Poker Cheats on the Majesty?

[josecruz]

Before I recount my experience on the 7/30 sailing of the Majesty of the Sea let me say that it was our first time on RCI after two cruises on Princess. We traveled with another family and our group of ten (ages 14-54) had a great time. I even won $200 in the casino so this isn't a tale of sour grapes.

 

For dinner we were seated in the Starlight dinning room next to five couples all in their early 30's. There was a little banter back and forth on the first night and we learned that they were from Toronto, they had left their kids back home were having a couples only vacation.

 

On the second night after a day in Nausau they came to the table and were really drunk. They then proceded to order at least six rounds of shots! They were a little loud and the languge was pretty bad especaily for our younger adults. But I figured they were just having some fun.

 

After dinner some of us went to the casino. I had already purchased a game card to play at the Poker Pro table I played this game on the Golden Princess last January the blind bets are $3-6. If you like Poker it can be a lot of intercative fun.

 

Poker Pro is an electronic hold em poker game. The computer deals the cards, follow the action around the table, asks if you want to bet etc. The only human involved is the attendent who sets up the game card you need.

 

After about 30 minutes with people keep coming in and off the table I look up to discover that 5 of the ten spots at the table are now occupied by the Candians from the next table in the dining room.

 

Two things begin happeniing the pots started to get a lot bigger and the there was a lot more table talk. Of course both of those two things don't mean much. Pots go up and down all the time. And if 5 of the ten people know each other and are really drunk that's going to create a lot more table talk as well.

 

But another trend that started was a little harder to explain. When one of them had an obvious strong or winning hand the others all seemed to have folded so the people remaining in the game were not members of the drunken Canadian dinning team.

 

After awhile I was up a little so I decided to check out of the game. I did mention the the scenario to a couple of people in my party. While we thought it was a little strange that when one of them one the others reallty didn't loose we all agrreed that they have to be pretty slick to cheat like that when they were so obviously hammered!!

 

The next day I went to play before dinner. I took a seat and looked up to find three of the Candains playing the game. We played a few hands around the table before the biggest pot was created. The winner of that pot with a flush was one of the Canadians.

 

He caught the flush on the turn. On the turn I dropped out along with another of the Canadians. His other countrymen stayed in along with four others to drive the pot to $350. Nothing strange about that it's just something that happens right??

 

Wrong! When we go to diner I'm sitting in the dinning room with my back to the neighboring table. They are a little drunk and talking a little lound and I hear the guy who stayed in the game say "all the drinks tonight are on Ben becauce he didn't tell me he had a flush!" Ben claims that he's not buying "becauce somebody wasn't paying attention!"

 

Well of course that confirms my suspisions but as I told my fellow travlers and gambling collegues that's why the experts say you shouldn't play in games with people you don't know.

 

The story could end there but it has one more twist. On the last night we go to the casino after dinner. Two, of the now confirmed cheats, are sitting at the table. A third guy is sitting on one of those slot machine stools DIRECTLY behind one of his fellow cheats. So he's looking directly over the shoulder of the player!!

 

With that I went to the pit boss. I told him I had no ax to grind and that I was up about $200 but that there was something funny going on at the Poker table. He looked over said thanks and that "they received a few other complaints from people' about that group. They were still alowed to keep playing.

 

I'm no expert but in looking around the room there did not appear to be an "eye in the sky" camera to monitor play at the table. Perhaps they think that becauce there are no human dealers with money changing hands that they don't need to monitor this game. Who knows maybe these guys know that and had every intention of exploting the game!!

 

Again I'm not anti RCI , the cassio on board, Canadians or anything else. I just want to make people aware that this stuff goes on and that you have to keep your eyes open to the potential for fraud.

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you that is good to know, even though DH & I don't play the Tables. We stick to the Nickle Machines.

[French_Fry]

If I saw 5 buddies playing together on a poker table like that and 4 of the 5 abruptly folded at some point I would catch on quickly and make sure the rest of the table knew as well (guess you hit that flush there). If they chose to stay in then that is thier problem.

 

One thing for sure it is a lot harder to do that in a regular casino with the eye in the sky and pit bosses all over the place. Plus you get caught you get kicked out.

[frito58]

This is no different than going to a casino where 5 or 6 of the people at the table are locals and they prey on outsiders. On our last trip to vegas half of the people at the table at The orleans where the same guys everyday they knew all the dealers and each other and rarely played a hand against one another. Im not saying it makes it right but you do have to know who you playing against.

[DON M.]

In card clubs and casinos all over the country, players can "table talk" all they desire. I can say "go out, I have 4 of a kind", not illegal. The only criteria, one player per hand.

Hand signals, or kicking your friend next to you, meaning go out, can and does happen. If a dealer or the players sense unusual betting patterns over a period of time, hard to prove, then I have seen players asked to leave. In electronic poker this is almost impossible to prove.

Las Vegas is a tough place to win, when playing with alot of locals. As was stated in the movie Rounders, "we dont cheat, we just dont take money from each other".

[French_Fry]

When 5 guys are all obviously together and 4 of the 5 abruptly fold after a 3 flush hits the board on the turn I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that they are passing signals.

 

You try that in ANY Brick and Mortar casino and the 5 will be out the door real quick.

 

And announcing hands is verboten unless it's heads up.

 

In tournaments I've seen 10 minute penalties for such behavior.

[DON M.]

When 5 guys are all obviously together and 4 of the 5 abruptly fold after a 3 flush hits the board on the turn I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that they are passing signals.

 

You try that in ANY Brick and Mortar casino and the 5 will be out the door real quick.

 

And announcing hands is verboten unless it's heads up.

 

In tournaments I've seen 10 minute penalties for such behavior.

 

Every day in no limit hold em, I see that 3 flush hit and the player goes all-in for $300 or whatever . Regardless, if its 4 of is drinking buddies or 4 of his relatives playing who fold, no one is going to get kicked out of the Commerce Club, the largest card club in the country or any other club.

[cruisin from florida]

They get their cut, regardless. They only care if someone is cheating the house.

[SusieV]

If it was just those comments, I wouldn't necessarily say that "confirmed" cheating. When I play poker with my buddies, I could see a conversation like that taking place after the game.

 

We're not cheating. I'd be poking fun at their lack of attention to my betting patterns which suggested the flush, and they'd be asking me to buy drinks if I was the big winner. So it could be perfectly innocent.