Carol, I want to talk to you and the folks today about the Red Games of Poker, about cheating in poker.

I know this is a controversial subject- so I don't want to accuse anyone or make reference to any specific casino or card room! In this first column on the Red Games of Poker, I will preface my remarks with a few comments.

I would rather trust a poker player than members of any other profession-be they banker, lawyer, preacher, politician, doctor, accountant, policeman, car dealer, professor, plumber, contractor, stock broker, Indian chief or any other of the professions.

Yes, I have been cheated while playing poker! But I have been cheated more often and for more money in my lifetime by any and all of the other professions than I have ever been cheated while I was playing poker.

So most of the time folks, just relax and enjoy the game. I would rather risk my time and money at the poker table than in the office of all the other professions. Here is a good rule: Where the carpets are the deepest, you are at the most risk of being cheated!

I will use the litmus test as the marker for good and bad ...7.2 pH indicator is neutral. A reading above 7.2 is red or acid, and red is an index of cheating! The higher up the pH indicator, the worse the cheating. And a reading below 7.2 is heavenly blue.

I will not be reporting on the small, social, recreation games, but will try to tell you about how cheating is done in larger poker games and in tournaments. So here goes ... Rate this game one as very red-off the charts! Team play: This means one or more poker players playing at the same table are team members and playing with the same money. There are 52 cards in a standard deck. The knowledge of one card has from 2 percent to 100 percent of the DNA or information about the deck you are playing with in any poker hand. In hold'em you have two personal cards, therefore you have 4 percent of the DNA or information about how to play the hand. Each other player has the same knowledge. But if there are three team members in the same game, then each of them has 3 X 4 = 12 percent of the DNA or knowledge of how to play the hand. If there are three team members in your poker game, you are in a very red game. Here's why. Most of the time they play best hand against you. You have only two cards, but they have six cards! Here is how to watch out for team players. They are usually found playing in the same type game day after day, and they sit in almost the same three seats each time the team is in action. The really smart ones will act as if they are mad at each other! All the shows in Las Vegas are not in the show rooms. You can see some pretty good acting by the teams at the poker table! But you will not like the show they put on when they are counting your chips! Come back next issue of the Poker Player Newspaper and I will tell you more about the Red Games of Poker! Until Next Time, Remember to STAY LUCKY!!