Poker is a game of skill and strategy, yet a lot of bettors ask: Is it possible to cheat in poker? The short answer is yes. It is possible to cheat in both live and online poker games. Players use old-school tricks like sleight-of-hand, along with new-age digital collusions, to cheat in the game.
But you should note that these techniques are risky, and ethically and legally wrong. Cheating in poker (or any game) is fraud. All the new casino sites are equipped with advanced detection systems. If you are caught cheating, you can face a permanent ban and fines.
It’s also important to note that while cheating may offer a temporary edge, the risk outweighs the benefit.
So, approach these methods with caution and instead use them to identify players who play the game unfairly.
Cheating in poker has existed forever. Here are the most common ways players cheat and the risks associated with these methods.
Players mark cards in live games and leave visual or tactile clues. For example, the marked cards may have a slight fold around the edge, or they may be marked with ink. These are some ways cards are marked:
Juicing is done by subtly altering the surface or finish of the cards. This creates a hidden pattern, which may be nearly invisible to the untrained eye. The pattern can be seen under the right lighting conditions or by changing the viewing angle. For example, the card may be folded or scratched slightly. Let’s say your opponent receives a juiced card. Without even looking at their cards, you’ll be able to tell what they are holding.
This method can work only in private games or home settings, as it requires manipulating your environment.
In this technique, players mark the backs of cards with ultraviolet (UV) ink, which is completely invisible under normal lighting. So, to the average player, the cards will look perfectly normal. But with the aid of special glasses and contact lenses, the hidden marks can be read instantly.
Cheaters often mark high cards, such as aces, so they know whether you are holding a strong hand or bluffing. The ink doesn’t change the texture or visible design of the card, so it can be virtually undetectable during shuffling. UV-marked cards can pass through many games unnoticed. To counter this, casinos use UV light scanners to regularly audit their cards.
Cut work is a tactile cheating method, which means physically altering the cards. Cheaters alter the cards by making tiny scratches or nicks, by using a razor blade, knife, or other sharp object. These marks are barely noticeable to the eye but can be detected by touch. Cheaters can “feel” their marked cards during the shuffle, cut, or deal.
For example, a cheater may nick the corner of an ace or a face card to mark high-value cards without looking. Over time, with enough practice, a player can even track multiple marked cards by feel alone, gaining an unfair advantage. This method is used with a sleight-of-hand technique.
In this method, the cheater makes tiny dots, lines, or smudges on the backs of cards. These marks slightly change the original pattern. Once the opponent holds such a card, the player can quickly know its value by looking at the markings.
Casinos mostly use decks like the Bicycle or Bee brands, which have symmetrical designs on their back. These patterns make small changes easy to hide. For example, a cheater might make one swirl curve a little more, or extend a line just slightly. A dot in a certain spot might mean the card is an Ace. A longer line may mean a face card. These alterations are so subtle that most players won’t notice anything wrong.
Bicycle and Bee brand cards are popular in casinos. These decks often have geometrical patterns on the back, which makes them slightly easier to mark without being too obvious.
For example, a cheater might change the shape of the vine in a Bicycle Rider Back card. Or they might slightly alter the beehive pattern on a Bee card. Players use special tools to make these marks. They might use fine pens, small sanding tools, or colour markers. Their goal is to blend the mark into the original pattern so it looks nearly invisible.
As the games move fast, players often don’t pay attention to the card design on the back. Unless someone inspects the cards very closely, the changes can go unnoticed. That makes it easier for the cheater to use marked cards in poker games.
To shade a card, players use chemicals, waxes, or mild acids like nail polish remover to rub the surface of a card. This creates a patch or blemish that looks slightly off compared to the rest of the card. The mark becomes obvious only upon close inspection.
This method changes how the card reflects light. That’s what makes shade work so hard to spot. You can shuffle or deal the cards as usual, and they’ll look untouched. But a cheater who knows how to hold the cards can quickly read the hidden marks.
Edgework means changing how the card feels. Players sand, bend, or pinch the edges of certain cards. For example:
These marks help cheaters find important cards during shuffling or dealing. They can also stack or cut the deck in a way that favors them by feeling the edgework. This method is often seen in games where players take turns to deal the deck.
Cheaters apply waxy or greasy substances, known as daubs, to their fingers. During the game, they press their finger lightly onto the back of a card. This leaves a small, sticky mark.
These marks don’t last long, maybe just a few hands. That’s part of the appeal – since the daubs fade or rub off quickly, they leave little evidence behind. This makes them very hard to catch unless someone is watching closely at the time it happens.
Sleight of hand means using fast and dexterous hand movements to switch, hide, or control the cards. This technique is usually used to perform magic tricks. In poker, a cheater employs this trick by cleverly flicking their wrist. Here are some ways this works:
The dealer will deal the second card from the top, not the first. This is done by gripping the top card tightly and pulling it back, which exposes the front right corner of the second card. The dealer will use their right thumb to strike the second card out. Simultaneously, the left thumb keeps the top card back to its original position. This is done swiftly, making it appear to be a normal deal.
