Ethical/Rule question re: showing your cards in live games/tourneys

[Mayhem]

Thanks Barron - I'm sure that response took some time to type out, and I appreciate your taking the time to do so.

Your points about bankroll, variance and expectation are well made. Unfortunately, for most of us that play as a hobby and 1 or 2 table online or play live for buy-ins of 1/4 to 1/3 our poker bankroll, some of the risks involved with certain plays are just not worth it - or at least are met with more emotinal results. Does this make me a 'worse' player? Perhaps. But for the occasional player... what really else can you do? According to the 'poker laws' described on this site - you should have 40 buy ins for a certain level of play. If my online bankroll is $400 - that means I would be playing micro-limit NL games, which would be absolutely no fun for me.

As I'm sure has been posted here a bazillion times - it's the difference of 'gambling for fun/rush' vs. 'playing poker for expected profit over time'.

As for my in-the-money %.. I would say 35-40% in the PR SnGs? And for ring games i have a pattern: I grind away a profit of about 25%-150% of my buy in over a few hours... and then lose a huge chunk on one hand. It's this type of continuous frustration that has led me to practically refuse to play for large pots unless I feel I'm WAY ahead.

Maybe I'm silly for adopting a 'personal rule' like this, but I have almost never had a losing session since I made that decision. I'm sure 'variance' says I will have a run of bad cards and get beat soon enough, but we'll see I guess.

Anyway - thanks again Barron. I may never become a poker pro - but I still enjoy doing whatever it is I'm doing.

And I guess everyone now knows they can bet 'rottmaro' out of a pot with a big bet. Oh well. Just also remember that if I call or raise you - I've gotcha beat. =)