Poker Pro Maria Konnikova: The Biggest Cheaters Are High Rollers

Maria Konnikova, a prominent poker player and author, has commented on the prevalence of cheating in both online and in-person poker. She emphasized that regulators and casinos should do something to safeguard the integrity of the game even if it ends up inconveniencing players in the short term.

Konnikova Started Playing to Understand More About Decision Making

As reported by CDC Gaming, Konnikova said that she didn’t play games as a kid. She started poker to help herself understand risk management and decision-making better and ended up loving it. She left her job as a journalist and, for one year, “lived and breathed poker.” Since then, she has accumulated more than half a million dollars in tournament winnings.

During her professional poker career, Konnikova has met many great and intelligent people. However, she admitted that there have been also some “scummy” ones.

Technology Has Made Cheating Easier

Konnikova, who’s written books on mindfulness and poker, is currently working on a piece about cheating in professional poker. Although Konnikova loves the game, her career and tournament experience have taught her that some people would do anything to win, especially when there’s money involved.

According to Konnikova, many of the biggest cheaters in the world of poker are high rollers. She added that many of them get away with cheating since casinos want to appease them. Konnikova admitted that this is precisely why she refuses to play in casino private rooms.

However, in-person poker isn’t the only vertical affected. Online poker is likewise in danger because of cheating and the proliferation of assisting software. According to Konnikova, many seem to underestimate how common and easy cheating in digital games has become. Whereas in the past players needed an inside collaborator to cheat, they can now use devices to achieve the same result.

Because of that, Konnikova called for a ban on electronics at poker tables, since people can use their phones, airpods and other tech pieces to cheat.

All you need is a dealer pitching a tiny bit too high. Or even pitching normally, with your phone positioned in the right way, it can catch what the cards are. I’m paranoid now. If a dealer is pitching high, I’ll say something.

Maria Konnikova

Konnikova emphasized that casinos and regulators must take this seriously and maintain the game’s integrity, even if that ends up inconveniencing people in the short term.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has already implemented similar measures.

Penalties Are Needed to Make Poker Unprofitable for Cheaters

Konnikova noted that big gaming operators are not that interested in poker since it doesn’t make as much money as other verticals and games. However, she argued that the same technology used to exploit poker can be used to exploit baccarat and other games.

Shuffling devices, for example, can also be hacked, jeopardizing all games using cards.

Konnikova concluded that she loves poker since it can teach people a lot about decision-making and humanity. Because of that, she wants poker to be cheat-free, which can only happen if it becomes unprofitable for those who exploit it.