Online Poker Ethics

[PointerJake]

Online Poker Ethics. Recently I ve read threads about poker etiquite and ethics in live game play. I want to know know what you all think about online poker ethics. I recently played in a multi-table tourny and my brother who lives in a different city was in the same tourny. We both made it to the final table. This was knew to us and we were very excited. He happened to call me to talk about it, while on the phone we both got involved in a hand with another guy, and we were able to tell each other what we had. Personally, I think this is very unethical and I felt very bad doing it. But it got me thinking how much of this type of thing really goes on in online poker, and is there any way of getting it stopped. I understand this can be a very touchy subject, but I want to know what others thought, and maybe hear some personal experiences.

[liladypokerpro]

Well I have a friend that lives in Indiana that I referred to play on Pitbull (just so we wouldn't have to download anything). We were at a play chip table together and she called me and we ended up doing the same thing you and your brother did. But, we didn't feel bad only because it was just play chips. Granted, the principal is still the same, but when there is no real money at stake, it's not really harming anyone. Also, it was just a regular play chip table, and not a tournament. We only stayed on the phone for about 10 minutes, and it didn't really make any difference at the table we were at, as neither of us really had any sort of hand during that time.

As far as tournament ethics go, play or real, I will never cheat in any fashion. To me, I want to be able to get as far as possible with the skills I've developed. This to me is important because I have practiced for many years to get to this point, and I don't want to cheat and possibly ruin anything I've learned. People who make a habit of cheating (at anything in life) tend to get spoiled on it, thus ruining their initial skills.

Just like the question that was posted involving a reflective pair of sunglasses. I'm sorry, but as I said I would tell the guy immediately. I don't believe in winning "dirty" money, and I don't believe in being the cause of someone losing all their money due to a cheat. I don't know about you but I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I had essentially "stolen" that person's money. If someone loses to me, I want it to be because I was the better player.

Some people say it's dumb for someone to put themselves in that position. Maybe so, but the fact still remains that when you start cheating at the table, you are undermining everything that poker is about, not to mention breaking the law. It is a game of mathematics, skill and luck. Cheating does away with all of that and turns it into something else.

Something I live by, whether in poker or in life....

What goes around comes around.

Thanks for the thread!

[Roboligraphy]

Its collusion; and if the site catches you they will ban both you and your friend.

[frob23]

I don't and won't do the phone thing when I am on the same table with someone. Even if I'm talking to them in IM, I never mention cards or give them an idea of what they should do. And I highly discourage them from telling me what they have.

But here is something I do, or at least have done, that is slightly on the shady side. I have several friends who want to learn to play tournament poker (they know the basics of cash games) and they occasionally have me coach them through phone or IM while they play in a freeroll or sit and go. They basically tell me their hands and I tell them how to play it, and then explain why I liked that play. This violates the "1 player per hand" rule fairly soundly. And I feel bad, generally, doing it. But I really don't have a better way to get them some experience playing different levels in a tournament. They can watch me... but when I am playing, I rarely remember to let them know what my cards were until the hand is over. And heads up, I never have the time.

As it is, I will feel worse if one of them makes it into the tickets in a freeroll. At it stands, I've walked someone down into the low 120s... before he ran into trouble... and that was close enough for me to reconsider what I was doing. It's not fair to other players if he gets a ticket without playing his own tournament. Since that time, I've made myself unavailable to coach during the tournaments but have let them know once I was in one so they can rail and get an idea of what I am doing.

[AnArkhos]

Hmm.

My opinion is that if u play poker in a table with friends and some unknown ppl, U shouldn't talk about the hand in question before your friends or u fold and only 1 of u remains in the hand. After that it's ok to tell your holecards to the ppl who are looking at the game since it wont affect them anymore.

The coaching bit is a bit trickier situation. I feel that the only way to coach someone is to do exactly as the next guy did. By following their play and by telling how you would play them.

There are numerous situations where this one player / hand rule is broken. For example if u are at your friends place and s/he is playing a tournament and all the other ppl are following his/her playing and commenting it, this could be seen as more than one person taking part in the hand.

I feel that no matter what amount of ppl behind the one seat, the only thing that really matters is that your holecards should not be known by anyone IN the same table than u. Not before it makes no difference.

[PointerJake]

I agree totally with everyone that it is wrong to do, and I dont do it. It just happened to happen that one time when my brother and I both made it to the final table. But it really got me thinking about how much of this type of thing could be going on in all facets of online poker. I play 2-4 nl cash games online and that really worries me.

I do believe in Karma and I think it applies to the poker tables too. So, in that respect I think all the cheaters or unethical players will be caught one way or another.

I also read an article one time that a guy had set up three or four different accounts with different ip address's that were different and was playing with all accounts at the same table. So, basically it was him against one other person. And I think the article said he made something like 300,000 before the site caught on, and all that happened to him was he was banned from the site.

I think there should be more strick action taken to get this sort of thing stopped. I dont think it happens to often but im sure it does happen.

[TheyNeverLearn]

I also read an article one time that a guy had set up three or four different accounts with different ip address's that were different and was playing with all accounts at the same table.

it is so funny that you mention this because not long ago during a freeroll tournament on a certain site I noticed many duplicated names on the player list.....one of the players had the exact same name and a different number by each one and numbered in order from 1 to 10 like this - PSplayer1, PSplayer2, PSplayer3, etc etc etc all the way to 10 and there were about 3 people at least that I could tell were registered under multiple accounts. It's insane...and when it's as obvious as the example I mentioned, it's a wonder why the site doesn't catch on immediately and get rid of these people

[SkyLowLow]

I also read an article one time that a guy had set up three or four different accounts with different ip address's that were different and was playing with all accounts at the same table. So, basically it was him against one other person.

If the site caught you doing this, yoe will be banned and your account and money will be lost. I think the "big sites" (e.G. PokerStars or PartyPoker) will look very carefully on this.

[BUILDMO]

you are very bad