Online Poker Forum - Concerted, but uncommunicated, bubble play

torgeauxSA · Flush Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 137

So, we're down to 4 in a 22. The small stack has 3x bb, and is folding literally everything, except on the BB. It soon becomes obvious that no one is playing anything that the small stack isn't in, to prevent anyone with a decent stack from getting knocked out before the cripple. No one (as far as I know) knew anyone else, no one mentioned it in chat, it just became obvious. When down to just $10 in chips, he won, then next circuit, won again, then finally lost, and so a relatively large number of hands were folded to the BB, and when eliminated, play went back to normal.

I don't see the problem, but I have thought about it. The three regular stacks are acting in concert, to the detriment of another player, but it's to each of their benefits to do so, and it was without collusion.

Thoughts?

Oh, and the small stack was an ***, who had been the big stack on the basis of calling all ins after the turn with just a flush draw, but hitting it twice (then trying a couple more times and losing all that built up stack).

Teaguen · Straight Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 115

Nothing wrong with it really. There was no collusion just common reasoning by all 3 of you. Let the little guy blind off so we all make the money. Ill bet though that if two of you did happen to get monster starting hands that you would''ve seen some action. the blinds went around twice? In a 4 handed game thats not many hands and its not that uncommon that the 3 of you wouldnt have a hand that you felt you wanted to call/raise with.

GripHoldOn · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:52 pm Post subject:

There is nothing wrong with this whatsoever. You are playing in your best interest and in that interest only. You simply are avoiding the players that can cripple or bust you and taking advantage of one who is playing tight and has less chips than you.

MrUnderhill · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 2:19 pm Post subject:

Sounds like a solid way to finish in the money.

liquidgrip · Pair Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

We were in a $22 the other day and I was even about 5k with another person. The small stack was instant folding even his blinds.

We were both still playing to win first when we both almost at the same time realized and believed he was not at the table.

We both sent chats to him and both started taking turns rasing the big blind because we new he would instant fold.

We agreed to blind him off because he was not responding or betting and only instant folding which led us to believe he was not at the table.

I dont feel it was collusion because the person was not there and we did not tell each other what are hands were. We did agree to blind him off and did for about 2000 chips only raising the big blind one bet. He never responded and never went all in untill he had less then the big blind.

Was that collusion?

Teaguen · Straight Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 115

even though you didnt say what your hands were to each other its still collusion if you typed to each other saying lets take turns blinding the guy out. 2 people making a verbal agreement to the detrement of someone else is collusion. Had the two of you just taken turns without talking about it then no it wouldnt be.

liquidgrip · Pair Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

But if the person is away check folding is it really collusion. I would think the person would have to be at the table(or keyboard) for it to be collusion. I wonder what it says about someone in a tourny Away/Check/Folding in the EULA.

Teaguen · Straight Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 115

it doesnt matter if the third person is there or not liquid, they physically communicated and executed the plan.

KGBlovesOreos · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:48 am Post subject:

this isnt collusion, as it happens in many tournaments everyday... its just an understood part of poker that when players are on the bubble to cash, play tightens up very much...

Jaconda78 · Message Board Junkie Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 4179

It's fine if it is, in fact, understood. But when you say it out loud, it becomes collusion.

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