[Tommy Angelo]

FF,

Here are some reasons to not give him any money that I don’t think have been mentioned yet.

The guy making all the noise might be making it up just because people are goofy and they do stuff like that. And it’s the guys who are willing to just say the same thing over and over are the ones most likely to just make it up in the first place. I’ve seen this before. Come to think of it I think I might have done it.

The fact that your opponent doesn’t speak English matters. It means your intent -- to be a good dude and do what you consider to be the right thing -- might be impossible to convey, partly because your opponent might not even fathom the possibility of such a generous act. I would think of this as a variable to weigh in: What is the probability (because of the language barrier) that you would get the feel-good feeling you’re after?

But here’s the main reason to not give him anything. Unless you give it to him out of your pocket, you are breaking one of the rules that is just as black-and-white, and as essential, as the one-player-to-a-hand rule. You are not allowed to reduce your stack, even if you give the money to another player. So, if there is no chance in your mind that you would actually come out of pocket to give your opponent some money, then you are saved from second guessing. You definitely did the right thing by not giving him any money because you would have had to break one the great rules to do it.

Tommy