Collusion
Collusion is a form of cheating involving cooperation between two or more players.
Poker is an individual game, each player plays to win chips and increased their stack, which means they are also playing to take chips from the other players at the table. Any attempt to cooperate or collude is cheating and can result in players being removed from a card room. In tournaments should players be found to be playing “together” to their advantage and the disadvantage of the other players, they can be removed from the tournament and have their chips taken out of play.
There are several forms of collusion that we will cover in the next several posts but the essence of poker is individuals playing for their own benefit and not engaging in any form of cooperative play. One of the most common debates at the poker tables is whether or not a player may ask to see cards at showdown when the losing player prefers to muck their hand. While the rules clearly say you can ask to see those cards, most professional players will say it is bad poker etiquette to ask unless you suspect collusion. You can see why some players get upset when asked to show their cards because it implies they were cheating by cooperating in some betting scheme to throw the hand to the other player.
However, should you suspect collusion of any kind; it is your responsibility to inquire with the floor staff or tournament staff and make your suspicions known. All players have the responsibility to protect the game and other players. If you have any suspicion of collusion, make those concerns known.
In the next several posts we will discuss forms of collusion including: Soft Play and Chip Dumping.
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #160
