Quote Originally Posted by elipsesjeff
Mike and I play with each other on occasion, while we talk on IRC.

However, we have rules not to tell each other what we have until the hand is over or the other guy is out of the hand. On the other hand, its quite obvious that we know how each other play, and will not back down to one another.

Imagine I am in the small blind and completed, then proceed to bet out on the flop....I would say this is a dead giveaway I'm on some sort of power-draw. You usually don't have to talk to each other to have a clue what he has, just by the way he is playing his hand.

We condone all such cheating however. And if 2 or more players colluded, the profits between them would be so miniscule they are better off playing on separate tables.

Ok, let me get this straight. You talk to each during games, but don't tell each other what you have until after the hand.??? I have three comments on this.

1. If you are sharing information (even after the hand) that all players are not getting, I think that is cheating.
2. Are we really supposed to believe that in a NL game when one of your opponents is all-in, and each of you are considering calling, that there is no discusion taking place??

It's a bit like going to bed with your wife's hot sister and then telling your wife the next day that you didn't have sex.....Maybe not the first night, but eventually tempation will prevail. I have trouble buying this one, guys...

3. I don't believe that the profits from collusion at a short-handed tables would be miniscule. Potentialy they could be large, very large. (1)Each time colluders go heads-up againts each other, no money is lost. And I am guessing colluders would give up some rake to throw people off (2) Against a big bet colluders could confirm who has the best calling hand and call accordingly. (3) imagine the ability for the colluders to steal big pots with two all-ins in an attempt to have the others get out of the way.
(4). Or, how about when KKK flops and one of the colluders says, don't worry, I folded K4os....That information (and similar) info could be worth a fortune.


Think of it this way. How much money do you think you could make at a 6h table if you knew the pocket cards (every time) of even just one of your opponents. A solid player could make a fortune. Take that a step further and now (with collusion) you can bet, check or fold for the other player... You still don't think you could make money colluding??

Don't kid yourself, two or more colluders could make lots of money at our expense.

Personally I watch very closely when I see two players at the same table lots, especially if they are trashing each other on chat. If I don't see them tackling other players at the same time (and both staying to the river), I am very concerned. I want to see them "both" rsiky their money at the same time.