How to handle rude players...?

Hello all,

I just played a deep stack at my local casino...I made it down to heads up and we decided to split first and second prize...tourney was six hours in, and instead of playing heads up for 1800/1080, we decided 1440 each was better.

However, during my long journey towards the final table, I played with some people who wanted to make rude comments about the way I was playing...things like "your overbets arent working, are they?" or "Who do you think you are, Ive been playing for over ten years!"

I guess you had to be there, but you could tell by the tone of their voice that they were being mean. A lot of us were having a good time, but it was the two or three that were really being rude...not just to me, but others as well.

This kind of behavior makes me nervous (thats why I don't ever wanna play with hellmuth lol). Any opinions as to how you all handle situations like that...I just tended to ignore and concentrate on the game. I don't play at this tourney often.

Thanks a lot, and good luck to you all!

Tell them, "If i wanted your opinion I'd give it to you" and when they bust out the tournament look at them with a ever so slight smile like you're trying to hold it back but not.....then roll your eyes and say "good game."

I normally try to take the "pc" approach just because I don't want to let my emotions get involved and take a chance it will have some sort of an effect on my game. I'll usually say something like:
"You could be right but I'm going to go ahead and play the style that works for me".

Unless the person has been a real ass to me and others then I like to say just the opposite of what they think about something in an attempt to put them on tilt, lol.
"My overbets may not work all the time but they are working better than your style - that's why I have more chips than you".

Barely perceptible shrug and ignore while making mental note that you have them steaming.

Don't give any attention to this kind of types. They have a bad night, don't let it be a bad night for you...
Btw...Kick them out!...LOL...

They are playing old fashioned poker and trying to get you on tilt. There used to be faaaaaar worse comments.

You wanna shove right back at them? lol. After their rude comment, give them a deep stare and them bust out laughing at them. A deep, belly roll laugh and then point at them. That will get THEM on tilt. Followed by some off color comment like, "if the poker thing doesn't work out you can do stand up, everything you say is a joke" followed by a chuckle.

Then go on the offensive, after every play they make, twist what they said around.

For example "I've played this game for 10 years"
I would say something like, "for a guy playing 10 years and you made THAT play???!!!!! *roll eyes followed by a audible sigh*

Basically have fun with them at their expense. You'd be surprise how quickly that stops. Not always but more often times than not. Talkers like that are used to people not standing up to them.

The best thing to do would be to completely ignore them and shrug it off...they are just pissed because they think they are a pro and you are beating them because they aren't as good as they think they are.

I have to admit, if I was sitting at a table and someone did what LizzyJ was saying to do, I would be laughing my ass off, but I'm not sure I would do it myself. Now I am really hoping the next time I play live I see this, lol

I decided a long time ago that the best way to deal with these guys was silence. Whether it is on line or live silence is the thing which really gets them going. I did respond to one guy once with "Lo ciento senor pero no hablo inglais" He never spoke to me again for the rest of the night.

Wow, 10 whole years...guy must be an expert by now...did you ask him for an autograph? Maybe that would have shut him up!

Wow ten years, I missed that bit. It's good to see his intelligence has aided his speedy progression through the poker ranks. If he lives to 300 hundred years old he might be good enough to breakeven at 25nl!!!

It looks like you handled it well if you made it to the final two. These guys are either assholes at poker or assholes all together. I would try to ignore it or throw it back, course i can be an ass if someone gives me shit. Either way well done hope you see um again and beat them in the future.

Fight fire with fire

I like a social table and hate getting those types. Once I was playing at a table where a guy got mad because we we're talking about how impressed we were with Tiger Woods. The best thing to do is ignore and quietly take their money, but I tend toward ridiculing them.

Hey, thank you all for the great advice. Being the person that I am, I would rather be silent than talk back at them. I think I just need to try and not lose focus when they talk like that to me. I like social tables too...

I was playing a live cash game about a month ago and this one guy would make comments everytime any player would take more than 5 seconds to think about their hand...things like "Don't you know it's your turn?" or "Come on, let's speed this up!" Really annoying.

I like the ones that talk about their cards and strategies too...people who comment about how they aren't getting the right cards and that's why they're losing. To me, that's a sign that they are playing two-card poker and not looking at the big picture or thinking about table image.

It was a good night...

The problem with the rude comments was you must have been the better player and they were itimated by you congrats to your win you deserve it wtg!!!

Funny

I like towait on rude players to leave the casino then beat them with A bat:P.
But seriously I usually just ignore them and catch them in a bad spot and then put them in there place.
It never really bothers me to much as long as I know I made the right move and played good and most importantly have there chips.

Sometimes their rudeness is meant to put you on tilt. Don't let them bother you.

dont acknowledge there existence nothing worse than to be treated as a non person

Not much choice but to ignore them. They're just trying to get under your skin. Unfortunately Phil Helmuth is a very successful player who appears to be a role model for others (I've been known to question online players for their questionable play, usually because I'm bitter about the outcome - venting actually seems me avoid playing on Tilt a little bit).

Of course you can always scratch your nose with your middle finger... or buy them a drink and watch their play deteriorate.

in my opinion its easier said then done..

I mean that kinda crappola happens to me alot and as a woman I feel it could be partly the reason some are rude to me, they say sh*t like oh your a woman you shouldnt even be here

thats bs, women can play anything and prolly better than men, i get that all the time so tired of it

and no matter what move i make they always say stuff like " aman would never make a move like that" bs, some men are horrible players (donks) some are good, just like women some are good some are bad but to say that all women play horrible is just plain stupid

in general its stupid when ppl are rude like that at the table thats all i have to say

I know exactly what you're talking about. I've had troubles with some morons during past few months at local casino I've gone to. When there are morons who criticize your play, best thing to do is to either tell them to go f-ck themselves, ignore them, or tell them that if they're so good, they shouldn't be here and play in . NOBODY has a right to criticize how you play.

