I think it is all part of the game. Good opponents learn to read your signals as well. Think of it as reading a tell in poker.

No, it is not. Perhaps your circle likes it like this, but elsewhere this is cheating. It is forbidden by the rules and is socially unacceptable.

it is not about liking, and in my circle we swap partners and play with whomever is there, but I have played against competitive pairs before and it is clear it is happening. reality is how it is, not how you want it to be. this is not a hill worth dying on and this is why I will never take the game too seriously