This whole thread is bizarre. No doubt that there are now (or in 2020) better mixed games players than Chip Reese was when he was alive and at his peak. Understanding of poker has advanced so much since then. Of course.

However, at the time of his peak, Chip Reese was among the best mixed game players in the world. To see Sklansky disparage his mixed game ability is strange and reeks of jealousy.

If back in the day Reese and Sklansky were to play in the same mixed game, if people could back either one I am quite sure Reese would be backed overwhelmingly. Not even close.

In his biography, Dave makes it clear just how much he loathes cheaters. I don't see how this lines up with being strange or jealous.

To speak a bit more of cheating and collusion:

First I will say I played most of my poker prior to the 2005 great expansion when I played full time in stakes of mostly 75-150 limit, and during later years of that time time observed and posted often on this 2+2 forum (like from 1999-2005). I am now an older man who retired to Las Vegas and now can play 40+ hour a week again - and have for a few years, but rarely look at the forums and now rarely study poker.

As far as requested signals from the great and well reputed Mason Malmuth: There has been such cheating and collusion past years, especially at higher stakes and using different methods. I will write some of the recent collusion I have seen and been approached about by other poker professionals these past 3 years. This was not in very high NL games, as I do not play very high NL. One simple method is the placement one can put chips on the cards they are dealt, which tells your buddies the exact value of the two cards. Not much other communication is needed between experience colluders who know what to do depending on the hands.
There are "extras" here that then come into play such as one colluder when in a hand sharing his cards briefly with the person next to him. This is supposedly not allowed, but in most cardrooms nothing is said about such a small brief infraction. Later, when the person next to him is then in a hand with the colluders buddy, the colluder then strains to view his "friendly neighbors hand" who very often complies by briefly sharing his cards, so as not to offend his friendly poker neighbor (the colluder) who previously shared. The colluder then signals his buddy with how to play the hand his buddy has by placing his right hand in a certain position instructing to raise - bet - fold. These hand positions are common positions, and little of this brings suspicion, though I think over a brief time the chips on the cards might be detected by surveillance after a complaint. Should the chip system become worrisome, hand gestures such as one hand upon the other arm and similar can indicate strength of hands...and ALL SUCH SIGNALS LOOK VERY NORMAL AND COMMON! Stronger players have previously spoken of things to do in the hands to bring extra value and already know certain things such as the easy before the flop trappings when one has the very strong hand so as to middle persons to obtain higher preflop monies and dead monies. For example, has a player ever called up front with AA or KK, then find no one raises so there is 6 players to the flop?? This NEVER happens when your buddy assists by a small raise if no one else raises. TOP HANDING is more passive, but easily signaled to be certain a colluder with QQ does not run up against another colluder having AA, or AQ against AK. I know Mason Malmuth is familiar with all of this and far more in the world of poker and gambling.

There are a number of other methods, some better than this one which is basic but effective. There are also other small things done at the same time to take every extra edge possible,

A few other "tips" are never play in the same casino 2 days in a row, do not speak to each other - and if one does speak, never address the other by name. Do not wear the same clothes, dress a bit differently with some things as hats and even glasses. Nothing like disguises, just some differences. These seem small and basic, but it is smaller things that are remembered and brought to mind by floor and opponents, and small additional edges add much to those who already have an edge.

I will add that many floor persons, and many gamblers/players, are susceptible to doing things for cash money games when it is believed the chance of exposure is little to none - which is nearly always the case. Floor persons who were comfortable with myself have in the past approached me with methods for them to assist, and some methods to completely insure my win. All was for a piece of the money of course.

To speak more specifically of other colluding tactics, or to reveal specific floor or specific persons who have approached me or whom I know with certainty have done many things like the above and far worse, would also be a betrayal of their trusting confidence in me which I will not breach.

You may all write of me being a "14 year old boy", and speculate as to the truth of my first hand knowledge of different types of cheating that currently exists in poker and in other forms of gambling. I am an older man who has both in previous and current years seen much cheating in poker by many more means than the simple collusion above. I have observed the same first hand at most other casino games as well. It is a truth that more money is taken from casinos by employees in the pit than likely all cheaters who cheat casinos themselves combined. I say this truth to illustrate that MANY persons in all parts of the gambling world are more willing to participate in many different methods of cheating at poker or other games as well, when it is believed the chance of detection is small. As I have heard some say in response to words of money and greed - "If you are not greedy, why are you here gambling?"

