Cheating at poker

Cheating in poker is more common than most people care to believe. Although most cheating occurs in private games that do not follow strict gaming procedures, it is also very common in regulated card rooms and casinos. Cheating can be done either by means of collusion, sleight-of-hand (such as bottom dealing, stacking the deck, switching cards etc), or the use of cheating gaffs (such as marked cards, holdout devices, glims etc).

Cheating is as common in friendly games as it is in high-stakes games. A card cheat may operate alone, but most of them operate in pairs or small groups. The groups are often composed of one card mechanic who is in charge of manipulating the cards, one or several shills who pose as regular players, and a muscle who acts as a bodyguard. Street gangs also often employ a wall man who acts as a lookout, however this approach is more common with three card monte mobs, and back-alley dice gangs.

Following is a list of terms used to categorize specific card cheats:

• card mechanic -- A card cheat who specializes in sleight-of-hand manipulation of cards.
• base dealer -- Also called bottom dealer, is a cheat that specializes in bottom dealing.
• paper player -- A card cheat that exploits the use of marked cards.
• hand mucker -- A card cheat that specializes in switching cards.
• machine player -- A card cheat that uses mechanical holdouts.
• crossroader -- Originally, any kind of traveling hustler; but now the term is mainly use to describe cheats who specialize in hitting casinos.

External links

• PokerCheat -- Brief overview of cheating in poker.