Collusion
Two or more players secretly working together to gain an unfair advantage over other players at the table, such as sharing hole card information or coordinating bets.
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What Is Collusion?
Collusion is one of the most serious forms of cheating in poker, since it directly undermines the fundamental assumption that each player is playing independently based only on their own information. Common forms include sharing hole card information through signals in live play, chip dumping to transfer money to a partner, or soft-playing to avoid confronting an ally in a hand. Online poker sites use sophisticated detection software to identify suspicious patterns like consistently favorable seating or unusual betting correlations between accounts, and collusion is grounds for permanent bans and forfeiture of funds.
Examples
Two players use hand signals across a live table to reveal information about their hole cards to each other.
Online accounts controlled by the same person 'chip dump' funds to one account by intentionally losing large pots to it.
Strategy Tips
Report suspected collusion to the poker room or platform's security team rather than trying to handle it yourself, since operators have detection tools and enforcement authority you don't. Watch for suspicious patterns like two players consistently avoiding confrontation with each other or one player seeming to always fold profitable hands against a specific opponent. Play primarily on reputable, licensed platforms and rooms with strong security and anti-collusion measures. Never participate in any form of information sharing or coordinated play, even informally, as it violates the fundamental rules of the game and can result in severe penalties.