Enforcement at rules at your card room?

[Invigilator]

I played a tournament today and could not believe what happened.
(I was not in the hand)

-Player A is all-in
-Player B and C call but still have chips
-a tournament director is watching

Before the the flop they verbally agree to check it down.

WTF?

I make a comment along the lines of "I didn't think you were allowed to agree outload". One of the dudes says "we can say whatever we want", and the TD just walks away.

I am going to have to reread the rules for that poker room, but doesn't that blatantly break one of the basic rules of tournament poker?

[MAYHEM45]

If this was windsor casino then I'm not surprised.

[Invigilator]

Yup, it was.

[Talking Poker]

That is absolutely, 100% collusion. Player A should have made a big stink about that.

[Zybomb]

I see this on a regular basis all the time. I personally dont think of this as anything wrong since it could just as easily happen without the verbal agreement (and its simple 2 vs 1 strategy not necessarily playing together)

Other "collusion type" things I see (some of which I dont agree with) include

- Player A raises preflop Player B calls. They announce "check it down"

- Player A raises preflop Player B and C call. Player A bets the flop B folds C calls. They announce "check it down"

- Player B raises preflop, Player C and D call. Player B bets the flop Cand D fold. Player B throws Player D his bet back

- "Play for just the pot" :Player A bets $300, Player B folds and Player C calls. They both take back their bets and play for the pot (and check down the rest)

[Invigilator]

I put in the standard written complaint with the "take my business elsewhere" bit. Seriously doubt that I'll hear anything about it.

[Talking Poker]

Some of these are ridiculous. People are ok with this? Let's examine a couple more closely:

Note though that none of these decisions involve verbally announcing that they are going to collude by ganging up on the other player in the pot. YES, they should know to check it down and not bluff into the dry side pot (especially in a tourney and especially well into the money), but they CAN NOT verbally say it. That's no different than saying, "Go ahead and bet and I'll raise. If that gets this other dude behind me to fold, I'll give you your bet back." Or better yet: Player A bets small, Player B calls, Player C makes a huge raise, Player A shoves in - Player B obviously folds. Players A and B then take ALL of their money back and split the money that Player B had put in the pot.

WTF?

[Zybomb]

In example three yes Player B gives player D his preflop bet back, bc Player D is a friend of his or something to that effect. Player C does not get his bet back bc he is a normal opponent. And as for Player A, I guess he folded preflop