Chip Dumping in Poker

Definition of Chip Dumping

Chip dumping is when one player intentionally loses chips to another. If you’re at a poker tournament and you notice two players being way too friendly with each other, they may be chip-dumping. 

This happens when one player makes bizarre moves like betting huge even with marginal hands and consistently loses chips to the other player.  This is chip dumping – a violation in several poker games.

It’s a deliberate attempt to give the other player a better shot at winning. This usually happens when two players collude together (sometimes, it could be just one player with multiple online accounts). One player dumps their stack into the other by making suspicious raises and folds. It’s like they sacrifice their chips to boost the other player’s chances of winning.

Why Do People Chip Dump?

Money laundering is the most common reason for chip dumping. This is a way for fraudsters to clean undeclared cash. Once the other player cashes the chips, it becomes a legal transaction, which helps to hide the undeclared money trail.

Almost all gaming platforms comply with AML (anti money laundering) regulations, so chip dumping can be a serious violation.

Sometimes, however, chip dumping is 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 money to a complicit account in order to cash out the offer. This way, they are able to fulfil their requirements without actually losing any money. Note that your account may get banned for bonus abuse using chip dumping.

In some instances, chip dumping is done to transfer funds from one gaming account to another. A person may create multiple accounts (which is also against most site rules) and use one to dump chips to their main account. That main account now has a better chance of going deep in the tournament.

How Poker Sites Detect Chip Dumping

Thankfully, most online poker platforms take this very seriously. They have tracking systems to detect suspicious behaviour. This includes reviewing unusual betting patterns and tracking IP addresses.

If a player is caught chip dumping, their funds may be confiscated, and their accounts suspended or permanently banned.

How to Spot Chip Dumping in your Game?

If you’re playing and see patterns that feel “off,” it’s always best to report it to the gaming website. Look out for these things:

• Frequent all-ins.
• Two players who never seem to go hard at each other.
• Suspicious behaviour on chat.