[Howard Beale]

I don't think money has anything to do with why some people act badly in a poker game. I think it's the frustration, humiliation and embarrassment of not being able to win in front of witnesses (esp. after a hand that the player felt 'entitled' to win gets beat). This affects the losing player's status in the group. He is a loser and is relegated to the bottom of the social scale, at least for now. It takes an experienced player w/ a strong mind and character to shrug the losses off. I think it's the boost that people get from winning money from other individuals (which allows them to feel superior) that keeps them coming back to poker. I'm talking about the amatuers here. If it were just gambling they were interested in they'd be in the pit games or the slots.

My remarks above address the losing player, which is who I assume you were referring to but winning can (and often does) bring out the worst in people too. How often do we see the winners gloat, brag and laugh at the losers? They are fulfilling some need that they can't get elsewhere.

Finally, remember that the players are not amongst their normal social groups and don't need to control themselves to the degree that they otherwise would feel compelled to.