Mandatory Poker Etiquette 101
While only the card room you’re playing at can define exactly which poker etiquette rules are mandatory, many players would agree that there is an unspoken set of etiquette laws that most poker enthusiasts abide by at the table. Following the most basic and simple of these rules will not only endear you to other players at the table, but it might actually improve your own quality of poker life. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
1. Not Paying Attention: The biggest offenders of this rule are typically the players that live in the card room. You know the type, they play every tournament, eat every meal at the casino diner, and are constantly up on the board for three different cash games. Since these players are surrounded by poker all the time, it’s easy for them to lose focus during the games they’re playing in. This will manifest itself when you see these players start watching TV, chat away with the poker room managers, or even just put their head down and completely ignore the game. The problem with doing all of this is it slows the action down, which is annoying in a cash game, and borderline criminal in a tournament. If you’re there to play poker, then play poker. If you want to watch TV, head over to a sports bar.
2. Demeaning Other Players: This might be the greatest offense of them all. No matter what card room I’m in, I always managed to get stuck sitting next to a player (sometimes more than one) who likes to berate and belittle every seemingly bad decision that another player makes in any given hand. Did they make a bad call? Guess what, it happens. What is most alarming is that it’s normally the more experienced players at the table that like to get completely overheated when something doesn’t go their way. You can only imagine that they’ve made their own bad calls and/or been sucked out on a million times before, yet they still complain about it every time. Don’t let that be you.
3. Technical Errors: This category is for all those mistakes you might make at a table that has to do with disrupting the flow of the actual hand in play. This could come from acting out of turn, splashing the pot, etc. There’s no need to do any of these things. Wait til the action comes around to you before you make your move. When you make a bet, calmly put your chips in front of you, don’t throw them at the dealer. Lastly, don’t talk about the hand if you’re not involved in it. A lot of times you’ll see players that aren’t in the hand openly discussing what cards they think the players who are in the hand have. It isn’t your place to speak aloud about a hand you’re not involved in, so maintain your silence for the duration of the hand, much like you would want your opponents to do if the roles were reversed.
By: Chris Iaquinta
