Say What? Chatting in Online Poker
You may have met me in one of many poker rooms; I get around. Chances are, you may think I’m exceptionally rude. Now that I think of it, I may well be, though honestly not intentionally. Typically, I have both player and observer chat set to ‘off’. My reasons for this — I fully admit — are selfish; I want to play poker. What I have discovered, you see, is that there are those occupying virtual poker seats who don’t.
Loquacious Larry and Gerald Gumflap are chatty fellows. They’ve got something to say before the flop, during the flop, before the turn . . . and, incredibly, the topic of conversation is weight loss, carburetors versus fuel injection, favourite foods, et cetera.
If there is an underhanded, psychological reason for these two to use a public poker room for insipid yattering, I can’t discern it. Inevitably, both participants lose their stacks to blinds, inattention or bizarre play. As entering the conversation in any capacity (as a contributor or an antagonist) is counter-productive at best, mute them both — forever.
Arnie Agenda has a hate on for anyone from a selected geographic or political location, and is pleased to spout a fountain of typed poison when some unfortunate from that vicinity joins the table. Variants of Arnie hate other races, other political and religious beliefs, other sexual preferences . . . ‘others’, in other words.
Mute and ignore; vociferous bigots are only a threat to your stack if you don’t.
Amorous Andy and Flirty Fern, if they don’t make you gag, may mildly amuse you by how many other sad, lonely guys at your table reveal themselves in joining the double entendres. If you’re trying to think of something wittier than Andy to say to attract Fern, your mind’s not on the game. If Fern isn’t saying much, it’s quite possibly because she’s playing the players. Watch her stack. And pay more attention to yours.
For those who are more into socialization than poker, some poker rooms provide a separate lobby for that very purpose. Pamela Poker’s lobby is a hive of activity at most times, but when she and Kid Rock drop by, things pick up even more.
There are, of course, other players who chat more than play — though there’s reason behind it. Just as losing a big chunk of your stack in one play may put you ‘on tilt’, so will a player typing something derogatory about your playing — or throwing out LOLs every time you lose a pot.
When most people are playing on tilt, they’re in reactive mode, playing at best like amateurs. That’s exactly what the annoying fool is gunning for. Don’t type anything back, or the player will know you’ll play horribly for the next few hands. Instead, fold the next few hands and . . . you guessed it: mute and ignore.
Daniel Negreanu of Full Contact Poker is an example of a professional player who talks more during a typical game than many couples do in their entire marriage. By doing so, he keeps his opponents on edge; they know he has an uncanny way of guessing — by talking through and by simultaneous observation — their post-flop hand strength.
Negreanu’s opponents have little choice but to make like statues and hope he guesses wrong. You have a magic ‘mute’ button. Remember: Sometimes, silencing is golden.
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Alejandro Collins
September 28th, 2006 at 9:08 am
Pamela Anderson pleased with her poker site
Pamela Anderson is happy with her new site, pamelaandersonpokersite.com. “It is so huge”, she is reported to say, “It is a great form of modern entertainment”. This is a site where people can come and spend some time playing poker in a relaxed atmosphere and make some money. Pamela is now a vivid player herself, having been coach by the man who endorsed her site, Doyle Brunson. She joins the players on the site at least once a week and is certainly getting better at the game.
She says that most of her friends in the entertainment industry want to join her on pamelaandersonpokersite.com, but cannot connect because they own Mac’s and not PCs. Pamela has offered to buy them all a new PC so she can also practice with her friends.
Pamelaandersonpokersite.com was launched in July and is already a big favorite. It is sexy and elegant, and most of all, for those new to poker, it is not intimidating and no one will criticize how a game is played.
Pamela Poker is a lot of fun for those who look for a less serious sort of site. And with a legend like Doyle Brunson around, it is banned to be a good choice.
The Poker Blog » How To Lose Your Online Poker Bankroll - 15 Easy Steps
October 4th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
[…] Don’t pay attention to the game. Watch TV at the same time, or talk to friends or text chat with other players.Don’t pay attention, part 2. Don’t take notes on your poker games. As Kerry Mann points out in the article linked to, taking notes on all of your games helps you avoid making the same errors. But you don’t want to do that.Play every single hand, no matter how bad. Phil Hellmuth calls this type of poker player a jackal.Play hands randomly, or bet amounts randomly. If you’re just playing for fun or human company, stick to the home games with buddies. At least you can commiserate with people you know.Go into a poker room with all of your money at the same time. I never take in more than 25-50% of my present bankroll. Some people take even less – as little as $30 (something Kerry Mann, linked to above, advocates. Kerry’s site says he earns an average of about $43/hour, so maybe you should pay him a visit.)Ignore the odds on your hand. This kind of goes with steps 3 + 4 above. Some hands just shouldn’t be played, unless you are playing No Limit, and are in a tournament. But that’s not whate we’re talking about. If you want help with calculating your odds, read the articles about card odds on this site, and/or download your copy of Pokerbility software, compatible with several poker rooms. In fact, if you’re signed up with one of the accepted rooms, the software is free.Play non-stop without food or breaks. Texas Hold’em in particular is a game of mostly logic and skill, as are other poker games. You do need to give your brain a break.Get greedy. Win a lot a money and think that you’re invincible. You either end up playing too long and losing money, or getting cocky and playing bad hands. If you want to make money, take your profits and losses and move on to another game. Treat it like a business, and, in the words of Kenny Rogers, know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.Get greedy, part 2. Play multiple games at once. Before you’re ready. There are a couple of advanced players out there who have two or more large computer screens with multiple games going at the same time. They actually turn a profit. But they are at the stage where they can do this. Pay attention to your current, single game, then work up to multiples. Go on tilt.. It happens so predictably, it’s frightening. If you lose a big chunk of your stack in one bad hand, don’t go all in with the remainder on the next hand. It is possible to recover from a big hit—if I can do it, you can, too. Take stock and use your brain, not your frustration. Take it personally. Yes, when an opponent bets the exact amount of your stack, he or she is targeting you. Don’t rise to the bait; big-stacked players like to play mop-up. Patiently build your stack and wait until you have something viable before going up against them. Play the remarkably-rising pre-flop lottery. The worst possible odds are pre-flop odds. If anyone bets big pre-flop, they may have a great pair, or an A-K suited . . . who knows? But a pair of aces loses to three twos, and it often isn’t ‘til the river before a given hand’s winner is truly decided. Get sidetracked (or, take it personally, part 2). If you think someone’s bluffing, it’s quite possible; bluffing’s one of the best ways to increase your stack. But don’t bet on it. If you have a pair, there’s a flush draw on the table, and your opponent is betting like mad, there’s an excellent chance your opponent has a flush. Don’t bet all your chips trying to ‘out’ a bluffer, or you may find yourself an ‘observer’ instead of a player. Hold on to that wonderful hand. A great mixed straight is beaten by the lowest flush. Even if you have an A,K,Q,J and 10 (clubs and spades), if four hearts are on the table, you have most likely lost. By all means, check, but betting hard here would be suicide. Take an opponent’s advice. […]