Detecting cheating and changes in playing ability in partial knowledge and trick-taking games

A method for detecting cheating players in a card game, comprising:

• acquiring, by a processor board data for multiple events, the events including bridge games, wherein the board data corresponds to boards in the bridge games, and wherein the board data includes hand records, a table result, contract, and declarer from the respective bridge game;
• for multiple of the boards in each event, determining performance values for a player of the respective board based on the board data;
• detecting, by the processor, a deviation by comparing the performance values from a first event against a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on at least one of past performance of known cheating players and optimal bridge behavior,
• wherein the optimal bridge behavior is based on performance values for non-cheating players from the multiple events;
• and
• alerting an administrative user for the first event regarding a likelihood of cheating when the deviation is detected, wherein the alert includes automatically sending an electronic message to the administrative user.

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium including instructions for detecting cheating players in a card game, wherein the instructions are executed by a processor to perform stages comprising:

• acquiring board data for multiple events, the events including bridge games, wherein the board data corresponds to boards in the bridge games, wherein the board data includes hand records, a table result, contract, and declarer from the respective bridge game;
• for multiple of the boards in each event, determining performance values for a player of the respective board based on the board data;
• detecting, by the processor, a deviation by comparing the performance values from a first event against a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on at least one of past performance of known cheating players and optimal bridge behavior, wherein the optimal bridge behavior is based on performance values for non-cheating players from the multiple events;
• and
• alerting an administrative user for the first event regarding a likelihood of cheating when the deviation is detected, wherein the alert includes automatically sending an electronic message to the administrative user.