Collusion detection

1. A system for detecting collusion in a game having a plurality of participating players, comprising:

means for recording, for each player, an amount wagered on each turn of the game in which the player participates, and a corresponding outcome of said wager, the outcome being a complete or partial forfeit of the wager if the wager is unsuccessful, and a profit made on the wager if the wager is successful;

a ranking facility operable to derive a tertiary statistic for each pair of participating players as a function of the cumulative wagers by each player in the pair in all turns of the game in which both players have wagered and the cumulative outcomes of the wagers made by each player in the same turns of the game, wherein the tertiary statistic is a ratio of the cumulative outcomes of the wagers of both players in a pair, and the cumulative amounts wagered by both players; and

monitoring means for monitoring the tertiary statistic of each pair of players and generating an output when the tertiary statistic exceeds a predetermined threshold, the output being an indicator of possible collusion by the respective pair of players.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the predetermined threshold of the tertiary statistic is at least 1.08.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 which includes a control facility operable to suspend both players in any pair of players for which the monitoring means has generated an output, from any further participation in the game.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 that includes geo-location means for determining the geographical location of any participating player, the control facility being operable to suspend both players in any pair of players for which the monitoring facility has generated an output and whose geographic locations are substantially identical, from any further participation in the game.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 in which the control facility is operable to prevent any pair of players for which the monitoring facility has generated an output and whose geographic locations are substantially identical, from participating in a same instance of the game.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the game is Five Card Stud poker or Seven Card Stud poker.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 in which the monitoring means also monitors a playing strategy of each participating player in the game of Five Card Stud poker or Seven Card Stud poker, and generates an output for any player who calls a final bet in any turn of the game with a hand that does not outrank the exposed cards of any other participating player in that turn of the game.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1 which includes storage means capable of storing the tertiary statistic for each pair of participating players.

9. A method for detecting collusion in a game having a plurality of participating players, comprising the steps of:

recording, for each player, an amount wagered on each turn of the game in which the player participates, and a corresponding outcome of said wager, the outcome being a complete or partial forfeit of the wager if the wager is unsuccessful, and a profit made on the wager if the wager is successful;

a collusion detection server deriving a tertiary statistic for each pair of participating players, wherein the tertiary statistic for each pair of players is a ratio of the cumulative outcomes of all the wagers of both players and the cumulative amounts wagered by both players in all turns of the game in which both players have wagered; and

the collusion detection server monitoring the tertiary statistic of each pair of players and generating an output when the tertiary statistic of any pair of players exceeds a predetermined threshold, the output being an indicator of possible collusion by the respective pair of players.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the predetermined threshold of the tertiary statistic is at least 1.08.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 that includes the step of suspending any pair of players in any pair of players for which an output has been generated, from any further participation in the game.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 that includes the steps of determining the geographic location of any participating player, and suspending both players in any pair of players for which an output has been generated and whose geographic locations are substantially identical, from further participation in the game.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 that includes the step of preventing any pair of players for which an output has been generated and whose geographic locations are substantially identical, from participating in a same instance of the game.

14. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the game is Five Card Stud poker or Seven Card Stud poker.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 that includes the further step of monitoring a playing strategy of each participating player in the game of Five Card Stud poker or Seven Card Stud poker, and generating an output for any participating player who calls a final bet in any turn of the game with a hand that does not outrank the exposed cards of any other participating player.

16. A method as claimed in claim 9 that includes the step of storing the tertiary statistic for each pair of participating players in a database.