Online poker and cheating series recap and additional thoughts

 

Hopefully this six part series was eye-opening for you; while cheating is not rampant online, you definitely should be taking the appropriate measures to protect your money.

Part 1: To begin the series I quickly went over some of the safety features the sites implement to protect the integrity of their games: from the initial download of the software to the RNG used to determine the shuffle of the cards. Sites like PokerStars also make it very clear they do not use player deposits for operational expenses.

Part 2: In part 2, I demonstrated how a poker site can cease operation and run off with your money; leaving its player base with very little recourse other to complain.

Part 3: In the third installment I showcased two examples of good poker players taking advantage of other poker players.

Parts 4&5: These two parts of the series focused on how a site’s employees can cheat you out of your money.

Part 6: The final piece of the series gave an example of the lengths people will go to win money, and the unscrupulous product developers that attempt to aid them.

After reading six articles filled with a variety of cheating methods and immoral people, I realize it may be hard to trust the online poker game, but this is absolutely not the case. The possibility of being cheated is very slim, and due to the greed level of the people involved, the instances are generally confined to the higher stakes games.

Any endeavor where money is involved is going to attract corrupt individuals looking to make a quick buck; the risks of being cheated, scammed, or flat out robbed playing online poker are no different than your chances of getting caught up in a ponzi scheme, having an employee steal from you, or being pick-pocketed or robbed when you’re out at night. There are certain risks that go along with anything you do.

Does cheating in poker happen? Of course it does, but you shouldn’t let that dissuade you from playing poker. Cheating has been a part of poker since it was invented: marked cards, collusion, cold decks, you name it; even with all going on, people still play cards; people can still make money playing cards; and poker is a fun game. The cheaters tend to implode, whether from greed, stupidity, or carelessness. In the long run, the money you lose to cheaters is no different than the money you lose to the rake; it’s simply an expense of the game you have to overcome.

I don’t condone cheating in any way, and I feel for victims, but it is your responsibility to protect yourself from the cheaters and hustlers. Even the most diligent among us could fall victim to these disreputable characters from time to time, it’s inevitable. If and when it happens, you need to treat these instances like any other; use them as a learning experience. Don’t dwell on what happened, and lump every poker player or poker game into the cheater/hustler category.

• Online poker and cheating, separating fact from fiction (part 1 of 6): Is my money safe? Safety features and legitimacy of Internet poker sites
• Online poker and cheating, separating fact from fiction (part 2 of 6): Internet poker’s first black-eye, PokerSpot.com absconds with $400,000 of player’s money
• Online poker and cheating, separating fact from fiction (part 3 of 6): The multi-account scandal, ZeeJustin and JJProdigy
• Online poker cheating, separating fact from fiction (part 4 of 6): The Super User scandal at Absolute Poker
• Online poker cheating, separating fact from fiction (part 5 of 6): WSOP Champ Russ Hamilton and Ultimate Bet