Rise (??) in cheating recently

[ggwhiz]

I am one that plays most often with my spouse out of the same location. We view this as a privilege and DO NOT CHEAT but are accused of such from time to time.

 

If our ACBL ranks and tournament record were publicly available, it would be clear as a bell and would save us a lot of grief. We are entitled to our share of good results and balance that with some real stinkers. I can vouch for several pairs of the highest ethical standard in a similar situation. Has there been a rise in cheating or just unfounded allegations?

 

Maybe make this information available and make it mandatory to quote it in any complaints. It would save BBO staff time and perhaps cut a bunch of unfounded complaints off at the knees. None of us would mind being flagged or pre-alerting our same location status but that might just make the situation worse.

[blackshoe]

Clearly there are a bazillion cheaters out there. I know this because I sometimes do poorly at the table, and that can't possibly be my fault, or my partner's. :rolleyes:

[paulg]

Several times, on BBO, in pick-up partnerships I (and others) have been been accused of cheating, often by "experts" or "world-class" players, embarrassed by being beaten. Some are so incensed that they leave, mid-hand.

 

A beneficial side-effect of "early-warning" cheat-detection software is that paranoid prima donnas may come to realise that a couple of lucky results will not be accepted as conclusive proof that opponents are cheats.

Assigning reasonable behaviour to unreasonable people is probably the sign of an optimist.

[nige1]

Several times, on BBO, in pick-up partnerships I (and others) have been been accused of cheating, often by "experts" or "world-class" players, embarrassed by being beaten. Some are so incensed that they leave, mid-hand.

 

A beneficial side-effect of "early-warning" cheat-diagnostic software is that paranoid prima-donnas may come to realise that a couple of lucky results are unlikely to be accepted as proof that their opponents are cheats.

[ArcLight]

Since I don't play in tournements I don't really have any experience with cheating with respect to the opps sharing their cards (or our cards). However, I frequently see partnerships not divulging their methods, even when asked.

 

I ask them:

- what lead conventions do you use? (3/5, 4th best? other?)

- what signaling do you use? Attitude? Count? What discards?

 

Frequently the refuse to answer. I may restate the question to both of them, telling them I haven't receive an answer and need to know before I can play. I occasionally get booted for that. I don't call them names. I do say "its required by the laws of bridge to diclose your partnership agreements". That bets me ejected :-)

 

So I think deliberate non-disclosure of partnership agreements is quite common. That is a form of cheating, but no where near as bad as telling pard your cards.

[barmar]

SSo I think deliberate non-disclosure of partnership agreements is quite common. That is a form of cheating, but no where near as bad as telling pard your cards.

Although it's against the rules, it's rarely what people mean when they accuse people of cheating. I'd refer to it as "not playing fair".

[the hog]

When Reese-Shapiro were caught cheating in the 60's, they were considered two of the greats of the game.

 

However, since the introduction of screens in high-level championships, I think we can be more confident that the greats are honest.

 

Correction! Wehn R-S were accused, found guilty AND LATER EXONERATED......

[mike777]

Correction! Wehn R-S were accused, found guilty AND LATER EXONERATED......

 

 

m\no

[the hog]

m\no

 

Yes they were. The British Federation held an inquiry and found the charges unproven. Please do not attempt to revise history.

[Fluffy]

Yes, Buratti and Lanzarotti. They were suspended for about a week.

For 2 years, and forbidden to play together forever.

[1eyedjack]

Yes they were. The British Federation held an inquiry and found the charges unproven. Please do not attempt to revise history.

Many of the prosecution witnesses did not appear at the British retrial (I believe they were expected to attend at their own expense), and the so called acquittal was not recognised anywhere but in Britain, and certainly not by the body that convicted. Now, you can choose to believe whichever "court" you wish, to call the British result an "exoneration" is as much an attempt at rewriting history as the reverse.

[Vampyr]

For 2 years, and forbidden to play together forever.

I do not believe it was 2 years in the end.

[qwery_hi]

I thought this was an interesting read - pinch of salt and all that notwithstanding.

 

http://cam.bridgeblogging.com/

[Gerardo]

I thought this was an interesting read - pinch of salt and all that notwithstanding.

 

http://cam.bridgeblogging.com/

 

Starts in http://cam.bridgeblogging.com/?p=9

[wyman]

Goes until p=17; thanks for posting. This was an interesting read.

[1eyedjack]

I gotta say, that whatever the other evidence etc etc I am rather troubled by the narrative that a conduct and ethics committee hearing be considered a normal action because on a single hand an individual found an unusual (and presumably successful) opening lead, purely on the grounds that with the state of the match being what it is, an unusual lead would be, er, unusual. Couldn't find chapter 2, and chapter 1 was written in 2008. Either something odd with my browser or it dried up or the web site design could do with improvement.

[nige1]

I gotta say, that whatever the other evidence etc etc I am rather troubled by the narrative that a conduct and ethics committee hearing be considered a normal action because on a single hand an individual found an unusual (and presumably successful) opening lead, purely on the grounds that with the state of the match being what it is, an unusual lead would be, er, unusual. Couldn't find chapter 2, and chapter 1 was written in 2008. Either something odd with my browser or it dried up or the web site design could do with improvement.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

 

[bill1157]

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

 

It looks like Sonntag is being accused of involvement in cheating here.