This is a similar trick, where the dealer will deal from the bottom of the deck to other players and from the top to themselves. Again, they make it look like a normal deal and reserve the top card for themselves.
Palming means hiding a card in the hand while pretending the hand is empty. This works when the cheater controls the deck. They might palm a valuable card, then swap it into the game when the time is right. This is done by misdirecting the rest of the players. For example, they might make a joke when shuffling. At this time, all eyes turn to their face instead of their hand, and that’s when they’ll palm the card.
In a false shuffle, the cheater performs a push-through shuffle instead of properly shuffling the cards. They’ll start a normal riffle, but then push at a v-angle, so other players can’t watch their sleight. They’ll push cards in small packets through each other, without shuffling the rest of the deck. Then, finally, they’ll whip the bottom part of the deck and place it on the cut card.
Sleight of hand cheating relies on distraction and speed. Look at the cheater’s hands. Watch how they hold the deck. Be suspicious if someone deals cards while covering the deck or uses their palm to block the view. If they are shuffling too quickly, they may be using a false shuffle. They may even try to distract you by chatting while shuffling.
This is team-based cheating where the goal is to help at least one partner win. The players may use signals like:
For example, one partner under the gun holds an A-Q, and the second partner is at the cutoff with A-K. Partner 1 takes the minimum buy-in, a player in middle position raises, and Partner 2 re-raises with the A-K. The team member then folded their A-Q to let the A-K play. So, now even if the player in the middle wins, they have been essentially “starved” out of a bigger pot because of the collusion. A-Q is a strong hand, and the pot would have grown bigger if the player had played fairly.
Players also collude through verbal signals. They might say something simple like “I’ll think about it” or “Let’s see,” but the tone or choice of words is a secret code.
In some cases, a third person is also involved who sits nearby as a viewer. This person may pass messages between partners using eye contact or hand signals.
Chip dumping is also a two-player collusion. Sometimes, it could be just one player with multiple online accounts. This happens when one player intentionally loses chips to another. One player bets huge even with marginal hands and consistently loses chips to the other player.
The most common reason for chip dumping is money laundering, as this is considered a way to clean undeclared cash. Once the other player cashes the chips, it becomes a legal transaction.
Sometimes, chip dumping is also used to encash bonuses.
Every game requires players to fulfill their playthrough criteria before they can use the bonus. For example, you may be required to play 50 games before getting a free bonus. So, players set up the game to “lose” their rounds to a co-account in order to cash out the offer. This way, they are able to fulfil their requirements without actually losing any money.
Online chip dumping is also used to transfer funds from one gaming account to another. A person may create multiple accounts and use one to dump chips into their main account. That main account now has a better chance of going deep in a poker tournament.
Yes, cheating happens even in online poker. Here are the most common ways people cheat online:
Multi-accounting means one player uses more than one account in the same game. This gives them an unfair edge because they can see more hole cards and control more seats. Remember, the more information you have in poker, the better decisions you can make.
Let’s say your poker hand is a Q-Q and the hand on the second account is a K-K. If you already know the K-K is out there, you would not play the Q-Q. Or let’s say, a player in the middle position has a T-T but knows more tens are out in other hands, so they might not play it, even though it is a strong pair.
On the other hand, both colluders may have a strong hand like 8-8 and J-T suited, and basically double their odds of winning.
Or the player with weaker poker hands may put a squeeze on unsuspecting players by tempting them to raise, and folding when it’s their turn.
Real-Time Assistance (RTA) is software that tells players what to do next, like fold, call, or raise. There are two types of RTAs:
By using an RTA, players don’t have to think. The software tells them the best move in each situation.
In 2017, a poker bot named “Libratus” developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University beat pros in a mini-tournament. It was designed for heads-up play, where one player wins and one player loses.
Now, there are even more sophisticated bots that can win in multiplayer tournaments. In September 2024, Bloomberg News reported how a Russian bot army briefly overtook online poker.
Unlike humans, poker bots don’t sleep, get tired, or make emotional mistakes. They collect hand data, analyze the probabilities, and choose the best move. These bots are basically unbeatable and take the fun out of the game.
Ghosting is unique to online poker sites. It refers to a situation when another player takes over the game in a tournament, especially when it is down to the final table, or in a satellite approaching the bubble. This player is usually better or more skilled.
Ghosting can also mean having a coach sit next to you and guide you through the game. Players also use video calls or screen share to add the ghost to the game.
In 2007, players on Absolute Poker (AP) began complaining they were cheated by an account named “Potripper”, as it showed suspiciously high win rates and seemingly perfect play in every spot. Potripper took the $100,000 win in a $1,000 buy-in tournament in September 2007 despite only having previously entered three low-stakes tournaments on Absolute Poker.
Over time, Absolute Poker identified seven accounts – Potripper, Graycat, Steamroller, Doubledrag, Payup, Supercard55, and Romnaldo – that had cheated players out of millions.
