Cheating on Poker Websites: Software Scams & Partnership Groups

Some people say they can sell you software, which will help you cheat while playing at an Online Poker site. The theory they offer is that there is no such thing as a true randomizing routine and therefore the cards to be dealt are predictive. They are only partially correct. There is no such thing as a true randomizing routine that is programmable. Some sites use large random number tables, some use algorithms such as the calculation of Pi. Technically with enough manpower and enough super computer power it may be possible to determine what the next card to be dealt is. However, this would cost many millions of dollars to win a few hundred dollars at best. Software touted do this is a scam in my opinion. Don't waste your money.

A second version of cheat software just gives you the odds of pulling a card, such as pulling a full house after a flop which gave you two pair. This is somewhat helpful to a beginner, but most advanced players know the odds without the help of software. In addition, the mathematical odds of drawing a specific card are of little value. If you believe that it is of great value you need to read many more poker strategy books before you actually start playing in real money games.

They best way to really cheat on Online Poker is to organize partnership groups which play on the same table and cooperate to take the money from the other players.

How Online Partnerships Work In Cash Games

To organize a partnership group you need one or two trusted friends. Each of these players needs a phone with conference call abilities if three people are involved. Otherwise one dedicated phone line is sufficient.

The goal of a partnership is to help build the pot if one member of the partnership has a probable winning hand. The partner with the great hand communicates this to the other partners. The weak partner raises the bet even if they have a bad hand themselves. This is called sandbagging. The bad hand makes the bigger raises and will eventually fold emboldening the other players who do not know the best hand is still in the game. At showdown this powerful hand makes the final very large bet.

The partnerships can also help each other by telling their partners what two cards are in their pocket. Not a lot of information but sometimes very useful. Advice and tells are also shared among partners.

After an hour or less all members of the partnership go to a different table. This is to prevent people from picking up that they are being played (cheated) and reporting them to the Poker Site Administrators.

How Partnerships Work In Tournaments

This is totally different from the way partnerships work in cash games. The object here is to have as many partners as possible with business quality conference calling capabilities. Let's say that the object of a 25 person partnership is to get one of their members at a time an inexpensive ticket to The World Series Of Poker (WSOP). This normally costs $10,000. Online tournaments often offer this as a prize in a $35 buy in tournament.

A tournament such as this usually attracts about 500 to 600 participants and last 8 to 11 hours. Of those say 600 participants, 300 will be very lose players and out of the tournament within the first hour or so. Another 150 players will be out in the next hour or two. This is just the way online tournaments go. The last 150 players will take 5 to 8 hours to finish the tournament. If most partnership members can stay in by playing conservatively, they will occupy 25 of the remaining 150 seats. The object of the group is than to make one of their members, generally selected prior to the beginning of the tournament, the likely winner of the ticket to the WSOP featured event.

Here is how this partnership works. The partnership members now outnumber the remaining number of tables 25 to 17. Since there will now be multiple partners on some tables, their sole job is to feed money to other players in the partnership and then leave when broke. Therefore, money is shifted from one partner/player to another player in the partnership. As the number of players diminish, the chip stack of the partner selected to win will become larger and larger. Since there is a major tactical advantage of having the largest stack, the odds of the key partner winning increases significantly. Even if the key player comes in second or third place, he will generally win enough money to reimburse the entire partnership the total of $850 they all paid to enter the tournament with money left over.

Tournament partnering is a very common practice among college who can't afford $10,000 for a World Series Of Poker ticket, but can easily afford $35 for a shot at this world famous tournament. It is not uncommon for 4 or 5 of the partners to win a WSOP tournament entry after a few weeks of tournament play.

Note

Instead of cheating, read all my other articles on playing excellent Texas Hold'em Poker and become a poker pro yourself through honest means.