Sometimes players will cheat not by manipulating the cards, but by taking chips… right out of the pot! If a cheat has the position of the dealer and is allowed to have any type of interaction with the pot, then he may be stealing chips by using sleight of hand techniques. Any time the cheating player has an opportunity to move the chips in the pot around, the other players are exposed to the possibility of having chips taken out of the pot.

It is everybody’s responsibility to watch the other players and make sure they are playing by the rules. In home games a lot of people tend to splash the pot. This is when a player makes a call, bet, or raise, and puts the chips directliy into the pot, rather than setting them in front of themselves. Splashing the pot also leaves an open opportunity for players to have their hands in or close to the pot. These players should be watched closely for their pot interaction. A player could easily drop an incorrect amount of money into the pot in order to save themself money.

Stealing money from the pot is especially effective if the poker game is being run by a house dealer in an underground poker room. They can easily interact with the pot and take too many chips out. Dealers of all kinds should also be watched closely when they are making change for a pot. Four or even five dollars could be taken without question when only three was supposed to be taken.

So watch out for anybody who has any type of interaction with the pot. They pose a danger to you and the other players at the table. If you catch somebody taking too much money or too many chips then you should call them on it and have a chip count done.