How do the players make sure that their opponents are not getting signals from television/production side of things? If players make friends with people seeing the RFID they can be signaled by someone in crowd and win easily.

This would be great business for those involved. I've noticed at some of the live final tables that it looks like some players are getting signs and making impossible calls/laydowns.

How is everything safeguarded? Should people ("rails") even be allowed in the crowd?

People in the crowd don't see hole card information. Most of the staff don't see it either, and the ones that do are usually tucked away in a separate room.

yes but how difficult would it be for those select staff members with access to subsequently text info to someone sitting in the crowd? Then for that person to send a subtle signal to the player?

The people who have access should be recorded and not have any access to cell phone or outside technology. There shouldn't be rails in the crowd either just in case. You really can't trust anyone nowadays with technology advantages so available.

Examples? I'd love to see this. Especially if it's Ali Tekintamgac on the rail.

Edit: and in response to post #3, you're right... you can't totally know for sure. Just like I don't know for sure that a dealer isn't setting up cold decks at a final table due to some arrangement made earlier that morning. At some point, you just have to go with it... or don't play.

The staff that has access to real time RFID info are not allowed to have communication devices with them. Also note that the RFID signal from the cards is so weak that frequently the dealer has to have the players reposition the cards on the table so the embedded readers can pick them up.

Come on GUYS!?!?!?!? You don't think Phil Ivy hasn't figured this out yet? He already cheated a CASINO!!!!!!

As a cash games player in mostly private games I think it's in that arena that abuse of RFID chipped cards is probably most likely to turn up. Anyone running such a game at stakes higher than mine will be greatly tempted to try this because they have total control of the environment & the return could be substantial.

If they can fix up a RFID tag & reader system that isn't as constrained as that used currently at the table it could be a viable cheat. We can already wheel a trolley [cart] full of shopping through a detector & itemise all the tagged items in the trolley, but not the locations of the items**. That latter location problem is solvable & then we'll be able to say what cards are where on the table exactly without players having to take care with placing their hole cards in detection areas. [** I may be underestimating on this point - perhaps items can be located in space precisely already]

Anyway - I'd bet my house that there are private games out there with gimmicked card shuffler machines, hidden chip tray cameras & the rest. The cheating kits seem to be readily available on the net [although good chance the cheat most often is that 'they' take your money & the kit doesn't work]. I did do a google search to see if there's any reports over the years of the feed from hole-cam technology being intercepted, which seems like a similar problem to me, but I turned up nothing.

In fairness to the OP, he never specified the WSOP, which has extremely strict safeguards. But yeah, some of these upstart operations -- Poker Night In America, for example -- do we know that they have similar? I would assume so but I've never seen their operation.

@Loki: the first time I ever saw an RFID table advertised on YouTube, I wondered the same. They would say things like "TV-style graphics for your live stream!" but it's hard to imagine someone at the consumer level would have any real interest in having hole card info for a video production, unless they were using it for instructional purposes. Seems like it's just a front for someone selling cheating gear.

Man, there are some hardcore recreational players where I'm from. Maybe that's because there aren't any casinos or legal cardrooms within 400 miles. I've known guys that built ridiculous man caves with custom tables, framed memorabilia, flat screens, bar, etc. If RFID was a thing at the time, I'm sure they'd love to star in their own episode of PAD.

Not one person in this world should ever be privvy to ones hole cards ever, other than the players.


Pokers is soo, soooo full of scum this is just BEGGING for the next great scandal..

Yes I agree with all your above. Plus the regs & production crew on PNiA travel together & know each other well. Any local invitee to the table as the show does its rounds of the country is already fit to be sheared like any tourist in Vegas even without the 'assistance' of such trickery, but nevertheless it's the perfect environment for player/production collusion. I'm not sure they have RFID as it happens from what I've seen which isn't much because I can't bear the posturing.

On your last point - I've seen those advertised too & agree. However there's a few huge home games we've all read about where I'd be counting my fingers & thumbs after every handshake. The necessary tech would cost less than a small pot in those games & those semi-naked 'hostesses' for distraction purposes. Ker ching.

and fwiw IM pretty sure the staff on Limons Commerce ghetto show, somehow some way are accessing the players with real time info. Thats how that dude made the 5 minute 'hero' call, after so much tanking, then when the HOST said " ID CALL" HE puts his call in almost simultaneously to the time the host said "ID CALL"...


Limon say whatever you want, but that player somehow KNEW what you all said and then made the so called 'Hero call'. Knowing you all saying that had access to the 'villains hand'. And only after the host of the 'Live at the bike' screamed at the TOP OF THEIR LUNGS, ID CALL...

then ofc HEro slides in the call, after a long tank.... SHADY!!!

Oh damn, I have unwittingly gotten on the ground floor of an OMG-live-poker-is-sooo-rigged thread.

Srsly, I don't doubt there are some hardcore poker fanboy types (hell, I joined this site because I'd probably fit in well with your group). But to produce a homemade TV show? So they would just play out a SNG then watch it later? Even I wasn't that bad.

Yep if its possible to be abused, someone will abuse it.

Cheating via RFID is definitely possibly.

Sounds like there's a business opportunity for creating a card protector that doubles as an RFID blocker/jammer. Probably very limited market though, mostly for high-stakes and home games.

The gaming authority usually has someone stationed outside the "control room"


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PI asked the casino to deal the game a particular way. They obliged. Success is not a crime.

In Nevada, Gaming does address the issue of RFID cheating, generally by requiring the host venue to provide for controlling access to the live data and controlling access by "those in the know".

To be honest, picking up the data directly from the table area thru some "rogue" monitor would seem incredibly difficult, given limited range for the signals. However, absent some controls on the "official" data stream access and communications would inevitably allow for cheating to occur somewhere, sometime.

(Can a casual observer of a deck of cards tell if they are RFID-tagged/marked ? I do not know, I've never looked at such a deck.)

It could be an adaptation of the passive blockers available already [nicely packaged aluminium foil] as a product to protect against chipped credit cards in your wallet/purse being read remotely [although this is mostly a scam to profit from needless fears]:- AS PER THIS ARTICLE ON INFOWORLD

This is how RFID regulations and compliance is SUPPOSED to work in Nevada.

1. The signal must be encrypted at the initial point of the antennas reading the cards.
2. That encrypted signal is then sent to a "Peek Room" that is located away from the area of play.
3. All personnel in the peek room must surrender any communication devices that could be used to send a signal to any place outside of the peek room.
4. No one is allowed to enter the peek room once gaming has started.
5. There is SUPPOSED to be a Nevada Gaming Control Board Agent INSIDE the peak room along with a Security Officer of the establishment where the game is being played. Some places even have a Security Office outside of the Peek Room as well.
6. Door to peek room must be locked.

+1 very legit concerns imo. Many possible ways to abuse also.

Is this the protection?

Sounds like it is a favorite that this type of cheating has happened, or will happen at a tournament somewhere in the World.

No need to go over all the Mission Impossible ideas.

In private games, this type of cheating already goes on.

Is this the protection?

Sounds like it is a favorite that this type of cheating has happened, or will happen at a tournament somewhere in the World.

No need to go over all the Mission Impossible ideas.

In private games, this type of cheating already goes on.

Is this really the case? It's transmitted over wifi? If that's the case I wonder how secure the connection really is -- it should be pretty easy to see what kind of encryption they are using.

I'm sure if one got their hands on one of those rfid readers one could probably have some fun with it.

Who said anything about wifi? Anyway I don't think man in the middle is the answer. Anyone capable of doing that, decrypting everything, and relaying the information to the player in less than 60 seconds is wasting his talent at a poker tournament.