THE WORLD'S #1 POKER MANUAL - Card Games

Poker Book, Robin Hood Cheater
Quintin's mouth opens. He rubs his chin.
"Sid's a cheater and deserves to be penalized," John continues. "But the best way to penalize him
is to let him play. We only hurt ourselves by bouncing him from the game."
"Never thought about it that way," Quintin says, scratching his head. "Maybe you're right.... Who
else knows about his cheating?"
"No one who'll admit it. Cheating is a strange thing. Most players have strong feelings against
acknowledging it.... Everyone subconsciously knows that Sid cheats. But no one wants an
unpleasant emotional experience, so no one sees him cheat."
"Someday, someone will accuse him."
"Perhaps," John continues, "but visible suspicion will occur first. Take yourself--he cheated you
out of $700 tonight. Yet, still you didn't accuse him. You passed it off till next time. The next time
you may accuse Sid, or you may pass it off again."
"But what happens when someone does accuse him outright . . . what then?"
"If he's accused outright, we not only lose Sid, but other players might quit. The game might even
fold. We must convince any seriously suspecting players that the best action is to let him play. If
they won't accept this, then we must either stop the cheating or eliminate Sid from the game."
"So for now, we leave everything as is?"
"Right," John replies with a nod. "And when Sid steals your pot, just remember he'll pay you
back many times."
"But why is he a big loser if he cheats?"
"A cheater, like a thief, is unrealistic. He overestimates the value of cheating and plays a poorer
game. In fiction, the cheater may be a winner. But in reality, he's a loser, and usually a big one.
The good player--the winner--never needs to cheat."
"True, true," Quintin mumbles.
"See you next week," John says as he walks away.
What does John accomplish by his discussion with Quintin? He keeps the game intact by pacifying
Quintin, and keeps Sid in the game to continue his cheating and losing.
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