LASTLY I will add that Mason Malmuth himself is no fool and very aware that such cheating at poker occurs today in both tournaments and cash. Mason know that some tournament persons, some floor persons, some fine poker players, can be, and are, corrupt at times and cheat in whatever ways they cheat. But in all my years, I can say that Mason is not a person any of these colluding persons who occasionally cheat would ever approach, or permit to know, have done anything so wrong. With all I know of Mason, I add that Mason is an "extra straight" shooter, who would not take any unfair advantage, at any time, in any poker game. This is known of Mason by those who have and do things to "cheat", to the point some have said Mason is "morally annoying". Even those fine players who have at times cheated and consider themselves friends of Mason Malmuth, would never, ever, "Not in a million years" (As one fine player who approached me to cheat at poker said to me), dare let Mason know of any colluding or other unfair advantage in poker he has previously taken, or were planning, and would never dare approach Mason to participate, despite being very cordial with Mason.
To have spent such time as a success in the gambling world, and to remain so untarnished, to never once even be suspected of this type of wrongdoing, and to remain as one regarded by all (including the well known players who have cheated at times) as "stainless steel" in that regard, is a great tribute to Mason Malmuth that very uncommon in this gambling world.

To speak more specifically of other colluding tactics, or to reveal specific floor or specific persons who have approached me or whom I know with certainty have done many things like the above and far worse, would also be a betrayal of their trusting confidence in me which I will not breach.

sorry but this is ridiculous. You don't want to betray the confidence of people who tried to cheat with you or you know for a fact cheated? That's absurd.

yeah it's weird that you'll only say "yeah it happens" but not name any names

That’s life. He isn’t the moral police.

You can make a lot of money cheating at poker.

It's easy to get away with it. If Postle didn't play every hand perfectly, he would still be doing it on camera. And he is a man of modest intelligence and ability.

If you get caught, nothing will happen to you and you will keep all the money. I've been unable to find a single example of someone going to jail in the US. (a couple in Europe).

So the only way cheating isn't rampant in poker is if the people who play poker are far more honest than the GP. And dishonest people outside of poker have never found out about this opportunity.


The OP sounds credible to me. All of the methods he describes are smart. The thing where you show V your cards and then pressure him to show you your cards is very clever, would work and it is essentially impossible that you'd ever be caught. If someone like Doyle cheated, he would use intelligent methods that were basically impossible to detect.


I think of it like a sport where most players are on PEDs. Maybe a couple top performers are such freaks that they can beat world class players who are on PEDs without using being on PEDs themselves, but that's gotta be pretty rare.

Then he just shouldn't say anything.
Lol@ not wanting to betray the confidence of cheating scumbags.

What's really scary is smart cheaters.

Like I said, welcome to reality. If you hang out with criminals you would understand. At least the details are shared.

Sure. Think of all the high profile players who've been caught cheating online. The Ilsidur case. The stuff with the Cirque guy. All the ghosting cases. The super user cases. Etc. Most of the time, they only got caught by doing something really outlandish or confessing. It's pretty safe to assume that most of the time highly intelligent people who really know poker cheated, we never heard about it and the cases we know of are the tip of the iceberg.

And that's online, with every hand history recorded. We're talking live, where someone would have to, like, figure out that some perfectly normal behavior is a signal based on a sample size of 150 hands or so. Then you have to explain this to authorities and ultimately a jury who don't know the first thing about poker. And even then, what's your evidence really?

Mike M recently openly colluded with Phil H (Phil seemed to wish he hadn't done so) in a big pot on LATB and absolutely nothing happened.

yes we're all so lucky he made vague cheating allegations on a forum full of people who know cheating happens in live poker.

I don't recall where I read this, but I'm sure I read it relatively recently -- in a book not by Sklansky.

OK. After a quick perusal of my Kindle, I see it was in Billy Walters recent book.

He discusses what went on in the Dunes card room. According to Walters, Chip acquired the right to the card room by winning big in a card game against Johnny Moss who had previously had the rights. From his first appearance in the WSOP, Reese had big problems with Tony 'The Ant' Spilotro putting the arm on him and demanding a share of his winnings. (Reese wasn't alone in coming under this pressure. Doyle and Billy Baxter were two other gamblers who Spilotro put the arm on.)

Walters claims that when Reese initially took over the Dunes, there was a cheat at every table. He says that Reese (who appears to have been a close friend) eventually cleaned it up. He suggests that he did so because otherwise people would just stop playing there.

But the book left me with the impression that if Spilotro wanted cheats to be able to operate there, it was happening regardless of what Reese wanted.

He also has an interesting story in the book about catching Puggy Pearson cheating at golf.

Well, you definitely are credible, and thanks for the positive comments.

And to add one thing to the other readers, be careful of players who keep a toothpick in their mouth. Placement of the toothpick can indicate hand strength.

Mason