Collusion at Pokerstars Home Games

Be warned that Pokerstars will not do anything about Collusion in the home games. If you have an issue with collusion you are to take it up with the club manager.

I have to say this is worrisome if you are playing in a club where you don;t actually know the people involved.

Why would you be in a club where you dont know the people? Isnt the point of the home game to play with people you know? I mean, if you got a flier on your car to go to a home game in harlem and you dont know anybody in harlem, would you attend?

Well it would defeat the whole object of "home" games if you was worried about collusion happening. They was made with the intention of people you know, family,friends etc as more of a fun game than anything else even if you can of course play for real money. I wouldn't be joining any club if I didn't know the people well. I joined the cardchats one because you have to trust most people on here or we would be stuck. I certainly wouldn't join just some randoms who was spamming a club to join.

Also, to be honest if I had a family and close friends club and there was a lot playing then I'd laugh of any sort of collusion as it would all just be fun, nothing more..

Well I don't know everyone personally here at CC? So do I not join their games? And I am a member at other forums where I would like to play in their private games but still I don't know all of the players. Sure if I feel like I am being cheated I can always just leave the club. If I just play against people in have met it's gonna be a small club. I am sure you guys don't believe that the home game idea was created with that in mind. Or maybe you do.

Marginal...I guess it is the same as the idea that I have gone to home games where I knew a few people but not all of them. Last time I was in Harlem I was asleep in my friends car and woke up there. Guy comes over to the car and says no worries Andre asked us to watch out for you go back to sleep

I'm sure Stars is not going to police the home games as close as they might their own, but under the home games FAQ it does state:

Q: I am concerned about collusion. What should I do?

A: Home Games Poker Clubs are intended for friends who know and trust each other. If you suspect improper playing tactics on the part of fellow club members, please email support@pokerstars.com with details of the incident, and one of our game security specialists will review the matter.

Being paranoid doesn't make for fun games. If you have doubts, don't play or unjoin the club.

Just because I am paranoid doesnt mean they aren't colluding

They must have changed their stance Nick. When i first saw the FAQ it stated to take collusion up with the club manager.

It seems crazy though kmixer - no offence. The whole idea of these games was family/friends to play, I for sure will be playing family and friends in them and well it's a risk I'm going to take, I mean it's highly unlikely some of my friends/family are going to try have me over.

Besides, with the clubs for forums, again another risk but for a respectable forum like this one and other big forums, the club managers who arrange games and so on will obviously keep an eye out but if you are concerned about it I wouldn't sign up if I thought there was a few dodgy people within a game and paranoid. It's supposed to be fun more than anything and still you're more likely to face collusion within a standard PS game than a club game where you know most of the people. Lets fact it, 99% of the time, you know no one who are in your other PS games yet you still play and aren't as concerned?

Sounds good. I was always wondering about dirty third world countries.

LOL. I would love to see the countries that have been put on this list.

Just before you copy and paste something please make sure it's relevant


Q:CAN I PLAY WITH FRIENDS FROM THE SAME LOCATION IN HOME GAMES?

A:Yes. The members of a Poker Club can sit at the same table, even if they are on the same IP address or at the same location. This allows Club Members to get together at the same place to play an online Home Game.

i would just forget the home games if there is collusion goin on
theres no point in playin with these ppl if they are cheating at the end of the day
why not start a new club
get ppl u trust to join

just a thought

I don;t have a big fear of it to be honest and certainly not from anyone that is part of my club or the ones I belong to. This thread was just to get conversation going about the possibilities.

I don't think these home games will last very long because of this very reason. PS will get fed up with getting so many compliants that I think that they will quit them. Most sites have a place where you can sit up your own games anyway. This is nothing new.

Besides i think this fad will go away because it takes away from the tournys they allready have and the ring games also, there are more then enough games of all styles and levels to go around as it stands no need for club ones imo

Hello,

PokerStars has become aware of players who were working together in our Sit & Go tournaments to the detriment of other players. You were involved in at least one tournament with these players and as a result you may have been adversely affected.

The players' accounts were closed and their funds frozen pending a thorough investigation, which is now complete.

In a case such as this it is our policy to confiscate the colluders' winnings or balances and to distribute them to the players affected by their actions in as fair a way as possible. To confirm your credit, log onto your PokerStars account, go to the 'Cashier' screen and click the 'History' button. Your share will be shown "ADMIN CREDIT", followed by the amount of the credit.

I regret that we will be unable to answer questions as to how your specific credit amount was calculated. Likewise, we are not at liberty to identify the specific games or players in question. Suffice to say that they have been barred from the site and you will not encounter them again.

The integrity of the games at PokerStars is of paramount importance to us and we will not abide cheating or collusion in our games. We work hard to police our games and prevent such instances. In the rare cases where collusion has actually occurred, we make sure that any players affected are compensated appropriately.

Thank you for your continued play here on PokerStars. Please do not hesitate to let us know any time we can be of help.

Kind Regards,

Richard
PokerStars Game Security


I just got this email this morning. Good to know PS is policing the colluders. I thought I might get a sizeable amount back from them. Checked my account right away. I got $1.03 !!!!!! Booyah!!!!
Now I can get that pack of gum I've had my eye on for quite some time!

Happens all the time in other forum games. Usually it's married players in the same house or a ring of friends skyping or IM'ing. It's a shame because the soft play between them makes it real obvious.

Fearfactor....this was from playing in a home game?

I have a friend in town where I live, that used to have a weekly game going on PokerStars with a small buyin & then they'd also put in $20 (or whatever they chose for that week) which would increase the prizepool w/o increasing the rake paid to the site (set up as 'priv. games'). Alot of them were buddies from work & then other friends & 'friends of friends', etc. Now, with the new 'HomeGames', they're able to do the very same thing but pay zero rake while doing so. How can you beat that?

Personally I think this new feature on Stars will be around for awhile. What a great way to advertise! I can think of alot of people in town where I live who have never played online before but have considered it. Now with the HomeGame deal on Stars they can join in a game with their friends, get familiarized with the site & then get HOOKED! I see this as being a great marketting feature by Pokerstars & doubt it'd end anytime soon.

Wow, I didn't realize these were zero rake affairs. Very smart move by PokerStars -- I've said it before and I'll say it again, the first site that makes the move to make online poker more sociable and "friendly" is the one that will hook the massively expansive casual poker market.

No, I'm sure it wasn't a home game. Probably from some $1.20 sit-n gos.

I have played in a few and could have sworn I payed rake, in the tourneys anyway?

I think collusion will always be a problem. How do you stop it when there is yahoo, windows messenger and other chat programs

All home games tournies for real money have rake (tourney fee). If you want to setup rake free games you have to do play money games and then do side payments among your players.

THis ^ is what I was referring to. (ie. a group of friends from work, playing a weekly game on Stars, no rake because they can just make it a playchip game with entry fee on the side)

Surely home games are a great place for multi-accounters/money launderers to chip dump???

Yes it would and I doubt pokerstars police home games.

I have played in them too-and there's always been a rake.

Yeah, I'm doin the same thing. Gettin my friends from my hometown who now live all over to join. We grew up playing cards together and we're going to have a poker night. A few of them have never played online so PS will have a few new clients from my home league. Good for them, I love this service.

If your friends/family are colluding...CALL them out on it! Duh...they are your friends. Or make an alliance w/ someone else in the game...what ever.