Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

I have a friend who constantly does the following:
1. Always asks to see the losing hand that was mucked?
2. Always grabs the pot and manually counts it?
3. makes guess attempts during a hand where he is not involved like " Ooh he definitely has a flush watch out"

So I just wanna know if this behavior is normal or bad manners, because it's really annoying.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

1) It's home poker, how strict do you really want to be?
2) I don't think asking someone what they had is rude, but asking them to turn it over is borderline. If they're dumb enough not to lie or actually turn over the cards and show, then that's the mucker's fault.
3) I count my pot. Although I think I do it a lot faster than counting chip by chip. I usually make a stack 15-20 high and just estimate from there.
4) He might be trying to get a tell from the guy when commenting about the hand. Yea, it is rude. But again, in a home poker game? I've seen a lot worse.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

1 = allowed if it goes to show down, but very rude and bad etiquette - this is allowed only in the case that you think there is collusion or cheating, it shouldn't be abused.
2 = unless you think he's robbing you, I wouldn't care.
3 = bad manners, he shouldn't talk about hands he's not in.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

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I have a friend who constantly does the following:


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if he is your friend, pull him aside in a non-poker setting and tell him how distasteful all of the above behaviors are. he is obv a newbie and needs guidance. he needs to learn proper etiquette if he intends to play in other games. if he pulled these shinanigans in a casino or a serious game the other 9 players' heads would pop off.

make him understand that and that you are not lecturing him, that you are helping him.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

It's a home game. Most stuff like that can slide however, if you want it to stop, ask him politely after or before the next game begins to stop what he's doing.

If it continues, give him a major dose of his own medicine. And let him know you'll be doing this so that all the other players will fold to his bets on the river, saving them lots over the course of a night and costing him lots over the course of the night. Count out the pots very slowly and openly do the math for percentage calls. Start showing all hands that are folded not just the ones he wants to see, this will get others on the train to hell also.

It really is and can be a pain when someone continually does these things. Careful though, some home games are destin to become lost to people like this.

P [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

All three are extremely rude

#1) If he really does this everytime I would purposely tell him he won when I knew I had the winning hand and he would ask to see my cards. I'm going to assume you guys don't officially muck these so when my cards get turned over and it's discovered I have the winning hand guess who gets the pot. THats right, me. See how many times he asks after that....lol

#2. When does he do this? If in the middle of a hand that is way beyond poor etiquette. A player never touches the pot. At the end? A player shouldn't reach for the pot, it should be pushed to him by the dealer. If he wants to count it then no big deal, just keep on playing.

#3) Tell him to STFU

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

hah, I like that #1 solution small fry. Make sure that you guys play by the rule that "cards speak" before trying it though.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

Remind him that he would last 10 minutes in a real casino doing this.

If he is an experienced player, it is completely unacceptable and I would say so.

If he is a newbie, it is understandable. For a table with a lot of newbies in a home game situation, I would institute a rule where everyone has to flip over their cards at showdown and during all-ins.

If he knows what he is doing is wrong, then he is a dick. Take him out golfing.

1. When he is in the middle of his backswing, yell "all-in!".

2. On the green, pick up his ball and say "wow, Titlist Titanium, nice ball" and toss it 4 feet further away from the hole. Be sure to step in his putting line repeatedly while spinning around.

3. On every one of his shots, give him advice on club selection.

Re: Ethics andgood poker table manners
 

Tell him he's not on the intertubes, that live games run differently than online. Does he also press the "fold to any bet" button? If so, I want to sit to his right.

Yeah, it's a home game, but some of this is downright against the rules in a casino setting, and grounds for being taken out back in an underground club setting.

1) I don't think it's ever come up, but I don't think I'd honor I Want To See The Hand at my home game. If someone thinks people are cheating, they should come to me and tell me away from the table. He's used to reading the hand history.

2) No way in hell should people be reaching into the pot in the middle of a hand. In casinos, you're not allowed to count the pot. He's used to having the screen tell him how much is in there.

3) I do allow a bit of flexibility when discussing the board, but absolutely no way no how can people theorize on what somebody else has, unless they're in the hand and heads-up. I play in another game where people talk about hands all the time, and I do use it to my advantage, but I don't want that crap in my home. It's not that big of a deal until the one time when it's a HUGE deal. He also shouldn't be commenting on the way people bet and what it might mean. He's used to yelling at his computer screen.

So, yeah, just tell him, hey man, I know you're used to playing online, but live is different and there's etiquette to follow. I wouldn't get too detailed in lecturing about why things are, unless he's interested. Just tell him to knock it off.