Keeping honest poker games honest

By David McClary

Until a few years ago, nearly all Americans who played poker did so in backroom games. The clandestine nature of these games meant that if a cheat sat in with you, there were few options with which to respond. Some people grew to feel (wrongly of course) that a bit of cheating was part of the game. Since money draws cheats like moths to a flame, you can be sure that if you have played poker more than a few times, especially in a home game, youπve been cheated. Let me give you a few hints to keep the honest players in your game honest.

Before we get to the specifics, I would like to make the best case I can for not cheating in a home game. These days, home poker is played with your friends and neighbors. Even the biggest winners seldom take down more than a few hundred dollars in one session. Now I am not allergic to a few extra hundreds each week, but what would be the real cost? I value the friendships I have made through my home poker game. I also respect the guests I donπt know that well but are invited by my friends. There is no way I would trade a few hundred dollars for the embarrassment and hard feelings that would come getting caught cheating at cards. I wouldnπt steal from these people, so why would I cheat them? It just isnπt worth it.

The first line of cheating defense is cutting the cards after a shuffle. NEVER pass on cutting the cards! You are just asking to for the cards to get stacked. Most people now play holdemπ in home games. Since so few cards are used to make a hand and most low limit hands go to showdown, stacking the cards effectively takes little skill. Cutting the deck is a good way to prevent a dishonest player from attempting to stack the cards. When cutting, be sure to remove the top cards and place the bottom ones over them. Only return the deck to the dealer after the cards are neatly ordered again. Unfortunately, cutting the cards is no match for a truly skilled sleight-of-hand artist. If you run up against one of them there is little that you can do. Just be happy you donπt play for that much money.

A second common problem that should be avoided in home games is viewing folded cards. Under the cover of a ≥friendly game,≤ some players will convince opponents to show folded cards. In return they may establish a practice of opening a winning hand after all players have folded. Both of these seem benign because people donπt put chips into the pot when doing them. In truth, folded cards have value. Chips you save by folding are worth just as much as the ones you win. On the other hand, if an opponent wants to know what cards I have, all they need to do is call. Donπt tolerate this practice in your game. If others want to play this way, find a new game. It doesnπt take long before play degrades to the point where people may as well play with their cards face up.

The last major point for home game honesty is handling players that accidentally reveal hole cards. This can be a real challenge when too many players are crowded around too small a table. It takes some discipline to tell the player next to you that you can see their cards. You may even think, ≥Itπs not my job to protect someone elseπs cards.≤ In the end, by knowing extra cards, you are not only cheating the person next to you, but all players at the table. A gentle reminder to the person next to you about keeping their cards hidden is the best way to prevent this. Just remember that the people around the table will give you the same courtesy if you establish this as the norm.

Ultimately you need to protect yourself. People can still have a great time while playing properly. Over the long term, playing the right way will lead to greater enjoyment and improve poker skill across the board. If however, you canπt win over the people in your game, you may need to vote with your feet.