How to Spot Collusion in Poker

Collusion is a form of cheating in poker in which two or more players are working together for a common goal. Sometimes this means they are playing soft against certain people, or they could be using raises to trap unsuspecting players into placing more chips into the pot. Either way it's done, collusion in poker is illegal and, if spotted, should be reported so it can be stopped.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Notice if two players seem to be making eye contact a lot if you are at a live poker game. Players may have planned ways to communicate with each other about the cards they hold by chip placement and other signals. If you notice two players looking at each other a lot and doing things that could be construed as non-verbal communication, they may be colluding.

2. Pay attention if a really aggressive player tends to fold often deep into a hand. This can be an indication that he is working with a partner to trap other players into put more chips into the pot.

3. Keep your eye out for a duo of players that get into hands together a lot but never face off in a showdown. If players are working together, they won't want to show their cards at the end of the hand because one of them likely has a bad hand with which most players wouldn't go deep.

4. Take into account the reaction time of players calling after the initial deal if you are playing online poker. If a player is slow to respond, this could be a sign that he's working with someone else and they are discussing their cards over the phone or via instant message.