Does anyone consider this collusion?

[Ebonwoulfe 0]

What if he had said to her "Hey I have the nut flush", then bet into her? Would THAT be unethical? I mean, at least he made a bet. Or is it only unethical to check it down when you have an implied agreement?Or what if he said something like "Under pain of death or sleeping on the couch tonight, I swear you should not call this bet" and proceeded to bet? He didn't tell her his hand but he told her to fold. Is that unethical?

[thatguy 0]

Yeah, don't do that. It isn't exactly cheating but it isn't really acceptable either. If I saw someone do that I would be pretty annoyed too.

[mclark340 0]

I would offer the following advice...There are no friends in poker. Your wife is the enemy...play her like she is. If one of you loses all their chips then that is life and a lesson.What is accomplished by checking? Afraid you won't get any when you get home? Afraid to lose to your wife? Are you one of those couples that walks around holding hands? I hate couples like that!

[thrillsoft 0]

In a tournament, this is clearly collusion (cheating). Look at it this way... if the tourney were down to just three people... you, your wife and this third person and you checked it down like this wouldn't anyone in their right mind consider this a blatant collusion between you and your wife to jointly use your chip stacks to gang up on this third person and get extra money for the 1st/2nd prizes which are higher than 1st/3rd or 2nd/3rd? An advantage that this other guy does not enjoy in the situation. In a ring game, this would be just fine. It happens ALL THE TIME. I don't do it and my friends get pissed at me, he hey... I wait too long for my good hands to just waste them by not taking full advantage when I get them no matter who I'm head's up with. I do however tend to try to bluff them out of pots less when I believe that it is their pot at the moment. I'll lay down weak hands to friends that I might actually try to bluff someone else with.

[Johnny Lately 0]

It is soft play. That benefits only you and your wife and so disadvantages everyone else. Therefore it's cheating.

[NickSooted 0]

My wife and I play in the same tourneys and in a situation like that heads up I just move in with the nuts and its not soft playing. We have a no bluffing agreement when its just us two in the pot unless its final table. Seems to work fine as a huge overbet with the nut flush is signifying enough. Just show the nuts when the hand concludes everyones happy.

[ScottyE 0]

It's cheating. I can't see any other way to look at it.I disagree with this kind of practice weather it's a tourney or a cash game. I will bet every player down to there last dollar and I expect the same in return. If not it can throw off my reads, the game and future return on hands. Here's an example: You're running bad one session down say 3x the minimum buy-in. You pick-up a great hand but can't get paid because your "buddy" feels bad and wants to let you off the hook by checking it down or not calling with an inferior hand that they normally would play.Just my thoughts.

[waldo 0]

if you said that you had done this with some guy you had just met that day and you two struck a deal to softplay each other then there wouldnt even be a discussion about this, just because it is your wife makes no difference in the matter. you are softplaying an opponent giving them an unfair advantage over the rest of the feild. otherwise known as collusionif this was a homegame then it is a different story though

[speedz99 145]

I must say I disagree with most posters in this thread. I wouldn't care if one person got a huge stack and another got eliminated, or if they both stayed the same...its not affecting my stack, me at the table, or anyone else in the tournament.Perhaps announcing before the tournament that you will be checking down any hands with your wife the situation would be delt with, but why not have a signal that if you bet the absolute minimum in a hand that you are clearly winning and that she should fold, and no one would be the wiser.

Oh man, I hope you were kidding about all of this. Stack sizes don't affect your play? And they should have signals to determine who takes down pots? Wow. No advice giving from you for a week minimum.

[MJINK3 0]

It is a form of cheating when before play starts 2 or more players make a deal such as you have whether it be your wife or another player. You might as well get a signal set up if one of you has the nuts, to me it amounts to about the same thing.

[jack24bauer24 0]

My wife and I play in the same tourneys and in a situation like that heads up I just move in with the nuts and its not soft playing. We have a no bluffing agreement when its just us two in the pot unless its final table. Seems to work fine as a huge overbet with the nut flush is signifying enough. Just show the nuts when the hand concludes everyones happy.

Sad thing is thats just as much collusion as checking it down, and I'm not against what you are saying.

[Chiggleslap 0]

seriously, i'd bet into my girlfriend all day with the nut flush. she knows i'll make it up to her if i bust her.besides, if i bust her, she can come give me a back rub.

