How common is online poker cheating?

Question

I've been playing stud and hold 'em online for play money and I'm interested in the possibility of playing for real. I've seen some websites that advertise software which allows one to see opponents cards online...and I assume the casinos have ways of preventing this type of thing by encrypting the information. (Also, if the software really worked I'd assume the developer could make more money by discreetly using it himself rather than by selling it!)

But what I'm concerned about is the possibility of players colluding with one another as a team and communicating with each other to take advantage of one player who thinks he's just playing with random people.

Do the online casinos watch for signs of this type of activity (such as the same group of people always playing together, players betting on and raising to bad hands, etc.)? If a group of people is suspected of cheating, what action, if any, is taken?

Answer 1

Most of the big online sites (PokerStars, FullTilt, etc.) have measures in place to track collusion (multiple players playing as a team.)  They can also track if one person is playing as 2 or more players.

The consequences of getting caught on the sites is usually banishment from the site and a freezing of all account balances (bye-bye money.)  There is usually no jail time involved (for American players at least) since all of the sites are in foreign countries.

Answer 2

Reputable online casino sites have methods in which to detect possible cheating...whether it's monitoring the same group of players always playing together, or even checking what active programs you have running (to see if you're using some kind of bot or not).

If a group of people is suspected of cheating, the case is always investigated further...if it's to be found that they were indeed cheating, legal and monetary action can be taken. Jailtime and hefty fines go in hand with cheating casinos.

Answer 3

Online poker cheating is much more common than most people think it is. While some sites claim to have detection software, it is quite easy to get around.

For example, if you are playing two accounts, and the software uses your IP to identify you: You can login to the site on a high speed connection and  you can log in a sceond account on a dialup with a different IP on your second computer, or laptop.

I have seen several sites that allow you to have two or more accounts on the same IP, for example a husband and wife with separate accounts, or two roommates.

And of course, you can always be in contact in IM's or on the phone.

And many sites have the same game but different "skins" where you can set up an account for each of the skins, and play the same game on one table under two names. Again you need two computers, and sometimes two different IP addresses, to do this.

If the online casinos detect frequency of play with other players, for example the same players sitting at the same tables a lot, then colluding, they may take action, but only some of the top sites have this.

Here is a link to a page on poker cheating:

http://thedoverpro.com/pokercheat.htm

And most of the poker cheat programs are just plain rip offs. They don't work.

Your best bet? Stick to the top rated sites such as Pokerstars, Full Tilt, and Poker.com.

And here is a link to some free strategy:

http://www.thedoverpro.com/poker-strateg...

Answer 4

regarding collusion or multiplaying (basically two or more people at the same table helping each other), the posters above have it correct.

However, in terms of software, the software currently availabe doesn't exactly show you the opponent's cards, but what cards that person has played before and are most likely to be playing now.

pokerstars uses software to detect some of the software. however, if you use software that collects data only from the tables you are sitting at, it's ok.

Answer 5

I have heard of people using multiple computers to tilt the game in their favor by occupying more than one seat in a game.  I know they try to weed out abuses, but, you have to wonder if they catch them all.