I use to play and a weekly poker game until 6 years ago, we played TX Hold'em and High/low Omaha. Every week it was a good way to relax and maybe win a little money. Towards the end of me going to the game I was losing for about five weeks straight, I just thought it was bad luck losing on good hands to the NUTS! It didn't occur to me that anything funny was going on until one of the new players approached me. During table conversation he learned that I had my own casino company and knew lots of gamblers. He explained that him and his partners would assure paying me for setting up games for them with new players off what they won each week. Thinking this sounded funny I asked how they could assure me they would win each week, to my surprise they showed me! The man had me deal two hands out, one to him and one to myself. Both hands were dealt up and after the river (last card) was dealt I had the best hand....DUH, I thought. He proceeded to pick up his cards and threw out two different cards with the winning hand. A card mechanic, cheat, crook what ever you want to call him, which is how they could assure winning each week. Well that was the last of me playing any games outside of a casino. It doesn't matter if it is some one you know I don't play anymore and it isn't just cards. I have seen trick dice, loaded dice, shaved cards, marked cards, trick dealing shoes, stacked decks, loaded decks, and things you have never heard of. Here are two poker stories I heard years ago; first there was a friendly game every Friday night. Every week one of the players would go pick up 2-3 decks of cards for the game. What the players didn't know was that a couple of the players had gone to every store within a half a mile of where the game was played and changed out the stores cards with their own marked cards, (I worked in a store before all you have to do is tell them your changing something and no questions are asked). Whoever bought the cards was the one bring in the marked cards for the cheaters with out knowing it. Second story was a Country Club had a new card company rep. come talk to the GM about their cards and as part of goodwill he left the GM with a gross of their playing cards (144 decks). Of course the cards were all marked and sealed back up. Earlier in the month several new members had join that were part of the team and had worked their way into several of the Gin, BJ, and Poker games. Once in these games came the team member acted like the card rep. and donated the cards. I heard they won the cost of their memberships and lots more within the first month. Now you may understand why I won't play outside of a casino.
