Field guide
Ghosting (Real-Time Assistance)
How it works
A form of cheating where a player receives real-time advice or decision assistance from a stronger player, often via hidden communication devices, during live or online play. In live games, hidden earpieces or vibrating devices relay advice from an accomplice watching a live stream or from another location. Online, players share screens or use TeamViewer to let a stronger player make decisions for them. Tournament streams with hole cards visible create ghosting opportunities.
On the record
Multiple online poker scandals have involved players sharing accounts or receiving real-time help. Live tournament ghosting has been suspected in major events where players seemed to have impossible reads.
Detection & preventionADVISORY
The paid halfHow a monitoring room catches ghosting (real-time assistance), and what stops it recurring, written for the desk, not the reader.
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Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction: the method is described so it can be recognised.