Poker ethics are the moral principles of fair play. Collusion is when players secretly work together against others—the most common form of cheating.
A fair game is everyone's responsibility
| Type |
Description |
| Hole card sharing |
Telling partner your cards |
| Chip dumping |
Intentionally losing to transfer chips |
| Soft play |
Not betting/raising against partner |
| Whipsawing |
Trapping victim between raisers |
| Team play |
Coordinated strategy vs others |
| Impact |
Who It Hurts |
| Unfair advantage |
Honest players lose more |
| Distorted pot odds |
Extra "players" in pots |
| Kills trust |
People stop playing |
| Ruins games |
Ecosystem damage |
| Action |
Status |
| Bluffing |
Core part of game |
| Slow-playing |
Legal strategy |
| Table talk/needling |
Gamesmanship |
| Exploiting mistakes |
That's poker |
| Using legal information |
Tells, stats, reads |
| Action |
Status |
| Sharing hole cards |
Cheating |
| Collusion in any form |
Cheating |
| Using bots/RTA |
Cheating |
| Multi-accounting |
Cheating |
| Marking cards |
Cheating |
| Action |
Consideration |
| Angle shooting |
Legal but unethical |
| Not correcting dealer errors (in your favor) |
Situational |
| Misleading statements |
Part of game, but... |
| Excessive slowrolling |
Poor etiquette |
| Angle |
Description |
| Fake fold motion |
Trick opponent into acting |
| Ambiguous bets |
Confusing chip movements |
| String betting |
Adding chips after reaction |
| Hiding big chips |
Disguising stack size |
Angles are "legal" but damage your reputation and the game.
| Step |
Action |
| 1 |
Document everything |
| 2 |
Report to site/room |
| 3 |
Don't accuse publicly without proof |
| 4 |
Leave the game if necessary |
| Principle |
Application |
| Play fair |
Win on merit |
| Protect the game |
Report cheaters |
| Consider reputation |
Long-term thinking |
| Treat others well |
Golden rule |
| Reason |
Impact |
| Reputation |
Word spreads |
| Self-respect |
Sleep well at night |
| Game health |
Cheating kills games |
| Long-term thinking |
Sustainable career |
Bluffing and exploitation are poker. Collusion and cheating are not. Play fair, report cheaters, and protect the integrity of the game. Your reputation and the health of poker depend on everyone upholding ethical standards.