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Etiquette at the Poker Table
I'm a pretty easy-going guy. I usually don't ask for much from other players at the poker table (besides giving me all your chips). But there are some simple examples of etiquette not everyone follows, unfortunately.
The first is a beginner's tip. If you're at a table and not exactly up to speed on what's going on, don't be embarrassed to ask the dealer or the player next to you for some help once in a while. I'm all for rookies getting into games in Las Vegas, and I remember what it's like. For some, it's the very first time to sit down at a poker table. But it's extremely frustrating to be at the table with someone who doesn't know what's going on, constantly making wrong bets or acting out of turn. It just kills the tempo of the game. If you feel lost, ask someone for help. I know it's kind of humiliating, but so is looking like a fool at the table. If the problem gets too bad or you're asking too many questions, you're probably playing at a table way over your head. Then you need to take a step down. Go to a nice $1-$2 table and get a feel for the game and a feel for playing at a full table. Plenty of casinos also offer free lessons (like Monte Carlo, for example), and they usually go over table etiquette.
Here's something that really drives me up the wall... bad-beat stories. I'm all for striking up conversations at the poker table. Last trip to Vegas, I talked to the man sitting next to me for about four hours straight about college basketball. But I don't want to hear bad-beat stories. Everyone has them and they're all the same (and usually fabricated to some extent by the influence of alcohol). Plus, I'm kind of superstitious, so talking about big losses just rubs me the wrong way at the table.
Also, plenty of people like to drink alcohol at the poker table. Lots of pros do it (see Scotty Nguyen or Layne Flack), and that's fine. But like most social settings, you might want to watch exactly how much you're drinking. Poker players are a weird bunch. Believe it or not, most usually don't want to hear your drunk tryout for a Comedy Central special or have you spilling drinks all over the table. So just be careful when it comes to alcohol.
Finally, this is a personal plea. Don't ever, ever slow roll someone. In my book, slow rolling is the closest thing to asking someone to punch you in the face. In case you don't know, to 'slow roll' someone is to wait a while before turning your cards over in a showdown. It gives your opponent the impression that he or she has won the pot...then you flip your cards over after a pause and show the winning hand. In my opinion, it's one of the biggest no-nos at a poker table. I had an older guy slow roll me last trip and I seriously felt like punching that awful hat off his head. Yes, it made me so mad that I still remember that ugly hat he had on.
These tips aren't gospel, by any means. But if everyone followed them, poker would be a much more pleasant experience...at least for me. That's all that matters, right?
Source: BonusGambler.com Editors' Choice
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