Non-artwork
related post ahoy! (However, it is somewhat related to the Sharp Edges project
I suppose):
The
thread relates to poker players being scammed, some for considerable amounts
(it’s worth a read). The scams in question take many forms such as other
players asking to borrow money which they never return, doing deals in tournaments
which they don’t honour, using other players online accounts – the list goes on
but never is being “scammed” or cheated in an actual poker game mentioned. There’s
an interesting dynamic (to me anyway) at play here which is that many members
at 2+2 will have been cheated at poker without knowing it. The fact that these players, some of the most proficient and studied in the game, are
not even mentioning the possibility speaks volumes.
If someone
regularly plays poker, 21, backgammon, etc especially in a self-dealt private
game scenario then they are likely to have been in contact with, if not worked by,
individuals capable of “exerting a manipulative advantage”. If this someone
plays for serious stakes in said games then the probability of practitioners of
“the elegant theft” being involved in the game escalate exponentially – the
more blood in the water, the more likely the shark’s presence.
When
considering this, it’s important to appreciate that I’m not referring to the
stereotypical model of a cheater perpetuated by film and TV, the reality is
much more subtle and clever than anything you’ll ever see on screen. In fact,
the amount of thought and analysis that square players put into manifesting an
edge is equalled by adept cheaters when considering the application of a
clandestine advantage. Let me be clear here, I’m not talking about some clown
trying to peek hole cards, I’m talking about professional, premeditated sharps
who are not attending the game for entertainment or an interesting evening out
but rather with a single minded drive to get the money by employing methodology
which is sometimes in direct conflict with the rules of the game in question –
the rules aren’t important, winning the money is all that is important, doing
so without arousing suspicion is paramount.
The
idea of the calculated cheater is often dismissed as nonsense because it’s difficult to imagine for the uninitiated but I can tell you it’s not nonsense. I can also
tell you that the DVDs that came out in abundance a few years ago about
protecting yourself from cheaters are about as useful as an inflatable dartboard
– almost everything in all of them is outdated and/or never used or not used in the way they present it. The fact is,
if you are unfortunate enough to end up with a really capable cardsharp in your
game, the likes of old Lucas from Sharp Edges, then I’m afraid the
uncomfortable truth is that you are effectively defenceless. No DVD or book
will help, you are defenceless against the completely unseen and unsuspected
threat, which remains unseen and unsuspected even after it has fully manifested
itself and extracted your currency. You are defenceless not least because the
methodology employed is undetectable but also due to the fact that if you are dealing with a
professional then there is a tremendous amount of carefully laid groundwork put in (termed getting
“built in” to a game) before the act which means that they sharp is considered well known, even trustworthy and wouldn’t be suspected in the least – “Old Lucas? No, he
wouldn’t cheat, he’s my friend, he let me borrow some money just last week, he’s a great
friend and a nice person!” of course he is, he’s investing in you – the money
he let you borrow is, in his mind, no different to all the money you have
– it’s his too, you are merely holding it for him until he relieves you of it.
Getting built in to games is one of the greatest skills of the accomplished
sharp, it facilitates the trade, opens the doors and the wallets of the
unsuspecting opposition – break bread with the enemy.
The
only comfort that can be taken from all this is that sharps generally pick their
meat and don’t tend to want to play particularly good players or particularly
astute individuals so just being a switched on player is a reasonable defence in
itself. Finally, the biggest comfort to take here is that the likes of old Lucas
are few and far between.
When they're really good, nobody ever realises how good - therein lies the elegance of the elegant theft.
