How widespread is cheating?

[Synergistic Explosions]

So, a guy shows me how he cheats online. I see for the first time how easy it's done. Now I'm bummed. Now I think it has to be very rampant, considering how easily it's done. Anything that is easy and can make lots of money will be abused by many.

So I wonder just how widespread this is?

I've been thinking for hours and hours how a site could stop it. But I can't think of an easy way they can. I have some ideas, but I don't think they'd be practical.

I can tell you one thing though, those win 6 sng's in a row for a jackpot bonus are prime real estate for people like him.

So now, when I'm playing in tourneys, I'm wondering how many of the players are using multiple accounts. When I'm in a ring game and two players sandwich me with raises and reraises, then one folds on the river, I feel like they are maybe one player with two accounts. I'm becoming paranoid but maybe with reason. I know now how easy it is to do.

Any comments?

[solucky]

If you define cheating as any that give you a edge than its very widespread. In fact any tools like calculators and trackers are cheating, but sure playing against one guy with 6 + seats in a sit and go is another thing.

[KKbluff]

Kinda depends on the site that offers the 6 SNG wins in a row bonus.

I would be MUCH more careful on a site that offers the 6 wins in a row jackpot vs. pokerstars(or other sites that doesnt have this feature.)

Maybe email support and ask them how they try to thwart this kind of collusion.

If they cant give you a real concrete answer then I guess the question becomes "why play on this site"?

Cheating a site out of their 6 wins in a row deal seems like a terrible idea, you can be sure they will review and look for collusion

[timprov]

I've never colluded/cheated. So it's < 100%.

[PuertoKid]

There is money involved. Of course there is cheating. Anybody who believes otherwise is being naive.

[ QUOTE ]
I know now how easy it is to do.

[/ QUOTE ]
Easy in theory, but very, very risky.

First thing the "it's easy to cheat" people don't realize is that some sites automatically check that a table doesn't have more than one player from the same IP address. They may not check every game, but when they do, bye-bye money.

And you've seen how many posts there are from people who THINK there was collusion even when there wasn't? Imagine those same people e-mailing Party or Stars when they get "sandwiched." Those sites employ people to specifically look for cheating, and software that looks for consistent patterns.

And since cheaters tend also to be dumbasses, most will likely be caught before they have a chance to figure out how to make it work.

Edit: Just thought of the possibility that OP was trying to parody newbie "my friend showed me how to cheat" posts. If so, add humor next time.

[Rudbaeck]

The only reasonable way to collude is to do it with yourself. To do that you need two internet connections and two computers. (You must have separate IP addys for your two personas.) You also need someones identity on loan for you alternate persona.

If you collude with a friend you have just made a huge -EV mistake. You trust a cheat with money! If anything is certain then it's that there is NO honor among thieves.

And then there is the logistic problem. Not only do you need to find a decent table with a seat in the proper position open. You need two find a table with two seats in the proper position against the fish and each other for each table you play. I shudder to think what a nightmare that kind of table selection would be. I'd atleast assume you'd quadruple your table selection time.

If you put someone in the middle the site will get wise to it more or less instantly. So you can basically only do 'low edge' collusion, because all 'high edge' collusion is trivial to detect. So, you just spent an extra hour to setup four tables such that your win rate might improve from 2 to 2.25BB/100. Congratulations.

So, now you're a cheat who plays 4 tables with a win rate of 2.25BB/100 when you could just as easy play 8 tables with a winrate of 2BB/100 and a lower setup time. And you're likely to lose your deposits occasionally.

Real clever!

[aucu]

The possible cheating that wod worry me is collusion among Bots.

I'm not worried now but you have to watch out, cause some day they will come.

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not worried now but you have to watch out, cause some day they will come.

[/ QUOTE ]

You misses it, they already came!