How to handle poor poker etiquette?

[Death Valley]

I have a "home game" that is mostly friends with some outsiders. We try to run the game as professinally as possible but have one major problem that keeps occuring.
People do not shut up. They do not mean to cheat, but people keep talking about their hands "Oh I would have flopped trips", "I should have called Id have hit my straight" even the occasional "Do you think I should call?" (asked to an observer) and sometimes non-english is spoken.
Some of this is poor etiquette, some could be considered cheating so what is the best way to handle this?? I do not want to kill any hands (ie. rule the hand dead). I dont want to kick people out, but how many times do you have to remind people?

How would you/ have you dealt with this problem.

BTW: This is a 1-2 NL which plays very deep (avg 3-400 BB stacks) while this possibly shouldnt matter, I want to point out that this game is not just for fun

[Precept2]

Personally, I can't stand when people talk about the hand while it's going on. Too much information is leaked.


Anyway, if you're the host, you have some of options.

1. Draft some rules that ban this sort of behavior. "If speaking about the hand in play, the penalty is XBB." or "If speaking about the hand in play, your playing priviledges will be revoked."
2. Talk to each player, discretely about the rules they're breaking. Show them a copy of Robert's Rules of Poker (which has an etiquette section) and how they're violating this rule.
3. Talk to the group as a whole...hold a mini-seminar about the rules/etiquette breaches that occur and how they impact the game.
4. Lower the stakes and play "Just for fun."

If you're not the host, you could bring this to his attention and ask him to do it. If he won't, ask him for the power to move forward on his behalf.

[Taso]

Just berate them until they stop doing it. That's how we handled it at one of my home games. Someone would talk about the hand, and then I'd go "shut the [censored] up, we're playing a pot here." Then again, we're New Yorkers, so being [censored]-like is expected.

[Lottery Larry]

I'm too freaked out by your avatar to answer this question intelligently.

[PantsOnFire]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm too freaked out by your avatar to answer this question intelligently.

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL.

[PantsOnFire]

My observations:

1. Killing hands is way excessive and should never occur.

2. Speaking in a second language is definitely against etiquette, and is rude and uncalled for. If players talk about their families or the weather between hands in their own language, then fine. But when a hand is in play, it is like talking in code, or using signals.

3. The rules or etiquette for talking during hands is usually; talk if you're in the hand and don't talk if you are not in the hand.

How about looking at it this way. Try to guide everyone to a situation that resembles a casino scenario as far as rules and etiquette. It may be that people just don't know. Tell them that if they ever play live in a poker room, they will be penalized for such actions.

If the general concensus is that people want a slightly more lax atmosphere, then let it go. All of those coffeehouse chats could give you information that you can use.

Frankly, people talking during a hand ends up +EV for me.

If it really bothers you, you can do the suck-ass move. Target the offender that bothers you the most. Then, when he is in a tough situation and you are not in the hand, feel free to lay out all the possibilities, what you folded, all your reads, the odds for calling or folding, etc. He just might get the message.

[Javanewt]

One of the home games I plan to play in has a list of rules that everyone sees. Speaking about a hand during play has a monetary penalty. Make rules and stick to them. No exceptions. If players don't like it, they can play somewhere else. If they can't follow simple rules and can't maintain simple etiquette, I don't want them at my table, anyway.

[Death Valley]

[ QUOTE ]
Just berate them until they stop doing it. That's how we handled it at one of my home games. Someone would talk about the hand, and then I'd go "shut the [censored] up, we're playing a pot here." Then again, we're New Yorkers, so being [censored]-like is expected

[/ QUOTE ]
--Jake
Tried that, but it isnt working as well as I had hoped

[ QUOTE ]
1. Draft some rules that ban this sort of behavior. "If speaking about the hand in play, the penalty is XBB." or "If speaking about the hand in play, your playing priviledges will be revoked."
2. Talk to each player, discretely about the rules they're breaking. Show them a copy of Robert's Rules of Poker (which has an etiquette section) and how they're violating this rule.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this is the way to go. Roberts rules of poker is too long to expect these people to read, they are not poker players, they are gamblers [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I do however plan on buying 2 pieces of oaktag and writing up the 10 commandments. Hopefully this will help.
Any ideas for the 10 rules?

1.Do not talk about a hand in progress
2.Talking while in a hand is only allowed if heads up
3.English only when there are cards out (even if you folded)
4.Do not fold (or leave the table) out of turn.
5.Cell phones are OK, but DON'T make everyone wait!
6.
7.
8.Let the dealer/house settle disputes
9.Throw cigarette butts IN THE CAN!
10.

[pfapfap]

Running a game is babysitting alcoholics. I take it you've tried to get them to stop and that it's most of the people? How long has this game been running? I think your best bet is to go about it slowly, so you don't shift the mood or alienate people. A list of rules may seem overly nit-ish to people, but it all depends on the atmosphere you want.

Taking it the slow way, I'd start with not allowing people to say things like "ooh, who has an 8 for the straight", explaining that it's up to individual people to read their own hands. From there you can get to more abstract concepts like how talking about what you would have had can influence play.

I laid down the law fairly early on in my games, and people generally respect etiquette. I play in another game where everybody talks about everything all the time. As someone else pointed out, this is +EV information for you. I quite enjoy it, especially knowing what people think I have at any point. When people feel comfortable to talk freely about hands, they also talk about how your play is affecting them.

[Taso]

^Makes a good point. While I did just bash at peoples feelings, I also calmly explained things.

For example, I went all in, and one of my friends folded before it was his turn to fold, and I'm like "dude, wait your turn" and he goes "what's the difference, I'm gonna fold anyways" So I explained to him that the guy ahead of him needed to consider whether or not he had a big hand, and by folding, it makes it easier for him to call.

^ A lot of he's and him's in there, but you'll figure it out.