The rules of decency and good behavior when engaging in any activity with other people are automatically practiced by most people as they are in any social gathering. Activities involving software are another matter and the well-designed application will not take offense at the occasional outburst of pent up emotion and aggression. So, if you play poker to get rid of your Neanderthal instincts and redirect your frustration, stick with the bot opponents. Unfortunately not everyone follows this advice and thinks that bluffing while playing poker with humans requires behaving like the schoolyard bully.
Behavior, obviously tells a lot about a player, and I think one may fairly depend that reserved, politely brisk behavior is characteristic of a focused, purposeful player who is there to stay for some decent, quality or at least honest games. The reverse is also true: the more purposeful and efficient learner a player is, the more they are likely to intuit basic etiquette.
Professionals are known for both being masters at their craft and masters of manners. A pleasant atmosphere is the result of good manners which makes a focused, professional game a reality. Common sense dictates that insulting your opponents is always a mistake, they are responsible for your game being profitable.
When playing online with live opponents instead of bots, etiquette is just as important. The key factor in online games is to minimize chat. Sending and responding to messages can reveal much about yourself and your hand. The interpretation of messages flying about can also be very misleading. Messages may offer a major distraction to the game at hand. You may want to politely end all chatting for a time or for the entire round..
It is definitely a bad idea to discuss your or your friend’s level of mastery. What is less obvious is that by chatting voluminously you may easily inadvertently reveal your level of expertise.
If you must, greet friends and answer questions with polite reserve. Save the juicy chit-chat for ICQ: you will be doing your friends, and the rest of the table, as much a favor as yourselves. Games do not happen in chat rooms, but in Time – a realm beyond the control of your laser-pad mouse – and wasted time is wasted opportunity. Avoid using negative language: it will not achieve as much as you perhaps think it might and will unnecessarily pollute the atmosphere with repulsion. A few nice words to anybody may help, or will simply keep the atmosphere adequately neutral.
Attempting to anger your opponents into better play is a tactic that just doesn’t work and may backfire by showing the table your actual level of ability. Believe it or not, blatant rudeness is officially taboo in most online poker rooms.
If you must type a message, avoid doing so in upper case. This comes across as shouting or expressing yourself in an intensely emotional vein, which has no place in a game of cards. This is the mark of an immature player and reveals much more about your true self than you intended. No matter what, be cool, and never let anyone see you sweat.
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Cake Rakeback and Cellsino Poker Rakeback.
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