Quick Lesson in Poker Etiquette

As I mentioned in my last blog, I’m in the process of recovering from surgery. As a result, I’ve been limited to online tournaments and games only. While this hasn’t been horrible, I do miss the communication at the felt.

However, there seriously seems to be a lack of online etiquette as of late. Trash talk and poor sportsmanship seem to be taking over. As a result, here are a few short, easy tips for playing online or in person.

1) Don’t comment on the hand. If three spades come down on the Flop, don’t comment about how there is a possibility for a Flush. Somebody else may have had the two spades in pocket, not noticed, and folded. Now, you’ve pointed it out to them – decreasing YOUR odds. Lots of newbies play poker – take advantage of their lack of wisdom!
2) Relating to Number One, don’t bash people so much that they leave the table. Not only is it poor sportsmanship and poor taste, but do you really want to chase the weakest player away with your smack talk? Again – take advantage of their lack of wisdom!
3) If you want to be one of the fools that listens to an iPod, that’s fine. But make sure you’re paying attention to the game. Don’t make everybody else wait because you’re not paying attention. Time really is money, and the longer you wait, the longer everybody else does, too.
4) Watch the language. Not everybody curses or participates in sexual references – so don’t throw language around when other words would suffice. The flip side of this being if you are one of the people that doesn’t curse, don’t be frustrated when people do.

These are some of the simplest, yet most over looked, rules to follow when playing poker. If you really want to enjoy your time playing, consider abiding by these. People may follow your example, and you’ll see that everybody has a better time all around.