The likelihood of getting cheated at the poker tables is much smaller than you might think. Most players are honest and play within the rules of the game, but there are a few who use every trick in the book to get their hands on some extra cash. Thankfully, you’ll rarely have to deal with this kind of person when playing at casino or official poker rooms. However, it is important to be aware of the most common forms of cheating in poker to make sure you’re not being screwed over at the tables.
A lot of poker cheating methods are done before the game begins. These can include tampering with the deck of cards or even swapping it out for a different one. Another common way of poker cheating involves marking the cards. This is often done with invisible ink and allows the cheat to see the cards that are dealt, giving them a huge unfair advantage. The last, and possibly most dangerous, form of poker cheating is collusion between two or more players at the same table. This is done via Skype, telephone or other communication tools and is very hard to catch because it’s based on natural signals that can be easily mistaken for something else.
The easiest way to avoid being cheated at the poker tables is to practice good table awareness and pay attention to how players are dealing the cards. This will give you a good idea of whether they are trying to false deal or just being sloppy with the shuffling process.