unethical because it disrupts the fairness and integrity of games. When one player masquerades as several, it weighting the table in their favor and screws up tournament payout structures. Poker sites do actively monitor for players using multiple accounts, but cheaters try to avoid detection by using different devices and obfuscating account connections. But at the end of the day, cheating by multi-accounting violates the one player, one account policy inherent to poker.
Ghosting refers to accepting real-time advice or information from someone not playing at the table. The “ghost” analyzes the game state and communicates plays, often undetected by their partner’s opponents. Before poker sites added delay and anti-ghosting measures, ghosting was a serious problem. A player could call up a poker pro friend and gain an absurd advantage over others at the table simply by following their instructions.
Today most major poker sites have direct messaging disabled and delays to prevent ghosting in real-time. However, crafty cheaters could still attempt workarounds by using multiple devices or even verbal communication. The player technically makes the final decision, but gaining external support is still considered cheating in most poker circles. Ghosting defeats the purpose of poker as a game of incomplete information and erodes the competitive integrity of play.
Whereas ghosting utilizes a human advisor, Real-Time Assistance (RTA) refers to software tools that provide in-game guidance. RTA programs process the visible game state to provide statistics, odds calculations, recommended plays, and sometimes even display opponents’ hole cards deduced from algorithms. RTA provides a consistent and discreet way to gain an unfair advantage in poker.
Understandably, poker sites prohibit and aggressively detect RTA tools that interact directly with the poker client. However, RTA programs running on external devices still pose a threat. A creative cheater could have an application on a separate tablet or computer identifying optimal plays based on screenshots. While externally accessing RTA requires manual play, it still qualifies as cheating by relying on prohibited aid. At best, RTA is against site terms. At worst, it's downright theft through deception.
Bots are programs designed to play poker automatically without human involvement. They use complex poker math and algorithms to analyze each situation and take statistically optimal actions. In today's world, moderately skilled poker bots can beat low stakes games. But their major advantage comes from tirelessly playing multiple tables simultaneously, generating a steady return over time.
Using bots is clearly prohibited by poker sites, as their automated play extracts value without human skill or risk. Running one or more bots would provide guaranteed profit driven only by the cold, calculating power of the machine. While bots aren't foolproof, their steady technical play creates a painfully boring experience for human opponents. Poker relies on bravado, heart, and instability of opponents. So poker bots violate both site policy and the spirit of the game.
Soft playing describes colluding with a partner through intentionally less than optimal play. For example, refusing to bet into your partner or eliminate them from a tournament when you have the chance. Soft play allows cheating through non-obvious cooperation, like avoiding confrontation or slipping information through disguised public tells.
Soft playing is one of the hardest forms of collusion to definitively prove, especially given poker's inherent incomplete information. Opponents may rightfully be skeptical of curious folds, checks, or calls between partners. But there are perfectly valid reasons to avoid overly aggressive play in many spots when tournament life or chips are on the line. Ultimately, only the soft players themselves know the intention behind unconventional decisions that are potentially benefiting their partner.
Chip dumping involves intentionally losing chips or giving money to another player. It's an insidious form of collusion where bankrolls and tournament payouts are manipulated. Chip dumping schemes are often conducted between accounts controlled by the same player or partners. One player amasses chips or profits by winning against unsuspecting opponents, then transfers funds by losing chips in staged hands.
Chip dumping undermines fairness, and is flat-out theft in games where money is on the line. In tournaments, dumping chips can allow a partner to survive artificial bubbles or alter their payout position. Poker sites aim to detect chip dumping statistically by analyzing unlikely betting patterns and money flows between accounts. But crafty cheaters still attempt this scam by losing increments small enough stay under the radar. Ultimately, chip dumping requires deception to redistribute chips, distort actual results, and effectively steal payouts.
While cheating may sound lucrative, poker sites are strongly incentivized to detect and thwart potential scams. Anti-cheating methods like game integrity tools, hand replays, statistical analysis, account access patterns all aim to catch cheaters in the act. Players suspected of prohibited practices may have funds frozen or accounts outright banned.
Most forms of cheating require deceiving opponents through unfair practices. Even if you avoid detection, cheating diminishes the game for others. Bogus results from collusion undermine competitive rankings and credibility. Multi-accounting disrupts balanced table dynamics. Ghosting and RTA strip away the fog of war and invalidate skill edges. Bots transform gameplay into robotic algorithms. Ultimately, cheaters sacrifice ethics for personal profit, which goes against the spirit of poker.
Sure, online poker has more potential vectors for cheating compared to brick and mortar casinos. But the thrill of overcoming the hidden elements through strategy, deductions, and cunning is what makes the game so captivating. Outplaying an opponent through skill and nerve within the rules is far more rewarding than ill-gotten gains through tricks and scams. If you're considering questionable practices, consider how cheating damages the game for all involved. With so much on the line, why take the risk? Play responsibly, confidently, and ethically.
