Referral Code Full Tilt

Whether playing on-line poker or in a casino it’s important to remember certain manners. Your presence be it physical or electronic at a game should be conducted with some decorum. Depending on how much you play and where you will build up a reputation – not just for your skill at playing – but also for how you behave.

Losing:

Perhaps it’s the sportsman in me, but I do believe in being a ‘good loser,’ – I’ve certainly had my fair share of losses, and seen hands that I was sure would come off well, being beaten by triple 2’s and the like. It’s unfortunate when you do lose, but try and keep it in perspective. On-line a player will see an incredible amount of hands, this increases the chances of seeing an incredible amount of ‘lucky wins’. And I’m sure many on-line players have been subjected to the calls of being a ‘donk,’ a ‘fish,’ or just generally been or witnessed bad sportsmanship from other players.

I don’t know if these players transfer their bad manners to face to face games, but I think it’s a combination of two things, the fact that these people are not physically in the room with them offers some protection (I.E it’s a bit cowardly slating a complete stranger 1000’s of miles away) and that the speed of online poker play on-line means you will see more hands and therefore more lucky flukes. Either way, whatever the reason it’s not good form.

Banter:

During a game be it face to face or on-line, the banter and chat is part of the magic of playing poker. Most people do jibe each other, poke fun and it’s usually in good humour. You will hear / see players taking the proverbial out of each other, they’ve probably played each other before or have been at the same table for a while. As long as people don’t get outright offensive take it in the spirit intended and before long you will be joining in and cracking jokes yourself. It can also serve as an important clue to the kind of hands the ‘livelier’ characters are playing, so don’t neglect the social aspect of poker. Banter or chat will help you empathise with the other players which makes them easier to read.

Face to face:

Playing at home will probably mean that you are playing close friends (although there are more and more poker clubs beginning, which means you can increase your circle of players and hopefully friends). In a casino however you will be playing complete strangers and it’s important to make sure you follow a few tips. Depending on the level of the game you are playing you may need to deal your own cards (just like a home game), more expensive buy ins or big tournaments may have a dealer, but when you first visit a casino to play poker it can be quite an intimidating experience having to deal your own cards.

Remember two things when you deal, most players ‘burn’ cards. What this means is that before each set of community hands is dealt they take the first card and discard it. The second thing is that when you are shuffling the cards you need to keep your hands above the table and try at all costs not to drop cards. The best way to shuffle is to cut the pack in half and with both hands and ‘riffle’ them back into each other. It takes practice and it’s advisable to try it a few times before playing face to face games. This way you keep the cards close to the table, visible to all players but without showing any card faces.

Finally always try to be a gracious winner or loser.