[alf13 0]

My wife and I play in a weekly poker league that generally draws 80-90 players. Whenever we end up playing at the same table we have an agreement that as long as her and I are the only two playing for a pot that we would check it down to the end. Of course if more people then just us are active then we play our normal game. Last week I hit the nut flush on the flop and the only caller I got was my wife. We both proceded to check the hand down and when I showed my hand a player asked why I would not bet on the turn or river. I told him I was more interested in taking chips from him then from my wife. He got all upset and accused me of cheating. I am of the opinion that as long as no one else is involved in the pot this is ok. Curious to hear what you all have to say.

What you did is "softplaying" and it is very common in HOME MTT's....VERY COMMON....more like rampant....Softplaying is unethical and it would piss me off...so yes....I consider you and your wife to be scum.

[Blink 0]

Why stop with just making the agreement with your wife? Why not go all "survior" and make alliances and schemes. You could have "agreements" with everyone at the table except one person. When that person gets busted out, make new alliances with all the remaining players except one..and so on..... :roll: I think they shoot people for this at some games.It doesn't matter if it is a cash game or a tourny, it is completely unfair to everyone else.--Blink

[Socrates 0]

It's softplaying as many have mentioned and it chages the texture of the tournament as well. Think about hoiw it affects chip stacks at the table and how they play considering the chips your wife may have lost or gained from your play. It does change everything and its wrong. My wife used to get upset when I'd trap her for all her chips. I explained it to her and she now plays a normal game all the time.You shouldn't be playing poker if friends or family factor into your poker decisons at the table.

[blueodum 0]

It's cheating and unethical in a tournament setting.What you are doing is increasing the chance that both of you will survive in the tournament. Therefore, you are costing every other player equity by playing as a team. I would consider this collusion and if I were the other player I would ask that you be disqualified from the tournament for breech of the rules (soft-play and collusion are a clear violation of the rules), and that you and your wife not be allowed to enter the same tournament ever again.

[1profiler 0]

There is a couple at my casino that play even harder against each other than others. They are both super aggressive too, which makes it pretty entertaining for the rest of the table.

[LAS22 0]

I don't think it's collusion...but, I'm not sure why you would both check it all the way down. If my wife, daughter, Mom, Sister or Granny were going against me I would be trying to knock them out. They would be more upset at me for playing soft against them, then going in for the kill.

[Vogelb5 0]

Tournament - I don't like it, should play straightHome cash game - I don't like it, should play straight, lower buyin, mainly for funCasino - I don't mind it.. usually for more money and about winning not fun. I don't mind the checkdown here.

[blueodum 0]

What if he had said to her "Hey I have the nut flush", then bet into her? It would only be ethical if you said the same thing to every other opponent in this situation. Not bloody likely, so yes, it is still unethical.IT IS UNETHICAL TO SHOW ANY FAVORITISM TO ANY OPPONENT IN A TOURNAMENT.That's why they have the "show one, show all" rule.

[CrazyJoe 0]

this is completely uncool, i'm a hard ass about this at my HOME GAMES, this is unacceptable in a tournament setting, any tournament setting, it's cheating, unethical all around.people saying it's cool at a home game lessens the integrity of the game as far as i'm concerned. I give my girlfriend and roommate crap about this if i see them doing it, to each other or to me. It's not right.

[TheWynn 0]

Not sure if it's technically "collusion", but many consider soft playing to be unethical.  I am one of those, and you should play your normal game no matter who you are in the pot against.

Well stated.

[FileError404 0]

Stop saying it's soft playing! Soft playing is not pre-arranged. They TALKED about it, which is:The Definition of Collusion: Collusion is an agreement between parties to refrain in participating in an activity that they normally would in order to reduce competition.

[CaneBrain 95]

if you said that you had done this with some guy you had just met that day and you two struck a deal to softplay each other then there wouldnt even be a discussion about this, just because it is your wife makes no difference in the matter. you are softplaying an opponent giving them an unfair advantage over the rest of the feild. otherwise known as collusionif this was a homegame then it is a different story though

that bolded part is spoken like a man who knows nothing.It is obvious from the responses on this thread that we have a lot of young people who have never had the pleasure of dating a girl for a long period of time and a lot of idealists.Here is my ideal....i live with my girlfriend. that means every night she is there, every day she is there and she knows where I sleep. what am I more worried about....some guys in a tournament getting worked up over something that isnt THAT big a deal or worried about pissing off the person I have to hang out with 24/7.You do the math.My advice to the OP is ask his wife why she doesnt want to just play him straight up. My girlfriend (of several years) doesnt like gambling or poker much but I feel like she would get a kick out of beating me in a hand. If she cant deal with a little healthy competition with you that doesnt sound right. I bet if the OP asked his wife to play against him for real she would be cool with it.

[blueodum 0]

If you don't think cheating at poker is a big deal, then you are either: A) not a real poker player or B) A lousy human being.