[hrothgar]

It looks like Sonntag is being accused of involvement in cheating here.

 

Depends on what you mean by "involvement".

 

As far as I know, Sontag has never been accused of cheating in any way, shape, or form.

 

The web pages in question argue that

 

1. Sontag benefited because his team mates cheated

2. Sontag (and others on his team) have an ethical obligation to vacate this championship

 

Personally, I couldn't care less about the whole brou-ha-ha.

 

I do think that it is completely inappropriate to state that Sontag is "involved in cheating here".

Cheating accusations are very serious stuff. A reader could easily leave with the wrong impression.

 

This is one example where we should all strive for precision in our postings...

[nige1]

Depends on what you mean by "involvement".

As far as I know, Sontag has never been accused of cheating in any way, shape, or form. The web pages in question argue that

1. Sontag benefited because his team mates cheated

2. Sontag (and others on his team) have an ethical obligation to vacate this championship

Personally, I couldn't care less about the whole brou-ha-ha. I do think that it is completely inappropriate to state that Sontag is "involved in cheating here". Cheating accusations are very serious stuff. A reader could easily leave with the wrong impression. This is one example where we should all strive for precision in our postings...

We should all care about cheating allegations. They are bad for the game and terrible for the accused. The WBF and local legislatures should train special staff and specify objective investigation protocols. Players deserve prompt and efficient investigation of accusations. The rules (laws + regulations) should be drastically simplified, so that

1. Players can comply with the rules. (It is easy to rationalise the breaking of rules that are hard to understand).
2. Directors can consistently apply and enforce the rules. (Inconsistent rulings give the impression of unfairness).
3. There are deterrent penalties for infractions that are hard to detect and infrequently reported. (Current so-called "Equity" principles guarantee long-term profits to players who break such rules).
4. Victims of infractions receive adequate redress. (Currently, there is little incentive to report some infractions).

[pirate22]

Unfortuneatley CHEATING is now rampant on BBO-that is why i never

play money bridge on BBO--- E-bridge hd the same problem,

some years ago before they sold out.Cheaters crippled the site.

report to abuse is a somewhat lost cause---

there is no League table published-example no names ,

but we have caught 3 last week and banned them.

Suggestion.Hows about all participents,putting up a Bond

say 100 Dollars USA.refundable on terminating playing the

site-------- and non refundable if banned for whatever.

swearing-abusing partner-and abusing TD'S-and abusing opponents.

 

that would make a marked improvement.

 

I am also surprised this topic raised has not been adressed by FG

hows about it Fred any input

[matmat]

I think that BBO's punishment of cheaters is not public enough.

 

I think it would serve a good purpose to see Fred and his deputies, when they track down a suspected cheater, bring them back to Vegas.

They should interrogate the suspect using polygraphs, sodium pentotal, and the floating test. Anyone found guilty of cheating should be disposed of in one of the following ways, depending on the severity of the infraction:

 

1} breaking of kneecaps

2} cutting fingers off

3} lynching

4} drawing and quartering

5} disemboweling

6} decapitation with a dirty butter knife

 

I think that these events should be streamed through BBO and all other memebers should be forced to watch them under threat of lesser punishment (perhaps stabbing in the eye with a fork) as a deterrent.

[babalu1997]

I think that BBO's punishment of cheaters is not public enough.

 

4} drawing and quartering

 

I think that these events should be streamed through BBO and all other memebers should be forced to watch them under threat of lesser punishment (perhaps stabbing in the eye with a fork) as a deterrent.

 

Ok then send the body parts for display in the abuser's bridge federation headquarters

[1eyedjack]

Unfortuneatley CHEATING is now rampant on BBO-that is why i never

play money bridge on BBO---

I think that the above comment betrays a fundamental lack of understanding of how the money bridge games work on BBO. Perhaps pirate22 would like to be specific with a single example of how a cheater might profit in a money bridge game?

 

E-bridge hd the same problem,

some years ago before they sold out.Cheaters crippled the site.

and yet BBO does not appear to be crippled, but if anything goes from strength to strength, including its money bridge games, perhaps giving the lie to the premise.

[G_R__E_G]

I think that BBO's punishment of cheaters is not public enough.

 

I think it would serve a good purpose to see Fred and his deputies, when they track down a suspected cheater, bring them back to Vegas.

They should interrogate the suspect using polygraphs, sodium pentotal, and the floating test. Anyone found guilty of cheating should be disposed of in one of the following ways, depending on the severity of the infraction:

 

1} breaking of kneecaps

2} cutting fingers off

3} lynching

4} drawing and quartering

5} disemboweling

6} decapitation with a dirty butter knife

 

I think that these events should be streamed through BBO and all other memebers should be forced to watch them under threat of lesser punishment (perhaps stabbing in the eye with a fork) as a deterrent.

 

Or better yet, force them to read the entire global warming thread in the Watercooler.