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Poker 432: How To Cheat At Poker |
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All right, we certainly don't condone cheating here at Gambleversity, but we all know it can happen. The best way to guard against being cheated is to learn how people go about cheating at poker. This course is presented to give you a basic background on how people cheat at poker so you know what to watch for. |
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Most of the common methods of cheating at poker are due to slight of hand techniques. To facilitate sleight of hand, a special manner of holding the cards is often used called the Mechanic's Grip. The best way to understand the Mechanic's Grip is to hold a deck as though you were preparing to deal. Most likely the deck is in the palm of your hand with your four fingers along the long side of the deck and your thumb on the top. When you deal, you use your thumb to push a single card onto the tips of your fingers. Move you index and middle finger to the short side of the deck away from yourself. This is basically the Mechanic's Grip. Remember just because someone is holding the deck in this fashion doesn't mean they're cheating. There are also other grips that can be used to conceal sleight of hand. |
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The Peek is a manor of cheating where the dealer sees the top card before it is dealt. This gives the dealer the advantage of knowing what cards people are holding or the ability to alter who gets a particular card. The Peek is performed by blocking the top card from moving with the thumb and pushing against the opposite side with the pinky finger. |
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The Second Deal allows the dealer to deal the second top card of the deck instead of the top card. The dealer uses his thumb to push the top card away from the rest of the deck, leaving about a half inch of the second card exposed. The second card is then eased out with the thumb and grabbed by the dealer's other hand. |
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The Bottom Deal is much easier to perform. Instead of grabbing off the top card the dealer simply grabs the bottom card from the deck. The action is hidden by the Mechanic's Grip. |
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Another technique is for the dealer to give himself extra cards. The advantage is obvious and the action is easy to hide if no one is paying close attention. The difficulty in this method is in getting rid of the extra card or cards before the showdown and re-introducing them to the deck. |
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There are a number of false shuffling methods of cheating. The bottom card can be kept on the bottom and then bottom dealt. The bottom card can also be shuffled to the top of the deck and kept there by second dealing. The shuffle can also keep a number of cards undisturbed at the top of the deck. A player skilled at sleight of hand can also stack the deck in his favor. |
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Collusion is the easiest and most dangerous form of cheating at poker. Collusion involves two or more players silently working together at a poker table. When working together players can use signals to identify the strength of their hand or betting strategies. They can also create a distraction during sleight of hand. |
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The use of marked cards is another potential area of cheating. The best way to avoid a marked deck is to use a newly opened deck at the start of play. Cards can also be marked during play but not as effectively. The most common way to mark during play is by scraping the card with the thumbnail. |
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One of the simplest forms of cheating is by hand misrepresentation. At the showdown a player claims to have hand that he does not. This may seem easy to catch but cards can be displayed or hidden to make a hand appear to be something it is not. |
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The best way to guard against the different forms of cheating at poker is to pay attention. Know the signs and keep an eye out for them. Are players acting oddly? Does the dealing look different than usual? Have strong hands been beaten abnormally? Cutting can also help insulate against cheating during the shuffle. Do not allow the dealer to reshuffle after the cut. |
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