A question for CA 5-150 players

[Howard Beale]

I played in the 5-150 for the first time tonight. I made a 'zillion' mistakes brought over from limit. I don't mind, it's part of the learning curve. My questions are regarding the player behavior at the table and I want to know if it's standard. I've gotten used to what I consider to be bad etiquette (a quaint old-fashioned concept) at the limit games but what I saw at the 5-150 was really out of hand as far as I'm concerned.

There was plenty of coffeehousing and trash talk. OK. I'm not a prude or kill-joy. I can live with that. There was also a lot of talking about the hands in progress and what various players might be playing both by the players in the hand and the players who folded. I heard players mention what cards they'd folded. During the play of a few hands one would ask another (after he folded) what he had that he couldn't continue on the turn and he'd be answered. Maybe they thought the players in the hand couldn't hear but I could and I imagine others could also. The worst was a hand where, on the turn HU, the player facing a bet mused out loud that he didn't think he could call. A few players said something like 'What? You've got to call! Look at all the money in the pot and you've only got $30 left! You must have something to call with!' To me that is just plain outrageous but nobody said anything.

So: Is that the way it is or did I just happen to be sitting at a 'strange' table?