[Ulysses]

nevada,

"the only way one of us was going to take down this sizeable pot was for us"

"working "together" (for ONE of our benefits, although we didn't know whose) without communicating"

This is out-and-out cheating. You and your friend were each playing a certain way so one of the two of you could win the pot, not so you individually could win the pot. You played poker as a team sport.