Live Poker Etiquette
admin 4/2/2022
Believe it or not, there is such thing as online poker etiquette. In the same way that live poker has its own set of rules to help the games run smoothly and be enjoyable for its participants, in the online version, there are still rules in place to create a pleasant atmosphere. Although poker online uses software that controls most of the movements that you’d usually need to make yourself in a live game, you are still able to disrupt the flow and enjoyment of a game by not adhering to the rules and regulations of a game. Despite sitting behind a screen, there are things that need to be considered when playing poker online, so here are some etiquette tips.
Don’t talk about hands you’re not in
This one may be obvious, but you should never talk about another player’s hands or give that player advice on what to do. It’s definitely deemed a poker no-no; for example, if you have the best hand and your opponent is deciding whether to call or fold and another player interferes telling them what to do (i.e. fold because you have the nuts), you probably wouldn’t like it. However, levelling is acceptable!
Poker Etiquette Although poker is a pleasurable pastime, it’s enjoyable only when the game runs smoothly and quickly. Most of the responsibility for ensuring this rests with the house dealer, but players can do their part to keep the game moving in an orderly fashion. The proper etiquette when leaving a poker table in a casino however, is much different. Unlike a home game, at a casino, you can leave whenever you want. When playing live poker in a casino, you leave whenever you want to leave. Right then and there.
Don’t give any indication of your folded hand
- Live poker is renowned for being slow due to full-handed tables, drunk opponents, and multi-way pots. Tables will average around 30 hands per hour. For perspective, an online professional might play 1000 hands an hour 4-tabling Zoom.
- Believe it or not, there is such thing as online poker etiquette. In the same way that live poker has its own set of rules to help the games run smoothly and be enjoyable for its participants, in the online version, there are still rules in place to create a pleasant atmosphere.
- Etiquette in Live Poker Etiquette is one area of concern for poker players that’s applicable almost exclusively to live poker. While there’s certainly a certain amount of etiquette that should be expected out of online players as well, it’s hardly anything that the majority of players will worry about.
Again, it may seem obvious, but once you’ve folded, you should never discuss the cards you had – live, or online – while players are still participating in the same hand. Giving an indication of what your hand was will give players an advantage as they’ll then know what cards won’t come up. Similarly, don’t influence play in any way, or let other players know any information they shouldn’t know.
Keep up with and pay attention to the action
Although online, you often have an allocated time limit to take your turn, only use the time you deem necessary to make a decision and don’t irritate other players by taking as much time as you are given as it slows the game down. When it comes to the pre-flop round of betting, there’s no need to take an overly long time on your decision and even still, taking an excessively long time to make basic decisions will annoy other players, make you unpopular and may even get other players to leave the table.
Don’t abuse the chat box
Like many things online, it’s easy to hide behind your screen and forget that you’re actually speaking to real people. Some players may not even use the chat function as they’re too focused on the game and not wanting to idly chat. However, the chat is a great way to socialise with your opponents and even discuss poker matters. It shouldn’t be used to berate or target other players, nor should you discuss your ability, skills or even your hand.
Being abusive to other players certainly won’t make you popular and could well make them tilt or leave the game. Being angry could well make you tilt, too. Luckily, moderators will be on-hand to remove any abusive players from the game.
Don’t slow-roll your opponent
In case you’re not familiar with all the poker terminology, slow-rolling is when you have the best hand (also known as ‘the nuts’) and make a big scene at the final stage of betting, by either going all-in or calling a large bet, to add unnecessary drama.
No matter how bad or obnoxious your fellow players have been, there’s never an acceptable time to slow-roll and it’s deemed one of the worst things you can do in a game, whether its online or live. Slow-rolling is more likely to happen in a live game as there are other ways you can slow-roll opponents, including calling quickly but turning your cards over slowly, or pretending to be disappointed or admitting defeat before going all-in or revealing a winning hand.
If you are a live poker player, then you should be aware of basic poker etiquette and should follow them by heart. Following the rules of the game helps you to play live poker in fair and disciplined manner. There do exist conventional rules that you need to adhere to while playing poker at Indian Poker Rooms. So, if you don?óÔé¼Ôäót follow proper etiquette while playing live poker at poker clubs in Bangalore, you can be penalized and even thrown out of the poker room. Here are some worst live poker etiquette you should avoid while playing live poker tournaments in India:
Live Poker Etiquette Instructions
Delaying the Game
Many poker players have a habit of slow rolling the game, and this is considered as one of the bad poker etiquette. It is bad because it delays the game and also lowers the confidence of other players on the table. Such a dull pace of game in live poker is hardly tolerable. You should concentrate more on playing your game and less on food, chit-chats, flirting, etc as this affects the action on the table and also makes you look like colossal jerk.
Urging to See Mucked Hands
As a live poker player, you should never ask your opponent to see his mucked hands just for the sake of obtaining information. This is treated as a poor etiquette because you are actually questioning his integrity by requesting to see your opponent’s hand. Did you know mucking was introduced in poker as a shield against players cheating by throwing in together? And any player have a freedom to muck his hand after losing he pot and it is valid within the house rules.
Casino Poker Etiquette
Playing Out of Turn
While playing live poker games, you will find many players who act out of their turn even though the action has not reached them. These players sometimes fold the hand out of turn. Such a move usually do not affect the action taking place on the table but is treated as the monster mistake on the live poker table. Thus, you should keep patience and wait for your turn to arrive before mucking the hands, and should let other players play their game.
Damaging the Cards
If you are a regular visitor to a top poker room in Bangalore, you must have come across a pool of damaged cards – some may be marked, some may be tore or some may be bitten. These cards basically has been destroyed by players on tilt out of frustration, and these damaged cards have given them tough luck in the game. So, you should avoid such child-like moves on the poker table.
Over-Celebrating
Ever noticed those players who pump fist, jump around, laugh at losing player, and cheer wildly while playing live poker? It is not bad to be happy when you win a hand but don?óÔé¼Ôäót forget somebody is on the losing side too. You should steer clear of such emotions and should behave maturely on the table.
Live Poker Etiquette Questions
Therefore, next time you go to play live poker tournaments in India, try not to behave in this manner.