Several weeks ago, poker enthusiasts with keen eyes claimed that they had spotted a device used to cheat during a game. The device is a modified smartphone that can remotely read hole cards. The story, which Elie Bursztein uncovered on the Hacker News Blog, has taken over the poker world.
The device, which appears to be a regular Android smartphone on the outside, contains special scanning cameras, as well as other poker-cheating equipment. The phones contain a small chip which can scan the markings found on a deck. The markings on the cards, which appear black when illuminated by IR, are used to determine a person’s suit and their value.
The chips are then sent to the cheat’s smartphone or computer via a hidden antenna. The device analyzes the data, and then reports back to cheat, revealing what cards each player holds. The cheat can then use a variety of methods, including culling, palming, mucking, and false shuffles to switch cards and deceive their opponents. A card cheat can deal “seconds deals” in order to give a confederate good cards or an opponent bad ones.
Some cheaters have also developed new ways to rig online Poker. They are harder to spot but still violate the rules at online poker sites. One such method involves a team of people, all of whom play under aliases on the same site and communicate in private through instant messaging. The team members decide how to play a hand after discussing which cards they have. This type of collusion can be hard to detect but can lead to huge profits if executed correctly.
Bots are programs that simulate human play in poker. These programs are based on mathematical models and they often make better decisions over large samples than humans. Most online poker rooms do not allow bots and they can ban you permanently.
The most recent scandal to hit the world of poker involved Robbi Lew. She shocked the poker world when she went all-in during a Hustler Casino Live live game on a Jack-high hand. She vehemently denies cheating but many fans believe that she was helped by a device which vibrated her hand to tell her when she had a good hand and told her she should call bluffs. Daniel Negreanu, one of the top poker coaches, believes Lew made a mistake because she was overwhelmed at the time. However, the controversy has raised concerns about whether it’s okay for poker players to use hand assistance apps. They can help players to make quick calculations and do probability-related math, but they also give players a unfair advantage. Although it’s not clear if these devices are ever going to be banned, they certainly cause a lot of debate among poker players.