The use of the term 'sir'

[Johnny Hughes]

I am old. I like to be called Sir and think highly of the people who are courteous at the poker table. Young people fresh out of the military have a definate career advantage because they know how things work.

I play live poker in West Texas and there is zero trash talking. That might provoke barking iron and the pungent smell of gunsmoke. There is ribbing or teasing but not after a pot. You do not rib a loser. Just calling someone else fish means you are one.

Fossilman Raymer did a ton for civility and good manners. Our West Texas code is to act with no emotion after a pot whether you win or lose to show you are a man. A man. You are expected to act like a man around a poker game. That would not make for good television but did you young folks ever hear of a poker face??? If you practice having no emotion regardless of the outcome of a hand, it helps you not to have tells. Never, ever let them see you are in pain. Take it like a man. Stand up. Same goes for you women.

You are not supposed to insult the suckers in any way, ever. They bring in the money. They are the customers, the good players are the salesmen. I was playing a cheap 20/40 limit game at Mirage one night. This rich Frenchman with a retinue sat in the game and he did not even know how to play Texas Hold 'em. I had two aces, Hickory Nuts, and he and I raised it back and forth until we each had eight hundred in the pot before the flop. When it is down to two, you can raise all you want. Only he is doing this macho thing, slamming his chips, "I'll raise YOU." I caught on and staring saying, "I'll dare you to raise that." I won it.

The next pot he raises back and forth again against A,K and goes broke again. He's down nearly a thousand in two pots in forty dollar limit. He does it again. Now this silly woman wants to see his hand. She says she was in the pot for forty and she has a right to see what he is doing all this stupid raising on. A floorman is called. She wins the argument and he hops the game. Do not run off the fruit!

It is to your advantage as a poker player to be well-liked by your opponents for a number of reasons. Do you agree???

[ChipFerFree]

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She wins the argument and he hops the game. Do not run off the fruit!

It is to your advantage as a poker player to be well-liked by your opponents for a number of reasons. Do you agree???

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Yes and your post rocks...

[Johnny Hughes]

Thanks, pal. I meant to say the pot was a total of $800.

[niugnep]

This conversation reminds me of my first time playing a tournament in a casino... or really playing poker other than the home game, as I wasn't online yet... My girlfriend and I were in Vegas and decided to play a poker tournament for fun. We'd had probably been playing for about two months at that point. We didn't play online and only in home games.

I finished 12th and went out on a stupid all-in bet with A2o. My inexperience and nervousness at being so closed to the money caused me to make the mistake... but what happened next was even worse.

After I lost the hand, with our cards flipped over, the DEALER started commenting loudly about how bad a play I had made. I was mortified. Embarrassed. I quietly left with my head hung low.

If that happened today, I would immediately call the floor manager and make a complaint about the dealer's comments.

Anyway, in relation to the the question of "sir," I'm all about politeness. At the poker table and off. I personally believe that common manners are very important in all situations. And I certainly wouldn't want someone to insult me when I make a mistake... course none of us have to worry about that, cause none of us ever make a stupid play, right?

[Bona]

Nice hand sir

[Johnny Hughes]

niugnep... Dealers are supposed to mum up. You should have reported that dearler to the shift manager. Above the poker boss of the moment. Or write a letter to the casino manager. I hate dealers that treat the new people with disrespect. In no time, you will realize a casino is an unatural assault on all your senses. You will get used to it. I wear earplugs and sunglasses and a hat to protect me some. The casinos want to be friendly to all the new poker players.

[Javanewt]

My problem with the use of "sir" online is that I'm a woman. I think it's polite, but it's an assumption that everyone you are playing against is a man. I really don't care, and I usually just type, "mam," but it is a little annoying. However, it is fun when I have just outplayed some young idiot who cracks and then is even more upset when he finds out I am a woman [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ichthyologist]

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My problem with the use of "sir" online is that I'm a woman.

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I understand your point, but I think it's now standard (and if not, certainly very common) in the military and similar organizations to use "sir" regardless of gender, and that usage is slipping into more general use as well.

I find myself almost unconsciously making assumptions about a player's gender based on their screen name and avatar/user picture (if any), even if it's not obvious. I don't know how often I'm correct though. (And even the obvious cases may be misleading by accident if not on purpose; I've noticed a number of men using women's pictures, then getting mad when I refer to him as she.)

I'm afraid that, online, I'm one of the people who use sir as sarcasm. "nh" from me is genuine, "nh sir" is usually sarcastic. It's probably the only way I ever vent at people online though. (I sometimes indulge myself by just typing a nasty comment, then deleting it without sending it.) And I sometimes use the line "Don't tap the aquarium" to stop other ranters, which of course also skewers the ranter's target a bit. I should probably come up with a different way of berating the berators.

[niugnep]

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You should have reported that dearler to the shift manager. Above the poker boss of the moment. Or write a letter to the casino manager. I hate dealers that treat the new people with disrespect.

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I agree. As I said, now I would immediately make a complaint about any dealer's comment. But, that was my first tournament in a casino and I had only been playing poker for about a month at that point... so, I was miss as far as etiquette goes; e.g. I would constantly call it raise when I was the first bettor after the flop.

That being said... it was a good learning experience all the way around, the dealer included. I got my degree in creative writing, so I've developed a bit of a thick skin. Also, by now, when something like that happens it just makes me more determined to prove them wrong.

My experience did make me more conscious of issues of manners at the table though... Rudeness annoys me and I make an effort to be polite to everyone.

[Nikoms]

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My problem with the use of "sir" online is that I'm a woman.

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I understand your point, but I think it's now standard (and if not, certainly very common) in the military and similar organizations to use "sir" regardless of gender, and that usage is slipping into more general use as well.



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That is correct - in the military any officer (regardless of gender) is refferred to as "sir".