Details have recently been released about 4 poker players that were arrested for scamming high stakes poker players out of their money. The cheating took place in the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City in one of the hotel rooms. All 4 of the arrested players are currently free on bail after being charged with attempted theft by deception and conspiracy, and using a computer and cheating devices to commit theft.
The defendants took high stakes players back to their hotel rooms away from the casino floor. These hotel rooms were set up with cameras, which allowed the players in on the scam to see their opponents’ holecards. Obviously this gave the scammers a huge advantage over the unsuspecting players, as they managed to win a substantial amount of money.
Furthermore, the scammers used computer devices to work out the odds in each situation to help them to determine whether or not to call in certain hands. This combined with the ability to see their opponents’ holecards meant for a very profitable session, but unfortunately for them they were caught and are now facing some serious charges.
Cheating in poker is not very common, but it does happen. There are numerous methods of cheating in poker, with one of the most common being the use of marked cards so that some players will be able to work out what cards the other players are holding by the way they are marked. Another favourite is ‘collusion’, where two players will work together and let each other know about the strength of their hands via small tells so that they can give themselves a better opportunity to win against their opponents.
If you ever suspect that cheating is taking place, you should get up and leave the game, and also alert any persons that are in charge of the game if there are any. Cheating is something that should not be tolerated by any player or tournament director, and it is in your best interest to help keep the games as fair as possible for you and the other honest players around you.
The best way to avoid being cheated out of your money is to stick with reputable casinos that you know to be safe and run poker games professionally. Also avoid home games with people that you are not close with or have not met prior to playing the game. It is always a good idea to exercise a bit of caution before stepping into any poker game, so that you know your money is relatively safe.
