A gripe from a different career perspective

[scroob]

I have noticed a growing problem in the world of online/casino semi-professional poker playing. As background, I am not a semi-pro poker player, but I do play online for small stakes. I have noticed a lot of players (they could be called "customers") who berate other players for how they play their hands. This is irritating to the rest of the table for a few reasons. One, it takes away from the atmosphere at the table (normally a quiet, friendly game with little confrontation) and two, it angers the player who made the play. Now this player may do one of two things: either leave the game, or improve his play. Both of these are bad for the table. If they leave, their money goes with them. However, if they play better, they may win more money. As a business partner at the table, I implore people to just let everyone play their way! After all, you want someone to make a mathematically bad play at the table because even if it works once, that person will lose to the laws of probability that occur during every poker hand. If someone makes a play you think is bad, don't criticize them. Keep your mouth shut. That way, when they make the same play and it doesn't win them the hand, it will be you who benefits from their bad play, monetarily.

[Lingering Grin]

I treat the people online just like I do my friends when we play in real life.


I don't criticize, but I will mock you if you get caught in a bluff, or a bad beat

[Jester]

There is a third possibility you seem to have missed.

To wit: that the criticism may rattle the criticized player and mess with their concentration, but causing them to play worse and lose more money.

Poker is as much a psychological game as it is a card game--some would say more so--and different people have different methods of going about it. Some observe. Some act intentionally silly or stupid to throw others off. And some are jackasses, quite intentionally, to try to get into other people's heads. Dennis Rodman was a master of this on the basketball court, being not only a world-class defender, but screwing with people's minds by driving them nuts.

Look, yes, they are a-holes. Sure they are sucky customers, of a sort. But it could be argued that that is the game they are playing. If the site you are playing at does not have rules against this, frankly, I don't see a problem. Ignore them and play your game, and if/when you beat them, gloat privately or in their face, whichever you prefer.

[scroob]

I have not seen that work enough (unless the criticizer is Mike Matusow) for it to enter my mind. However, it does make sense in that, if the person was prone to doing that, by all means abuse them! I was talking more along the lines of people you don't normally play against. But if it works for you, more power to ya

[friendofjimmyk]

It's so funny...

I hardly ever gamble...but when I do, I have discovered that I like to play blackjack. However, I am really "wet behind the ears" when it comes to the ins and outs of the game. I don't want to spend the time getting better at it because then that may create problems for me.

I have sat at a few tables now where the other players could tell that I was not experienced...for the most part, they've been rather helpful. Then there was the occasion where there was a guy at the $3 minimum table throwing down $50 - $100/hand. I upset him a few times because my decision supposedly cost the table as a whole money. I say "get over it" ...it's a game, its supposed to be fun. I'll sit here and lose $3 - 5/hand and be okay with it...stop betting so much if it upsets you. He ended up giving me pointers and we both went up for some time...until they switched dealers and we both lost everything. He lost 100s of bucks, I only lost $20 (I had gotten up to $80 before they switched dealers...but I had only originally put in 20)

[Geek King]

I upset him a few times because my decision supposedly cost the table as a whole money.

I'll care about "costing the table money" when the table decides to share out the winnings. Until then, I'm playing for myself.

I also agree with Jester, agitation is a valid strategy at the poker table. So is counter-agitation, or making fun of the agitator's insults. It tends to blow the agitator's mind, especially when you praise them for finally having a good insult. It also puts a subconcious tweak of goodwill towards you in the minds of the other players for a bit if you can shut the agitator up. Works for online shooters too.

[Gerrinson]

I don't criticize, but I will mock you if you get caught in a bluff, or a bad beat

Hey, now! No mocking for bad beats. Bluffs yes, but bad beats happen. Happens to me all the time.

In the local game, with a $500 pot (a month's rent, for me), I had 5 & 6 suited and flopped into a 9 high straight flush.

The 7,8,9 is followed by 10 and Jack (suited, for what I thought was a split pot), giving the only other player still in (my best friend, in fact) a Queen high straight flush.

That is just bad. I blamed the dealer for stacking the deck. Of course, I was dealing that hand.

But, generally speaking, if you flop a straight flush, it is incredibly unlikely that your opponent will draw runner-runner into a higher straight flush. Thus I went all in, and thus I lost miserably to an incredible suck out on the river.

[scroob]

Damn gerrinson that's a hell of a bad beat. The guy had one out to win with and BAM, I've had that happen to me many times. But you can count on one hand the number of times I've lost with quads or better (once.) I had the 6 of hearts in my hand, and a king. Board had 10 9 8 7 of hearts. Guy puts me all in, I of course instacall. He has the jack and wins the tourney.
I've had beats so bad that I didn't think it was possible for me to lose until I did. I had pocket queens, flop q 7 3. Guy puts me all in, I call. He has a-10. Turn j, river k.
But the one that I will never forget was when I was just beginning my poker career. It was late in an online freeroll mega supersattelite. There were 55 ppl left and 36 got spots to round 2. I had ak suited, raised pot preflop, 1 caller. Flop a 9 3. Guy checks, I bet pot, he calls. Turn blank. He checks again, I bet pot again, he calls. River 10. He checks, I check behind. He turns over a-10 to win a 50k pot and cripple me to where I was gone 2 hands later. I will never forgive the site, or myself, for how that hand went down.

[Sliceanddice]

scroob i think you'll like http://plusev.keenspot.com/
i dont play online poker anymore, because i cant find a good site.