Pocket Aces

Cunning, Deception, Honesty, and Poker Ethics

By Maryann Guberman

      In previous articles, we discussed various forms of cheating at poker. When we referred to cheating, we limited our definition to out-and-out fraud. We pointed to the kind of action that technically is illegal, and while probably not punishable by imprisonment (although it could be) or death, it can cause physical conflict, banishment from a cardroom, and even a rerouting of the soul after death to that horrid place composed of lots of fire.

     But poker is a game of deception‹a game where you're allowed to lie without having to go to confession or to atone for on some special religious occasion. For example, part of your skill includes moves that will fool your opponents into thinking you have a strong hand when you don't. That's part of the fascination of poker, isn't it?

     But sometimes, players take too many liberties with cunning little tricks and push the envelope to a point where we have to wonder how far they'll go to book a winner.

     Here's a little ethics quiz. You decide what you would do if confronted with any of these moves.

     1. You've seen a player on a World Series of Poker video tape, playing in one of the side games that the camera caught as it panned the cardroom at Binion's Horseshoe. This guy now shows up at your table, sits down, and immediately asks, "How do you play this here game?" Is this a cute little joke meant for those at the table who might know him or is it a ploy to lead everyone into thinking he's a rube? In either case, do you confront him with the fact that you know him to be a medium-to-high-stakes player or do you hand him a shaft of wheat to slide between his teeth to complete the masquerade? If you choose to keep silent, what does this say about you?

     2. You notice that the elderly woman to your right is accidentally revealing her hole cards. Do you take advantage of the additional card information you now have or do you let her know that she's giving away more than she should?

     3. You just returned from the restroom where you saw another player from another table rubbing "Chip Cop" on his palm and wrist. (This is a sticky kind of product that will allow someone to lay a hand over chips and have one or more discreetly stick to them.) He's not in your game so, do you ask him if you can share; do you forget your saw anything; do you report him to the floorman? Before you answer, just remember, he could turn up in your game eventually.

     4. You realize that one of the women who is no longer in the game accidentally scraped the ace of diamonds with her luminescent nail polish. With just the right angle, you can see the almost invisible mark and it's one of your opponents' hole cards. Should you use the information? Should you wait for this particular hand to end and then inform the dealer? Should you point to the man's hand and say, "I know you have he ace of diamonds there, fellow, and I can beat you right now with what I have."

     5. The guy in Seat No. 4 is wearing sun glasses, chewing gum and listening to some kind of music on a portable CD player. You notice that every time he gets a hand that's worth betting he starts champing on the gum to the beat of some snappy tune. Do you fold your hand and let the game take its course? Do you tell him he's giving away information without his knowledge? Do you announce to the table that "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll is holding a monster hand."?

     6. The fellow who's beat you with his aces up four times seems to have a brace on his right arm. You suspect he might be in the possession and use of an apparatus that allows him to have a "card up his sleeve." Do you slap him on the arm to see if he winces? Do you ask him if he had polio? Do you take a risk and straight-out accuse him of committing an offense? Do you just stay out of any pot that he's in?

     7. You notice that the player who capped the raise was two chips short as he threw his bet into the center of the table. Do you ask the dealer to count the pot? Do you tell him he "made a mistake?" Do you try to do the same thing when it's your turn to call all three raises?

     Okay, now stop and evaluate your answers.

     You'll notice that in some cases, the moves described were clearly cheating moves. Others were suspect; while other were simply mistakes.

     In the first question, you know the experienced player is probably trying to lead others to believe he's a rank amateur, possibly because he's been running bad and needs to accumulate a bankroll. It wouldn't hurt to laugh a bit with him and then say something like, "I guess you play it the same way you do at the World Series."

     Question No. 2 is a bit tougher. I once asked a poker manager what a player should do when another player accidentally reveals a hand. He told me the ethical move would be to tell the player. I found this answer hard to swallow. I think players have to protect their own hands and if they don't, then they should suffer the consequences.

     Our third question doesn't need an answer. Here's a player who's out to cheat plain and simple, to steal money. It's a move that should be reported immediately, discreetly, of course.

     Question No. 4 should be a breeze to answer. If you've noticed the "marked" card, other players probably noticed it as well. Report it. That way nobody has an edge.

     As for Mr. Rock 'n' Roll, well too bad for him that he is giving away information. "Tells" are part of your skill repertoire. Keep them a secret.

     I think if I suspected a player of holding out cards, I'd find a way to relay my suspicions to the manager immediately. If someone is gutsy enough to bring a hidden device into a public card room, who knows what other evil deeds he's capable of committing, including one that might injure you or me.

     And finally, the dealer is supposed to have a chip count going at all times. If he doesn't catch someone shorting the pot, you're in a tough spot. You can innocently ask how much you have to bet to complete the raise and when told, explain that you thought so but it appeared as if you were wrong. Then ask for a countdown. You could ignore the shortage this time but politely ask the offending player if he would be more careful in the future.

     Now it might seem as if I've been powder puffy about some of my answers and reactions, but as most people who know me will tell you, I'm not a confrontational person. Besides which, I've seen two fist fights break out in poker rooms over things a lot less volatile than the accusation of cheating and I don't want you or myself to get involved in anything like that.