I want to tell you a little story…
Long before the game of poker became so popular, many people had the misconception that cheating was rife within. An endemic. But the truth is that cheating was less common than people think. Once labeled a “cheat,” it would be nearly impossible for the player to get a game.
While TV exposure and the rise of the Poker Superstars has raised the profile and respectability of the game, there still remains a minority of individuals who want to take your cash, without playing on a level playing field.
So this is a guide to protect yourself against the unscrupulous and shady characters that are out there:
Part 1: The Best Hand Play
Best hand play is perhaps one of the more subtle methods of cheating in poker. It involves two or more players communicating their hand values to each other.
The point is to deny opponents pot odds for hands that are being played and to substantially reduce the size of the pots that the opponents might win.
Say for instance that your team member has AQ under the gun in limit Hold’em but you’re sitting in the cut-off with AK. A player in middle position raises and then you re-raise with the AK. Your team member has already folded his AQ because he has let your AK play. If the player who has raised, has a big premium pair for instance, and it holds up against the AK, they are denied the extra money that the AQ would have put into the pot. Why? Because they’ve folded.
This type of play can have an almost “starvation” effect on other players, because it reduces the average pot size which they win. The economics of poker state that in order to win, you must earn an amount of money that is above and beyond your cost of doing business. The best hand play helps to prevent opponents from doing that.
Part 2: How To Go About Spotting It
When executed properly, it is very difficult to spot. Always keep a check of is who is on your table. It is also good to take note of which players never seem to play hands together.
Keep it clean, and watch your back.
