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Step 1
Know your friends. The first step is to know exactly who you're playing with and how vigilant and suspicious each of your friends at the card table tends to be. Also, add some smoke and alcohol to the poker table to serve as a screen for your cheating.
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Step 2
Keep a card up the sleeve. This is an old trick that would never work in a casino or with cautious players but can easily be pulled off with a friend. Load your sleeve with an extra card that you can exchange for a different card that you're dealt. You need to make sure that the cheat card hasn't been dealt so you don't end up with two identical cards on the table.
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Step 3
Take a break and check your opponent's cards. A bathroom or beer break is an excellent way to create a diversion. Get the group together in a separate room or have everyone step outside for a cigarette. Excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and, on your way, take a peek at your friends' cards. Use this knowledge to beef up the betting and play your hand with a little bit of special knowledge.
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Step 4
Stack the deck and use a false shuffle. This takes a little bit of practice but if you're playing with amateurs it will work every time. On your turn to deal, collect the community and discard cards so that every fourth card is a card you want. Then use a false shuffle by shuffling only the top quarter of the deck, marking the bottom three quarters with a hidden finger. Put the unshuffled section of the deck back on top and deal yourself an excellent hand.
