Most of would agree that common decency and politeness are the rule when involved in any social gathering, whether it be high tea or a game of poker. Some poker players forget this however, and choose to take their frustrations and pent up anxieties out on their opponents in the mistaken belief that it will aid their bluff. If this is you, stick to an online game that involves bots and not live players.
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 characterized both by mastery of the medium and impeccable manners. Good manners create a pleasant atmosphere which makes it easier to focus on winning. Experience and plain common sense dictate that you do not insult rookies, since they are a profitable source.
It may seem odd, but etiquette is also required in on line games when playing with live opponents. Above all, keep chat to a minimum. Every message you send or respond to may reveal unintended information. Every message you receive may mislead you. The more chat going on, the more distracting it becomes. Keep the chat to a minimum or do without it altogether.
Just as it is considered impolite to discuss your income with outsiders, it is equally so to discuss your level of mastery of the game or of any acquaintances’ game. So if you are indulging in a chatfest, you may be revealing way more than you intend.
Always be polite but save the salacious stuff for the water cooler. You will be doing the table a favor. An online poker game is not a chat room and treating it as such wastes time and opportunity. Negative language will not achieve any goal. It will only pollute the atmosphere and you want to keep the atmosphere pure and 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.
Typing in UPPER CASE means you are speaking in upper key, i.e. shouting or expressing abnormally intense emotion. This has no place at the poker table. You do not want to betray any unbalanced emotion, such as frustration, greed, or anger. Play with grace under pressure. Even if you don’t like Hemingway, it will still lend your play at least a patina of cool intelligence and impressive nonchalance.
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker and receives Aced Rakeback from Rakeback Solution.
