LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK - POKER FRIENDS ETIQUETTE

Ok everyone. Please give me your opinions on the matter as this is important to me and I couldn't find anyting on it online.

This is in regards to the unofficial rules of friends etiquette, if there even is one.

I went to a casino with a friend, and we got seated at the same table (which will not happen again). He lost a lot of money, and most of it to me. He was upset about few of the hands, so I wanted to get your opinions on it.

First, what is your opinion on friends etiquette at a table, and do you have on???

There are two hands that I would like to get your opinions on. I have A-8 suited, I raise preflop and get called. I had 90 dollars before the hand started. After the flop, I had 30 dollars committed to the pot, my friend goes all in after the flop, and I flop my flush draw tih the nuts. I call. There are also 2 other peopel in the hand, so there were 4 players total. I played pot odds. My friend says that I shouldn't have called since its against friends etiquette. What do you guys think???

There was another hand, where I had a Q-10, I already had 10 dollars in the pot, my friend goes all in with 23, with 2 other peopel ALSO playing, I called the extra 13 and won.

My friend was upset that I would call hoping to catch my draw to bust him out, and again call him to bust hiim out with my Q-10 in a different hand.

When we ever went heads up, I checked it down, no matter what I had, and I NEVER reraised him the night, but only played my cards the way I would have against anybody else if there were more than just us in the pot.

Basically my friend says that I shouldn't be playing pot odds against friends, and that its against friend etiquette and was upset. I honestly didn't think I did anything wrong, and he did. I'm trying to figure it out.

What do you guys think of the situation or just overall on the subject of how to play friends at a casino table....in regards to checking down, reraising, pot odds, and how this would change between heads up or with more people playing.

Thanks for you input.

Asshole option: Suggest to him that in the future he sticks to games more on his level like Snakes and Ladders.

Non-asshole option: Buy him a few drinks.

Basically he's wrong and is being stupid. Deliberate softplay is cheating - not a malicious brand of cheating but still cheating nonetheless.

You had $30 of your $90 invested in a pot and he went all-in expecting you to fold? That's not very friendly on his part.

If you're not prepared to play as you normally would with a friend at the table, you and he should go to the movies or out for coffee instead, or maybe bowling, though if you're a good bowler that might piss him off too.

A friend of mine got me involved in poker and invited me to play in my first tournament at a local casino. Going in he told me in a joking manner but with all seriousness, "I'll try to take your chips if I can." I called an all-in bet of his which ended up taking him out of the game. I felt a little guilty but know I did the right thing, and I'm sure he wouldn't have had me do it any differently.

You play games to win. If your friend can't handle losing to you at the table, the two of you shouldn't play at the same table. I imagine that I would be upset at losing also, but that anger should not be directed toward you. And ... you'd better be careful about softplaying, lest others begin to think there is collusion going on.

Don't play at the same table with him again unless you're broke and ned the money, and tell him to stop being a sissy.

Thanks guys for the input.

It basically came down to this:

My friend said that I shouldn't play pot odds and call with a hand that I think is the dog and suck out on him, and doing this while not heads up. This is with other people in the pot.

The only time it was heads up, I checked it all the way down, didn't even remember what my whole cards were until I flipped it over after the river.

I was wondering, do any of you have friends etiquette at a table. Like not reraising a friend, or not trying to bust him or shit like that, if it is NOT heads up???

I posted a thread about this before, what you describe is collusion and basically cheating.

Myself and KillerK (long term girlfiend) play on the same table all the time, and we knocked each other out many a time, once on the first hand of a Freezout (live)

If you are even remotely concerned about this then maybe poker isnt for you, you need a strong stomach sometimes and you have to remember that if your ever to become a serious player then FRIENDS DONT EXIST at the tables.

Well I don't know exactly the borderline of collusion/cheating. Its basically on the principle of getting out of the way so you don't take your friends money and vise versa. My thinking of poker has always been that if you are at a table with a friend, and its ONLY heads up, check it down, and whatever, and I am more than willing ot do that, even if I had aces. But with other people in the game, its just how I would play anybody. Basically friend etiquette to me is that you change your way of playing only heads up to be courteous, and thats it.

Again, I'm not concerned about this, because as I have expressed to my friend, I didnt think I did anything wrong. I've been playing poker for years, and I can definitely stomach it. This is more for my friend to read and understand the situation from objective viewpoints from you guys instead friends that might be bias.

whenever i go to the casino with a friend we have an agreement that if one of us loses all of our money and the other does well - we give them back their buy-in. Or if i.e. i didn't win much - i give him half or so. the more friends that go (of course depending on your friends and their skill level) the more chance there is to be walking out with more money....

Ok i can see your point, however i have to totally disagree with you on this one, i can see that you have played for years you obviously know what your talking about.

I stand by my origional statement, and just looking at your origional post, he wasnt exactly standing by your agreement was he ?? And if i have aces against ANYONE ANYTIME im raising and re-raising. I dont discuss with friends what happened at the tables if someone feels hard done by.

