Noun

The superstition that some online poker rooms use rigged software that cheats players who have made a large withdrawal by dealing those players weak hands, presumably to discourage future withdrawals.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: While many regulatory jurisdictions require audits to ensure software integrity, and there is no evidence to suggest that any site actually applies a cashout curse feature, the superstition of a cashout curse does have a real basis in player psychology and bankroll management. Players often do not account for variance. When these players are running good and increase their bankroll, they may cash out a portion of the winnings. When these same players confront the expected bad runs, the prior winnings that were withdrawn are not in the account to balance out the losses. In such cases, the players are more likely to lose the entire portion of the bankroll that remains in the account. This type of loss can reduce a player's bankroll to the point that they are playing with scared money, thus increasing the likelihood of additional losses. Even when the losses are no larger than they would have been without the prior cashout, the fact that the loss is a higher percentage of what is in the account may make it more pronounced and more memorable than it would have otherwise been.

EXAMPLE: "I have a hard time understanding how anyone could believe there is such a thing as a cashout curse."

APPLIES TO: Online Venues