Do You Make These Poker Etiquette Mistakes ?

March 10th, 2009

Poker, asides from being a very enjoyable game, is also a social situation both online and in land-based casinos. Most poker rooms have their own set of rules regarding the behavior the players should display, but there is no standardized code of conduct. There are however a few general recommendations that will help you earn the respect of your fellow poker players, and will maintain a pleasant environment. Most of them come down to common sense, but they are still worth consideration, especially if you are a beginner.

Slowing Down The Table

While playing online poker, it is a major breach of etiquette to slow the game down. Obviously, there are situations when it’s hard to decide what to do, and there are also people playing multiple tables at once. Still, you should always make sure that you keep up with the others, and act in a timely manner. If you constantly delay the game, this will just make everyone else frustrated, and it is a sign of disrespect.
Most rules of online poker etiquette
refer to the use of chat. You should never use inappropriate language or verbally abuse the other players. Poker is a highly emotional game, and some people choose to relieve the stress by throwing offenses at others, but this is by no means acceptable. If other players insult you, you should just turn off the chat instead of replying. There is no point in arguing with them, as this will just make you angry and disturb your game.

Talking Too much…

You should never discuss a hand while it’s still in progress, even if you are not involved in it. Commenting the hand or revealing information is annoying, it will affect the decisions of the other players, and it may even give an unfair advantage to some, so it is prohibited by most card rooms. The same goes for handing out strategical advice, or talking about the way you would have played that hand. It is rude to other players, even if you happen to be a strategical genius. Besides, you should keep all that information to yourself, instead of sharing it with the weaker players and allowing them to use it against you later on. This will only make others feel uncomfortable and it is not likely to make you more popular or respected. Using capital letters in the chat is also regarded disrespectful, as it usually represents shouting. Lastly, you should never spam the chat by promoting your business, site, or other unrelated things. The purpose of the chat is to allow players to communicate and to create a friendlier environment, and the online casino may ban you if you repeatedly misuse it.

Slowrolling

Much of the above stands for the live games as well, but there are some additional rules here, since you are face to face with the other players and the card room staff. One of the forms of bad ‘table manner’ is slowrolling. This should not be confused with slowplaying, which is hiding the strength of your hand in order to get more money in the pot. The latter is a widely used strategy; the former, simply bad etiquette. You are slowrolling when you are the last one to act, and you wait before making the call, even though you know you hold the nuts. In this case, you will not get more money in the pot, and you just let your opponent believe that he has the winning hand. Another form of it is when you wait before showing your hand at showdown and by this you give the impression that the other player has a better hand. There is no reason to plat this way, since you achieve nothing with it, except losing the respect of the other players.

Acting out of turn

Acting out of turn is prohibited in most poker rooms. Even if you want to fold your hand, you should wait until it’s your turn to act. Pay attention to the game and be patient. Revealing your intentions early on is an advantage for the players next to you who have yet to make their play, because this way they have more information, and it will probably lead to an argument. When you place chips in the pot, just push them in front of you, don’t throw them in the pot. Splashing the pot makes it difficult to determine how much you have contributed, and the dealer will have to recount the chips, which will inevitably slow down the game.
You should never insult the dealer or the casino personnel, no matter what happens in the game. It is not his fault that you are losing so you shouldn’t take it out on him. If you think he or she has made a mistake, you should speak up about it, but in a polite and respectful manner. It is customary to tip the dealer whenever you win a pot.

Over Celebrating

In case luck is on your side and you take down a major pot, celebrate modestly and in a quiet manner. Jumping up, cheering, laughing at other players and shouting will probably just irritate the people at the table. There is nothing wrong with expressing joy, but it should be done in a calm manner. Discussing previous hands, or talking about what you might have had if you hadn’t folded is also annoying for most people. The fact is that they don’t really care, and besides, they are trying to focus on their own game. You can chat or make a joke from time to time, but poker is mostly played silently, so leave the speeches and the in-depth analysis until the game is over.

Asking To See Cards

Players may choose to muck their hand at the showdown if they see they have lost. There is a rule that says you can ask to see their hand, but this is in place in order to prevent collusion. You may feel tempted to ask them to show the hand just to gather information, but most people hate this, because it leaves the impression that you don’t trust them and think they are dishonest. Even if you are eager to know what they had for strategical reasons, you shouldn’t ask to see the cards, as it is considered very poor etiquette.

Being well-mannered at the poker table and treating your opponents well will earn you respect and popularity. Try not to get carried away by your emotions, either positive or negative, even if there is a lot at stake. This will allow everyone to have a good time without any unnecessary conflicts or bad feelings. It will also bring a positive contribution to your image and convince people that you are a serious and sensible poker player.

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