Cheating

Cheating almost always means playing with knowledge of your partner's or your opponents' cards. It is rare on StepBridge, but we take it seriously.

Detection

Everything on StepBridge is recorded: every bid and every card played. When there is a well-founded suspicion, experienced analysts examine a large number of the player's boards. Cheating is considered proven when unlikely actions lead to good results time after time, a pattern that statistically can no longer be put down to chance.

A single striking board is never enough. A suspicious action often has an ordinary explanation, such as a lucky blunder or the difference in level between the players.

The consequences

If a preliminary investigation confirms the signals, StepBridge may impose a provisional sanction. If you dispute the outcome, a full investigation follows under the responsibility of the StepBridge Fair Play Committee. See article 9 of the terms and conditions.

Reporting

Do you suspect cheating? Report it to support@stepbridge.co.uk, preferably with the date and board number. Your report will then be investigated thoroughly.

You don't have to accuse anyone to do so: even a single striking board is worth reporting. Cheating only becomes visible as a pattern, several boards in which something goes right that really shouldn't have. Separate reports of striking boards are exactly what help to recognise such a pattern in time.