An independent audit done by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission concluded that cheating was perpetuated by an internal member. AP was fined $500,000.
The scandal also led to the scrutiny of Ultimate Bet (UB), as both AP and UB were part of the Cereus Poker Network. UB admitted losing tens of millions of dollars in fraud between 2006 and 2008.
The Commission traced the accounts back to Russ Hamilton, a 1994 WSOP winner and a consultant with UB. The investigations revealed that Hamilton owned most of the IP addresses of 117 user names and 23 accounts involved in the scam.
It issued a $1.5 million fine on UB and ordered the reimbursement of $22 million to affected players. Reportedly, only 10% of the funds were ever returned to the players.
Pro player Mike Postle played livestream cash games at the Stones Gambling Hall, where he won over $250,000 with uncanny reads and perfect hero calls.
In 2019, poker commentator Veronica Brill raised concerns over his gameplay and reviewed hours of footage, where she spotted that Postle looked at his phone under the table right before key decisions.
He faced a $30 million lawsuit. It was dismissed, but he lost sponsorships.
Ali Tekintamgac, a German pro, was accused of cheating at the Partouche Poker Tour in 2010. He enlisted the help of bloggers and reporters to stand behind his opponents and inform him of their cards via hand signals.
The casino disqualified him in the final round and removed his chips. The World Poker Tour-Barcelona winner was also suspected of cheating earlier that year at the European Poker Tour Tallinn.
He was arrested for fraud and received a 3-year prison sentence.
Cheating in poker doesn’t always look obvious. But if you pay close attention, there are always some “tells” that can help you stay alert at the table or online.
Cheating in poker happens whether you’re at a casino, in a home game, or playing online. You can follow some habits to protect yourself from shady players.
First, ask for a new, sealed deck in every game. Casinos usually open one in front of players, but private games may not. If the deck is sealed, there will be no way to mark or swap cards beforehand. You can also inspect the cards yourself. Look for perforation, scratches, or marks. If you spot anything odd, ask for a deck change.
Next, keep a close eye on the dealer and how they handle the cards. Look for signs of palming and whether they are dealing seconds or bottoms and trying to distract the players by chatting them up.
Some cheats don’t act alone. Watch if two players are folding and raising in sync. Look for eye contact, hand signals, or repeated gestures. They may even be colluding online using an RTA. Ask for a no-phone policy at the table.
Casinos have zero-tolerance policies on cheating. If you are caught in a live game, security will remove you from the premises immediately. In most cases, you’ll be permanently banned.
Online casinos act just as quickly. They use tracking software and AI tools to detect suspicious behavior. If you get flagged for using bots, multiple accounts, or real-time assistance, you’ll likely be banned for life. In some cases, any winnings or funds in your account may also be confiscated.
Fraud is a criminal offense and can result in serious charges or even jail time. Even the casinos face fines and bans from the Gambling Commission if they don’t report the fraud.
And even if players avoid jail, cheating can ruin their reputation in the poker world. Tournaments may blacklist them, and they might lose sponsors and affiliations.
Casinos have millions of dollars on the line daily. More than that, they are answerable to the UK Gambling Commission. So, they employ these powerful systems to keep the games fair:
In live-stream games, there are “eyes in the sky” cameras watching every table. Poker rooms have multi-camera setups to record card dealing, chip movement, and player behavior. Surveillance teams monitor these feeds live and report suspicious behaviour in real time.
Casinos also use facial recognition technology to keep out known offenders.
Casinos have security staff trained to detect collusion, sleight of hand, or chip dumping. These staff members patrol the floor and respond quickly when something feels off.
Dealers also play a key role. They’re trained to spot irregularities in betting patterns. If they suspect foul play, they signal security.
Online poker platforms use powerful software to fight cheating. This includes:
Cheating in poker comes in many forms. Some methods are hard to detect, but if you spot something odd, it is better to always speak up. Remember, poker is built on fairness and trust. So, always stay alert and hold other players accountable.
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In live games, a cheater may mark cards, deal from the bottom, or signal their partner. Some hide mirrors or use tiny devices. Online, cheats might use bots, play on multiple accounts, or get advice from someone off-screen. These tricks give them unfair advantages over honest players.
Yes, but it’s harder now. Online cheaters use real-time assistance (RTA), bots, or multiple accounts. Reputable poker sites fight this with smart software that detects suspicious patterns and bans cheaters.
Marked decks have subtle dots, tiny smudges, or lines that don’t match the rest of the design are signs. They can also have tactile marking like sanding, bending, or cutting the edges. Some marks are only visible under special lighting or when viewed at an angle. If the cards feel strange or worn in certain spots, be cautious.
Cheating can happen in any game. But trusted casinos and big poker sites use strong tools to prevent cheating. Private games with no oversight carry a bigger risk. The key is to play with people you trust or on regulated platforms.
In a casino, tell the dealer or floor manager. If you suspect cheating in your online game, report the player to the platform with as much detail as possible.
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