blonde poker forum

What is the difference between soft play and collusion?  is soft play just frowned upon or is this openly against the rules (cash game)

Example, you are at a casino with a person, you have no financial ties, you are not splitting profits and you have no pre plan to signify hand strength.  The table is fully aware you are very much "together" and this is abundantly clear. However you have no wish to play pots against this person as to stack them would ultimately mean you would have to leave the game as you are going when they go.  Therefore I assume you would be classed as soft playing as you would not play this person like you would other spots on the table.

If this situation occurs, should you just avoid playing together?  Obviously whilst you may benefit from not clashing the table gets free info as clearly a 3b from A to B would be viewed joke strong and in practice it is impossible to manage 4-5 ways.

Two hand scenarios 50/50 blinds 5 handed.

Hand 1

5 handed, folded round to Player A and Player B in blinds 50/50 so SB cant fold.  Player A checks Player B checks, then check down every street, Player A wins with top pair with a J kicker.  What is this classed as?

Hand 2

9 handed blinds 50/50 player A makes it £6 over some limps, player B calls from BB, 5 players to flop (50/50 innit) flop comes 10 high, players B bets out £15, folded to player A flat calls with one player to act.  Player folds.  turn is an offsuit 2, no flush, although two card straight possible.  Player B bets £15 again, player A folds.  Player A exposes  Ad Ac which would have beaten player B with  Ts Ad does this look bad? what is it classed as? (note if collusion was going on, no way the hand would have been shown, Player B somewhat mystified by fold, Player A says thought you had set)

Final Question - Player A and Player B take table break together, discuss hand histories, Player B gives some coaching to player A on spots and shares information on table villains as B is a regular and A does not know villains.  I do not see an issue in this off the table, am I missing something.

No issues were raised apart from raised eyebrows with AA fold but I found myself in a pretty difficult spot at points trying to ensure I remained in the rules of the game, I clearly think the above strayed out but would like to understand the boundaries,  lol at me giving advice to a player to be fair, but I want to ensure in the same spot again, everything is above board.

IMO collusion and soft playing can be exactly the same thing in tournaments.  There was a tournament in Finland where 2 brothers final tabled the same comp and soft played each other to ladder.  The casino caught onto this and insta banned them and withheld their winnings.

As far as cash games go, not playing big pots vs your friend cause you don't want to clash seems fine if there is noone else in the pot.  It's not like anyone else loses out by them not playing with each other.  Colluding in a cash game would be signalling cards and hand strengths to each other which would certainly be breaking the rules if players had knowledge of mucked cards etc.  Anything that gives the players an unfair advantage where they work together is colluding, and therefore cheating.  Not playing big pots with each other when they're heads up doesn't sound that bad to me as noone loses out.

In a tournament situation, both soft playing and colluding would defo be considered cheating.  Not sure it's too much to ask just to ask bro's to play as normal though and save themselves and everyone else the aggro.  Certainly not an ideal thing to have going on.

PS.  Are you sure player a isn't just really inexperienced or something?

Stacking a mate is one of the most satisfying feelings at a poker table.

Soft playing is only cheating yourself out of this immense pleasure.

Sounds like bad play.

Player A is female and very attractive, does this change strategy?

Of course it does.

This game was in Scotland?

Are you saying that during breaks you teach your fit bird to fold AA against you?

Nice work.

Lols, I do coaching $4.99 an hour :)

Nice rubs, cheers for the considered piece, mirrors my thoughts I think

Fold AT pre in hand 2.  

The hand plays badly post flop anyway, and this action saves getting in spots where you are colluding with player B.

Lol assuming this is a yes, I call ;D