Whether you play poker online or live, there are a few mistakes that could not only cost you the respect of the other players, but also your tournament life. History has seen many cases in which big poker players have been sanctioned or excluded from tournaments because of an unsportsmanlike conduct. To prevent that from happening, here are a few tips and etiquette rules that can save you a lot of heartache.
1. Never Talk about a Hand in Progress
No matter if you folded the best cards, that could have won you the tournament or a lot of money, never speak about it, while the hand is still in progress. Many people make this mistake and it is not only disrespectful and distasteful, but it could actually cost other players a lot. Say for example that one of the players is trying to bluff his way into winning a pot by representing trips. I needn’t tell you that if you even mention the word ‘trips’ or if even you react in such a matter to give out that that’s what you folded, you could cost the bluffer a lot of money or even his tournament seat. Just don’t!
2. Don’t Comment during Hands You Are Not in
This has personally happened to me and believe me when I say I nearly committed my first – and only, murder. We had reached the bubble position in a very nice tournament, with a solid prize pool. After I ‘survived’ hundreds of players, came the time to push all in, after getting a monster flush on the turn. Three players, I was first to act, so I pushed all in. One of the players, a pretty good one, too, asked me if I had made the flush. I was honest, there was plenty of money in the pot already, I replied yes and the other player before him folded. He went on to say ‘I only have two pairs, the lowest ones, too, so even you don’t have the flush, I could still be beaten’. In that moment, another player that hadn’t even spent one penny on that hand, ‘advised’ him to call me, as he could get a full house on the river. The other player reacted almost immediately on his comment and it also felt that immediately came the river that would put an end to my tournament life. Believe me, I know the player pretty well, we played many times before and he would have never made that call, had he been left alone to make his decision. But it was done and I was out! Don’t ever do this.
3. Don’t Stall unless Needed
One of the things that could also drive other players is stalling. I am not saying that you should rush into bad decisions; take your time, make your choice and act in a timely manner. If you have no intention of taking part in a hand, fold your cards quickly, so that other players can make their move. This is a big issue in online poker, either due to players multi-tabling, either due to distractions. By stalling, you are disturbing the flow of the game and it could also affect your game. Poker loses a bit of its charm when players cause the game to grovel at the snail’s pace.