Disconnect Scam

I play at bodog and I think all the tables have disconnect protection (Ill have to check but I think all do). Anyways I've seen this happen more and more. The other day I raise preflop with pocket Jacks and get one caller. (This is a Cash Table $100.00, and me and him both have around the same total of a little over $100.00.) Flop comes 3h 8s Jd. He checks and I raise 3/4 of the pot. He calls. Turn comes 2h and he oddly bets $20, I move allin not wanting him to draw on the hearts. He never calls or folds and lets the disconnetion act. That way his hand isnt folded but he's in for what's in the pot. Turns out he had Pocket 10s and lost but this is a practice I'm seeing more and more often... letting the disconnection kick in and not having to make a tuff call. Has anyone else seen this and are the other sites out there guarding against it?

Thanks

This is why (smart) sites like pokerstars rarely allow all in protection - it's easy to unplug your modem and just let the protection save you money.

It is a feature provided by online poker rooms for those playing with bad connections. And yes it can be used creatively, but its not a scam.

I think most software allow for only a certain number of disconnect protects per day to fight out misuse.

I'd never play at a table that allowed disconnect "protection". If you can bring that much money to the table you can spend that much on a decent internet connection.

This is what I was thinking before I scrolled down and seen Zach's post and I'm pretty sure he hits it right on the nail. My suggestion over all of this, is to just withdraw and deposit at Poker Star or Full Tilt.

Did you talk to Bodog about it? They can go back and review that players HH to look for more of the same actions if waranted. The site can't help unless they know about problems and/or problem players abusing the system.

I think disconnect should be allowed with limits. Bodog allows like 3 per session... which is a joke. I could see allowing 1/2/3... per month. There's other reasons to disconnect: power failure, comuter freeze-ups, kid unlugs it, cat steps on the button on your latop, boss walks in the room... whatever the case may be. However, it doesn't happen often which is why I could allowing once/twice per month maybe, but that would be it.

I play regularly at bodog, and they do have disconnectoin problems, I never have them but did repeatedly on 3 different days. I also have a friend who gets disconnected alot when playing more than one table there. Have seen ppl post in chat about cheaters doing it on purpose but didn't understand it. I think I do now let me know------ If you allow a disconnect after betting into it, if you disconnect you get back the money you put in?

So what did it really hurt? You i presume still won the pot. It is a necessary evil of the online poker world. But i agree it should be limited.

Thunderstorms, hurricanes, snow storms, Mother nature is no respecter of anyone's internet connection.

All you have to do is if you see someone routinely trying to use D/C protection to their advantage, contact support and usually that person will have their D/C protection disabled.

Then they lose the pot, that's how it goes. I've had my internet connection go before as well, even had AA folded, but I know going in that it's a possibility. Still sucks, but a decent connection won't time out enough to hurt you that much and if it does go out the likelihood of it happening during a big hand is slim as well. If there wasn't so much potential for abuse I may agree with you, but it happens to everyone, no one's immune to it, it's just a part of the game.

Villain didn't have to pay more to see more.

For example in the OP if he had hearts he could disconnect for a free river card.

I am from Northern California (Shasta County) and believe it or not we were hit by a major Thunderstorm on Sat. The area I am in was hit by over 500 lightening strikes. I cant even go out because the air is so thick with smoke. Its really nasty out there!! To make matter worst..its also over 96 degrees! Shatsa County has had over 1K fires with plenty still going on!

I was also in a few tournaments, and was disconnected, but I let everyone know ahead of time. Luckily everyone knew me and knew where I was from (it was all over the news). Couldnt go outside so must play
poker! I have the attitude that I play for fun and if I get knocked out so be it...especially since I knew about it ahead of time.
Cali

Of course not, or else abuse would be rampant. Raise 3x the blinds every hand, and time out if you don't like the flop. Whatever you bet is in the pot forever. But for instance, if you time out after the turn and you have a flush draw, it won't fold you if the other guy bets. So you see a free card, and if you hit, the other guy with a better hand before the river is screwed.

If you disconnect, the money that you've put in the pot is considered "all in" for you and the hand plays out as though you had just gone all in. What it does for scammers is makes it so that they don't have to put any more money in to see the turn/river if they're on a weak hand, but want to see if they could still win it.

player 1 ($10.00):
player 2 ($15.00): :?: :?:

both limp for $.25 PF

Flop:

player 1: bets $2.00 (weak A and backdoor flush draw)
player 2: re-raise $ALL IN

player 1: (thinks to himself "I don't want to pay to see anymore" - unplugs internet from computer)

Bodog puts player 1 AI for $2.25 and lets them keep their remaining $7.75, plus gives player 2 back their re-raise. Hand still plays out.

Turn/River: blank/blank

player 2 turns over: (hit a set, but never got paid from player 1)

translation: disconnect protect screwed player 2 out of $7.75.

I have seen it alot on Bodog.I don't know if players are using it for advantage but I do know that alot of people are having connection problems on Bodog or saying they are.I know one thing,I've had connection problems from the start with Bodog.I don't know how the connection problems are with thier new program.I tried it once with one the new program but did'nt like the features so I switched back to the old one.Try the new if you have'nt already.Its suppose to be more reliable.Good luck!

Thanks divebitch and kkahne i understand it better now.

I hate defending this because i have seen it abused and don't like it.

Having said that let me try and explain why some rooms have it.

There are places in the country i live in, (which is the technologically advanced USA), where the only way to get on the internet is with dial up service. Unless of course you want to pay for a long distance phone call while playing poker. So i imagine that in China or some other emerging market this is also true. The various poker rooms want to accommodate as many players as they possibly can. So by providing all in protection so that the customer doesn't lose money due to poor internet service is the way they do it.

However, if like has been said someone is abusing the service and they get caught they should be penalized by losing the privilage. For at least a month imo.