If you made a horrible suckout(2-4 outer), then just apologize by saying "Sorry for the suckout. I got extremely lucky." But other than that, if they're whining about other stuff,then tell them to shut up and learn how to play poker. Just feel optimistic and stand up for yourself. Be proud of your plays and just play your game. I've had verbal fights about few months ago. Be ****y about your plays and exploit table image. Be proud of how you overbet pot size or whatever you do.

I can become a very friendly, nice person to people who treat me nicely. But if people treat me horribly, I'll treat them right back the same way they treated me.

I would try to calm down and just ignore them but i know I would have to say something back lol.

1st of all how much was the buy in and congrats for making top 2 or winning it all(i didn't read all the posts). But the way that i deal with this kind of stuff is either just to ignore them or talk back with smart a** comments.

Either that or tell them to play another game where they cant get mad at others like slots or craps lol

Psychology plays a major part in poker when your trying to present a table image, figuring out other people's image, and how to exploit it. Some people will use verbal criticism to try to bring you down on your game. When there is money to be made, people will look for any advantage they can to run others over. Some people can be very cruel about it.

The best defense is a good offense. Don't let these people shut you down. Instead, let it fuel you. If they have to resort to trash talk in order to bring your game down, your obviously doing something right. I prefer to remain silent and ignore them. Sometimes reply with a witty comment, but in general 'DON'T FEED THE TROLLS'. Keep on your best game, and let your chips do the talking for you. You'll shut them down quick when you 3 bet their raises with the best hand.

If the verbal abuse continues, ask them nicely to stop. It sounds corny, but if they persist, get the tournament director involved. Have them move you to a different table, or if it's bad enough with the abuse, they might be disqualified from the tournament. It would take a lot for that to happen, but if the abuse was bad enough; like sexual, derogatory, things of that nature, then that kind of BS needs to stop. Nobody deserves that kind of treatment.

Maybe your not the only one that does not appreciate the trash. Get the rest of the table gunning for him too, if he's harassing more people than just you. Battles are easier fought, when you have allies on your side.

Gratz on your Heads Up finish! You did really good to get that far, and not let them get you down.

I like to answer them mock-seriously. You know in a way that might possibly tilt them--in the end--thats whatcha want.

only live play experience i have is with friends and family...where its entirely ok to talk trash and play donkishly and smile and laugh amongst each other. online, i usually let them go for a little bit, i mean, we've all ruined someone's night more than once. in the online world, the trash talker is usually the worst person at the table who's playing like a maniac...the guy who just took some poor shortstacker's AKs out with a 36o and went "LOL SEE YA!"...if that's how they're playing, usually everyone tightens up and plays point and shoot...double up's all around. just be patient...a lot of people get impatient that they're not getting in a hand and shove their marginal hands...just wait till the odds are better in your favor and let them talk. its funny when they lose to a crappy hand and go off about how the site is "fixed" and always in favor of the crappiest hand. "you're right, you're right man, that was a bad beat...hang in there"...

i think i'm pretty witty though, so hand em a loss, and criticize their play "hey, you just flat out called me the whole way with THAT?"...tilt em, blow em a kiss and tell em you wanna hug and kiss em...they'll be gunning for you and they'll forget about everyone else...that's a big mistake for anyone to make..

life is like a poker game too, tilt their life...tilt their game. you can sit there silent (that's a fold) while they ride you and everyone else, just be ready to make em feel dumb with a sweet little smart assed comment right back when they do something idiotic (that's a raise) and they will tilt

Don´t listen donkeys, they are jelous thats it.

@ MLG_King_v2: The buy-in was 120 dollars. The tourney payed 5th-1st place...the lowest prize that night was 360 dollars for 5th. If you read the original post, me and the other guy decided to split the first and second prize evenly instead of playing any further, giving us both $1,440.00.
@ seuatx: I can't believe people would make sexist comments like that. That's crossing the line in my opinion.

Great advice! Thanks! Odd that it never occured to me that they could be making those comments on purpose. If I can remember correctly, I think I sucked out twice that night...once I made a straight with a K-10 and the other guy had a set of queens...the other was a straight with a J-8 and the other guy had a set of sevens LOL...that's about it. Every other hand I played (which wasn't much) I either pushed em off the pot or had the best hand. I did bet heavy once with a 9-2 off on the button...never saw a flop. That was the only hand I bluffed with all night.

-Tim W.

I think you have seen many ways to handle it and as long as it doesn't get you off your game, which it doesn't seem to have, any of them can work just do what works for you

That's also a sexist comment.

I have seen one guy, who always made these kind of comments week in week out about how the new guy at the table was doing soemthing wrong, betting to much or something.. Well someone told him to shut the hell up.. It led to the rude bloke jumping out his seat and hitting the guy square in the face.. it was ridiculous.

Anyway.. the bouncers came and they both got barred...

Now I was at the table and they took away both their chip stacks.> I was gutted, as the had quite a lot of chips including a lot of my ones...

Gutted.. But thought it was funny


SO, be careful being rude back.. you might get hit!

LOL

Tough casino, being punched is against the house rules; punchees will be barred.

I think the best method is to ignore the rude people, maybe concentrating on your breathing will help.