What You Need to Know About Online Poker Ghosting

• Ghosting is a form of cheating in online poker where a highly ranked player plays using the account of a less skillful player. This is also called multi-accounting.
• Since players in online poker are normally ranked to make matchmaking fairer. Ghosting allows more experienced and skillful players to take advanced of newer, less experienced players.
• Ghosting online poker can also mean a more experienced player coaching a less experienced player on how to play their hand during an online poker game.
• World class-players such as Bryn Kenney, Ali Imsirovic and Jake Schindler have all been accused of ghosting in order to easy money off other players.
• This article will fully explain what ghosting is in online poker, live dealer poker, or video poker, why it’s a problem, and how to avoid getting caught out by this form of cheating.

If you’re looking to learn about ghosting in online poker, you’ve come to the right page (and no, it’s not when someone you know suddenly cuts off all communication on social media without any explanation). In the world of online poker, ghosting refers to a skilled player taking over for a less experienced user during gameplay.

This sneaky tactic has been on the rise in recent years, prompting operators to take action. Keep reading to learn more about poker ghosting and the measures being used to combat it.

What is Ghosting in Online Poker ?

Cheating in poker can take on many forms, with many high level poker cheating scandals to prove it. However one of the most potent forms is online poker ghosting. In simple terms, ghosting involves a player with higher skill replacing a less skillful player during gameplay.

This could be just for one hand or for extended periods. The most dangerous form of poker ghosting happens in online poker tournament play.

A group may have a tournament specialist ready to jump into the game when another player in the group reaches a higher stage in the tournament, such as the final table. When this happens, the expert will enter the game and use their ability to get the best results and potentially win the tournament.

Image credit: Olexyander/Shutterstock

Why is Online Poker Ghosting a Problem?

Poker is one of the few online casino games where skill is an element of gameplay. An experienced or high-skill player will make more intelligent betting decisions, play the best poker hands more accurately, and be more subtle with bluffing.

Any group of players who can call upon such a skillful player will give themselves an unfair advantage. Of course, if the skilled player were to join the tournament at the start, that would be fine. Instead, cheating occurs when the skilled player replaces another without the other participants knowing. That is why all top online poker platforms ban ghosting and deem it to be cheating.

Online Poker Ghosting ‘Stables’

On the surface, ghosting would not be a major issue in poker if it was a casual occurrence. However, because ghosting is possible in online poker, there is a real danger, and it is becoming increasingly common. In fact, there are professional-level poker players who have put together “stables” of mediocre players that they stake. Vice versa, less-skilled players have recruited experts to be their ghost player.

Stables will send the weaker players into the initial stages of big-money online poker tournaments. These players may still be good enough to get through early rounds and build big stacks. When the stable player manages to go deep into the tournament, the ghosting poker expert will take over and compete in the latter stages or final table.

So-called “grindhouses” have become increasingly common, hosting dozens of players who will literally grind online poker tournaments in attempts to go deep into the competition. This has become enough of a problem that some estimates suggest the grindhouses are making millions by cheating.

The situation was thrown into the spotlight when legendary tournament player Bryn Kenney was alleged to be operating a stable of players.

Types of Online Poker Ghosting

Poker ghosting can happen in several ways beyond stables and in tournaments. Below are the types of ghosting that online casinos prohibit:

• Joining an online poker room in the middle of a game and allowing someone else to play for you.
• Agreeing to play for someone else during an online game or tournament.
• Contacting an experienced player and having them give you poker tips during gameplay. This form of poker ghosting online is almost impossible to detect.
• Using two accounts simultaneously during the same game to trick opponents into thinking there are two players.

Risks and Consequences of Poker Ghosting

Poker ghosting is a massive issue for online poker rooms, be they video poker, live poker dealer or fully virtual games, not least because it is extremely hard to detect when it is happening. Even if the site can detect ghosting, proving it is even more difficult. That’s because many poker players have unique styles of play that they change interchangeably. In other words, it is hard to know if there are two different players or just one player using distinctive styles.

While finding concrete proof that someone is ghosting rather than simply playing differently is impossible, online casinos don’t need proof. These operators are free to ban players whenever they want and for any reason. If they even suspect a player is poker ghosting, that player is likely to lose their account and be banned.

Image credit: Elnur/Shutterstock

Why Should You Avoid Ghosting Poker Players?

Online poker casinos are also turning to simple campaigns to warn players to avoid ghosting. For novice players, the idea of drafting an expert player to win a tournament can be appealing. Likewise, skilled players creating stables of players who go deep into competition could make gathering prize money easier.

However, the reality of poker ghosting is that it hurts the poker room, but more importantly, it harms your fellow players. It is not only considered cheating and a bannable offense by poker operators but also unethical. If you are handing your deep tournament performances to a better player, you will also not be learning the theory, like ICM in poker, improve your own game.

Your skills will never improve, and you will never experience the excitement of playing at a real money poker tournament. Of course, if you are caught or suspected of ghosting, the poker room or casino will ban you and block your account. In cases where someone is caught multiple times, sites may even share information, making it hard for you to have accounts with any online poker provider.

Detecting and Reporting Ghosting Behavior: Protecting Yourself Online

To help find cheaters, poker sites are increasingly turning to AI, which will automatically search for anomalies in player style. Because of how hard it is to definitively spot ghosting poker techniques, it can be difficult for players to get involved with detecting ghosting. Even so, there are some things you can do:

• If you encounter a player more than once in a tournament and their playing style is drastically different, this can raise some concerns.

• Is there a player on your table who seems to be of much higher skill than anyone else? Remember, poker ghosting involves drafting a top player to complete a tournament.

• Do you see the same player winning multiple tournaments over a short time? Admittedly, the online poker room will likely spot this before you.

• You can report your suspicions to the online poker operator. Whether it is through live chat or email, your report should include the player’s name, the games you suspect cheating, and dates.

Avoiding This New Style of Online Poker Cheating

Ghosting poker techniques are an increasingly common form of cheating and have become more dangerous for poker rooms and players. Remember, ghosting in poker is harming other players, so never be tempted to engage in this method. Doing so could also lead to you being banned from the poker room.

Title image credit: Kikostock/Shutterstock