Advice Needed: How to deal with "Friends"

[habsfanca11]

OK not exactly friends but players you are friendly with at your local B&M?

Local card room, mostly play 3/6 LHE and of course there is always the typical cast of regulars. This place probably has an overabundance of white trash and a horde of loose passives plus the WPT wannabees (there is no No Limit at this casino). I am starting to run into bruised feelings and resentment at my local B&M card room. By their standards I am an aggressive, tight player. I am friendly and would prefer to keep the game light. In these kinds of circumstances it is natural that you would get "chatty" with people that you play with regularly. Now that I am a regular myself - some of the other regulars that I am friendly with are starting to resent how hard I play. A specific example from Sun. night - it folds to me in the hijack seat with A,3 offsuit (folding to me is completely unusual in this game) and I open raise, it folds to the BB who calls. The BB and I are "friendly" and have a running joke about me always raising his blinds. I don't normally try to steal in this game because it's pointless, but in this instance I figure to be ahead of two random blinds so bring in for a raise with a weak ace. The hand plays out with me betting and BB calling all the way to the river. On the river I have two pair but there is a 4-straight on the board - it's checked to me and I table two pair. BB goes ballistic that I would raise with A,3 into his blind (he made the straight on the river and dragged the pot). He got up and stormed off (to cool off). A little later I got up and tracked him down and apologized.

I'm getting tired of making up psuedo-fake apologies to try and keep the mood at the table reasonable.

I keep butting heads with the regulars who don't like my style of play and need some advice on how to handle. I haven't been doing a great job.

I would appreciate anything that you have to offer. Cheers!

[Obfuscation]

Ugh. Why would you apologize?

I mean, noone needs the drama of course but this guy is being pretty ridiculous. I mean, get over it Mister. It's poker.

I find that a general good natured disposition goes far even as you play hard. Crack jokes as you raise if you really are concerned about it.

[jar]

So, he won the pot and stormed off steaming? Who cares what he thinks of you?

[jasonj]

First off please don't ever start playing soft to keep these people happy.

Second, if he went crazy over something like this then [censored] him.

Actually, screw them all. Maybe if you keep playing hard and make no apoligies they will all go on mega-tilt the instant you sit at the table and all begin taking shots at you. You would need to adjust your play but it would end up being really +EV.

Just keep being the nice guy you are and maybe they will just accept the fact that you are an agressive player.

[Mike]

In general, I play my game, some don't like it, but that is too bad. I won't change my game to suit them.

I wouldn't apologise because I am not doing anything wrong, and most of the whiners become gloaters when it is them winning and me losing. Then too some of the smarter players will try to manipulate the game by tweaking the weaker players.

I know I have been playing bad when I sit down with the regulars (usually I know six or more at any table) and they are happy to see me.

So, imo, no need to apologise, they can leave and a new player might will their place...ahhh geee. gl

[Dozer64]

He got mad and steamed off because of losing a freakin' 3/6 pot? Sounds like he doesn't have the temperment to play poker.

Imagine his reaction in NLH after getting sucked out by the case 9 on the river for a $500+ pot.

Back to your question. I just make a joke out of everything and exclaim how I got lucky against a much higher skilled person.

[Quadstriker]

[ QUOTE ]
He got mad and steamed off because of losing a freakin' 3/6 pot? Sounds like he doesn't have the temperment to play poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

The way I read it, he WON the pot and then stormed off.

[gobboboy]

[ QUOTE ]
He got mad and steamed off because of losing a freakin' 3/6 pot? Sounds like he doesn't have the temperment to play poker.

Imagine his reaction in NLH after getting sucked out by the case 9 on the river for a $500+ pot.

Back to your question. I just make a joke out of everything and exclaim how I got lucky against a much higher skilled person.

[/ QUOTE ]

He WON the pot. That makes it even more ridiculous.

Also, OP, screw them. You're there to make money.

[disjunction]

There's no good answer that you want. You have the option of playing by their "rules" and winning at a reduced profit.

Assuming that you don't take that option, my only observation is that you will get 10x more grief if you ever display the possibility that you may bend on this issue.

[WayAbvPar]

So he won the pot and then starting bitching about it? [censored] him. I would raise his blind EVERY TIME for the rest of my natural life.