Advanced Investigations & Cheating Cases

You start from the assumption that most errors are honest. To conclude Cheating you must become reasonably convinced of all three parts of the test: a rule was broken, the player intended to gain advantage, and they knew it was illegal. If you cannot establish intent and knowledge, you do not have Cheating — you have a Game Play or Tournament Error.

An investigation is fact-finding, not accusation. You are building a picture; you are not trying to trap anyone.

• Separate the players when it helps, and speak with each calmly.
• Ask open-ended questions — "walk me through the turn" — rather than leading ones.
• Reconstruct a timeline and listen for inconsistencies or a story that changes.
• Never reveal what you suspect. Tipping your hand lets a dishonest player adjust and pressures an honest one.
• Treat the opponent as a witness, not a co-judge.

Red flags include errors that always benefit the same player, manipulation of shuffling or dice, and misrepresenting free or derived information. But note the line: choosing not to volunteer derived information, or bluffing about the contents of your hand (private information), is legal play, not cheating. What is never allowed is lying about free or derived information or knowingly breaking a rule for advantage.

A DQ is the Head Judge's call. Once decided, you document the incident thoroughly and report it through the proper channel. The DQ removes the player from the event; it does not itself impose a suspension — that is decided later by the program's investigations process. Stay professional and neutral throughout, including afterward.