4 Common Ways People Are Cheating in Online Poker
You might think that cheating in online games is impossible due to technology progress and high levels of security. In reality, things are quite different. It’s not always the case that the human brain is weaker than the computer brain. When it’s hard to win, then cutting corners seems like a legit and fast solution. That is exactly the case with online poker too. Finding new ways to outsmart the system and invent new cheating techniques is what some people spend time and energy on. While playing by the rules is fun, sometimes people search for shortcuts to success, out of despair, hobby or simply – boredom. The most common reason is still financial. When big winning is in the game, then the end justifies the means. Or at least cheaters think so.
Are you curious to find out what poker cheating strategies exist out there? We are too. Let’s dig into it:
According to playamo.com, there are four common ways to cheat in online poker:
1. Using bots
Using bots means using artificial intelligence or in order words – computer programs to create fake profiles that work using a certain algorithm, made especially to detect patterns for winning. These parts can play against other human opponents or against the computer software and can bring some profit only in the long term. This means that your bot is making money only if you take an average result per a 100 poker hands, and it shows profit. It may sound tempting to use bots instead of spending enormous amounts of time playing the game while you can just turn on the program and wait for it to unlock deposits and other bonuses. The truth is, this is not a great way to earn money since the game is mostly unpredictable and cannot be based solely on mathematical calculations and algorithms. It’s important to constantly learn and develop new strategies which is something a bot can do but only to a certain extent. From that point, he can easily get beaten by a human opponent. Pros of using a bot are: he has no emotions and he can’t get tired. He also cannot do things irrationally and he doesn’t fear taking a risk when he finds it suitable. A good thing to know is that using poker bots is illegal and prohibited on every online poker website, however there still are some cases of poker bots since the development in selling of these programs is not illegal. Some say it’s simple to recognise when you’re playing against a bot by tracking the identical moves, timing or repetitions.
2. Using different accounts
We all do it in a lot of different fields. Why wouldn’t we do it in online poker too? Creating several accounts or in other words multi accounting means that one person is playing poker simultaneously, from different accounts in one poker room which is strictly forbidden because of the deposit offerings. This is how poker websites try to regulate their players’ accounts by allowing only one real money profile per person. Logically, every person gets its own welcome bonus and other bonuses, which is the main reason for banning multi-accounting. If one person takes two, 5 or 6 bonuses, then they’ll be in a much better position compared to the other players. The same situation could happen when someone is playing the same tournament from different accounts, which creates an unfair advantage over the others. The way online casinos cope with this problem is a lot of security measures such as requesting an ID from a new player or checking their players’ IP addresses, so that they ban the one that occurs twice in the game. They even do standard investigations especially if you win and you can easily get disqualified if there is proof that you’ve been using two accounts which will lead to closing both of them. It’s illegal and it’s considered a fraud, however it will always happen until someone gets caught. This is a problem both for poker websites and other players too, but it’s still a bigger problem for online websites and that’s why they fight it so much.
3. Taking advice from another player
Imagine having a best friend who is a professional poker player sitting next to you and helping you make moves while you’re playing your game. This could not happen in a brick and mortar casino since you would be noticed and excluded from the game. Thanks to the rise of online websites, this cheating strategy has become possible and common. There are no possibilities for websites to check if you’re playing your game alone or if someone else is sitting right next to you, telling you what to do. This can easily be done by recording your screen or sharing your screen via Skype and other platforms so the professional coach whose help you’re seeking doesn’t have to be physically in the same room as you, but can make you almost unstoppable and unbeatable, no matter the game level or skill level you are on. What makes it even more unfair is that you can almost never be caught. However, it’s still a very limited advantage since you rely on your coach and the second opinion you’re getting as well as the possibility to discuss a decision before you make it. Doesn’t sound so dangerous?
4. Collaborating with another player
This is actually a deal that two or more players make to outsmart and defeat their opponent. Cooperating and collaborating on different aspects of the game such as sharing their hole cards, sparing each other and checking-down a hand by a plan are some of the ways that a team of players try to win money. It’s common both at online poker and in live poker games. The result of this could be completely manipulating the game and changing its course in favor or colluding players. Other players can be tricked into losing large numbers while trying to raise the stakes. Sharing information and working together also creates an unfair advantage that can easily decide who wins. However, the research shows that collusion is more common in lower-money games since it’s quite complicated to keep this kind of game going without making a mistake or being noticed. The combined hands must be played perfectly and the amount of won money has to be big enough to make sense dividing it between several partner players. Sound like a headache?
As long as poker and other online games exist, there will be cases of cheating too. It’s in human nature to try defeating the system or finding an easier path to winning big money. The majority of cheating strategies can easily be discovered, while some of them are just not worth it. Will you try to cheat next time you lose?