Checking down aces against a friend, damages your table image, makes you look like a bad player, opens the door for accusations of colliusion. If the money matters that much to your friend maybe he is playing at incorrect limits, or as in a previous post should be playing snakes and ladders.......

If there was an issue of etiquette in poker in my house Id be divorced years ago. Read the poker poem in the lounge LOL

That is exactly what I was thinking as soon as I started reading this thread. Your friend needs to understand that that is the first rule in poker! If he doesn't want to lose money to you, then he shouldn't play. I like Dorkus' choice of options.

[QUOTE=tenbob

Myself and KillerK (long term girlfiend) play on the same table all the time, and we knocked each other out many a time, once on the first hand of a Freezout (live)

Just to clear matters up its me that usually knocks tenbob out. Isnt that right tenbob.

And again as previous posts have stated, there is definately no room for friends at the poker table, and if other people catch on to what your at(and they will do, very quickly) they wont be happy to say the least.

Sod him!Don't play big boys games(or big girls games)if you can't take the beats.As was posted earlier you have no friends at the table.

The only friends that I have at my table are, George, Abe, Alex, Andy, The sissy, and Ben. I think you guys over across the pond play with Liz.

On the poker table, there are no friends. Players are only viewed as obstacles to get the prize. I know it seems kind of cruel way to look at it. But, if you want to win, you shouldn't alter your game play because your friend is at the table.

friends are friends ;poker is poker .generaly we play poker with our friends so wich rules you will apply when you play your friends ??.......just poker rules .
when i play poker i forget that this one is my friend and the other is my enemy. otherwise this will be a conspirancy against the other players and this is bad and not fair.

Tell your friend to grow a set of nuts and learn how to play the game. My wife will take me out of any tourney we play against each other. It sucks but she has some inate sense of when I have cards and when I'm bluffing and she's never wrong. That's why I don't play against her. It's not like I'm going to leave her cause she beats me.

Poker is one man's team. Otherwise I consider it cheating. play you own poker and never softplay.

billscafan,

When the hubby and I have some extra money to go play live, I don't mind playing on the same table with him. BUT and this is a BIG BUT(not my butt) I don't want him sitting near me at the same table. I just don't want anyone saying that we may be colluding. I don't back down from a hand with him if I think I have the nuts. Yeah it's going into the same pocket and the end of the run but I like to know if I won my hand fair and square.

If you play often at the same table I would be up front with the guy and lay down some rules when you two go out like this. As everyone stated above, There are no friends in the game of poker. Off the table all day long you can be friends. My suggestion would be to state that you are going to play your best and you wouldn't expect any less from him. If you two come head to head, play the hand like you would any other hand/person. I agree also with what was stated above about if you are going to a casino together and playing on the same table often and check each other down every time you go head to head, other players, dealers and the maybe even the card room manager will end up seeing this, figure you two are in collusion and will ask you to leave. Don't doubt that the next time if you continue to do this you may be banned from playing from this casino and maybe others. I know this guy is your friend and you have been playing probably alot longer than I have but if your "friend" was a true friend he would understand that your going to play your best no matter who you are in the hand with.

That's my 2 cents for what it's worth.

Good luck with this because it sounds like your gonna need it.

I know when ive played in small tourneys approx 20 players when it gets close to the money when 2 friends are sat together they tend to let the smallest stack have his blinds. or if the small stack is small blind and big stack is big blind when small one raises big one folds

Is this cheating?

YES

Absolutely , most definitely, yes.

This happened to me a few weeks ago, exactly as you describe it. First i accused them, then i walked off the table and left my chips behind. I was so annoyed........

Kat, I am beginning to think that you don't take very much shiat from people. You sound a lot like my wife in that respect. She is usually a little faster to tell someone to piss up a rope than I am, believe it or not.

Lets see fold the nut flush draw, for my friend maybe, NOT.. what crawled up his butt and died, thats not how you play poker and 5 pts for tenbobs comment. Who plays poker to lose, thats rediculous.

i doubt your "friend" would have been
so mad at your calling/ETIQUETTE had he won.

great advice here,

donvic

I agree, he probably would be buying you a drink or two and saying thanks for the double up. I'd try and do it again soon just to annoy him!

You are freinds when you walk into the casino , freinds when you sit , as soon as you get your cards , You are no longer freinds !

Cheers Becky

Friends are one thing.
Poker is another.
Poker friends are a wonderful combination of the two.... encourage you when you lose; cheer you when you win-- even if it is against them.

The only Friends' Etiquette I ever heard of was wishing each other good luck before the game and shaking hands (or trading hugs) after.

Gizzi

1. You do not give up $30 bucks when you have great pot odds even against a friend.
2. He should be happy you got his money and not some stranger he will never see again.

Poker is fun. Thats why you play it... well that and money. If he gets upset over you winning thats his fault. But if you want I can always play him and take his money so he isn't mad at you anymore

When I play home games and such I lower my bets to make it more fair to friends and bet more when it is someone who burned me. But in tournaments I play to win.

Your friend sounds like he's in middle school. I dont know how he was in a casino legally...maybe he just seems young to me because I can't believe anyone over 21 acting this childish.