making friends for devious reasons

i learned that it is actually really smart to make friends with the guy who is your small blind. You can do this by something as easy as just make small talk because if u do that it is a lot easier to get walks because he won't want to raise in the blinds. i know some people think they play the same way if someone is nice or not but i think about 75% of players get affected by this tactic.

Yeah, I have noticed that. I've been the sucker for that one before. :P The problem is that I'm a people person and enjoy chatting at the poker table. So, if everyone else doesn't talk I would prefer to not be the one to bust the other guy who's talking. I've done it a couple times, where I'm the guy not messing with him besides playing quality hands... But, I've found it never hurts me, I've made it really deep every time, and so does the other guy, my guess is it's probably a coincidence though...

I've seen friendly short stacks near a bubble get support from the whole table, with almost everyone letting their time run down to help pull the guy through -- especially in satellites.

It often literally pays to be nice!

Yep been the helper and the helped in those situations

When you're nice, nice things happen.

"hey there...i like your watch. Where did u get it?"

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I have seen that before but it only goes so far.

Hmm I never thought about this but I think you are right. I usually play a lot more aggressive against other players instead of the friendlier and chatty players. This is a good tactic and I will try it next time

My live table persona is such that I want everybody to like me. And it is easy to do when I'm winning. Just being talkative is pretty much enough for me. When I'm on tilt I'm such a jerk though.

Anyway, this isn't unheard of. Sometimes I'll even play in the side-bet game that my neighbors make up. "First person to show a duece gets $1 from each player. If you win the pot with a deuce you get an additional $1 from each player, per deuce", etc.

Some casinos and players frown on this, and it's certainly a tell when player A mucks his hand and picks $1 from his two friend's stacks. "Well damn. There goes one of my outs for 22." Expect to get dirty frowns from this player as he mucks preflop to see the case deuce land on the flop.

karma's grand


one thing i would advise, don't get too chatty, especially in live games, you may be giving away more than you think..

if your good at it though, its a way of extracting info as well.. by asking them questions, and seeing what there responses are..

This has been my philosophy from day 1. Very well put!

As beardy stated, I have been helped and I have been the helper.

When someone at the table is a rude jacka@@ I just think to myself "What an idiot" because he is losing out on a great advantage.

yea by making friends you really got nothing to loose anyways especially when the blinds get huge and you can go to bed knowing you where at least nice

I've definitely seen tables work together to get a small stack through a bubble

I completely agree beeing nice makes people less likely to play back at you. I also enjoy chatting people online also.

Online I'm prone to asking that people set themselves on fire and whatnot, but live I run the table by making them love me. I'd throw out there that we are always making friends for what a strict reading might call devious. Its always about what we can offer one another, even if its just a warm fuzzy feeling.

I tried to get friendly with my table wen i became the shortstack in the USA freeroll yesterday... moved all in with my last 5800 chips... got 4 callers and the tournament was over 3 hands later, I finished in 92nd lol.

lol no real poker player is going to go easy because u make small talk ..they will just talk back....it shouldnt matter if its your gramma to right or left you should play your hands accordingly

ive also found out its not bad to get chummy with the big stack on the table. )

I've had folks get snarky when I beat them with a well placed bet or a suck out and have turned them around by asking them how they think I should have played it, and honestly have gotten some good "mentoring" by some of them... and yeah, someitmes they just get more pissed and go tilt, that'l work too

so you're the one i keep folding the small blind to.

Thats the key to winning or losing in poker I like to talk all the time with players at the table

Sorry lol I mute people like you :O idk maybe i shouldnt... but i dont go easy on anyone because i dont expect them to go easy on me lol.

Good idea, I usually do this by accident. Never thought to do it on purpose. You have to be nice before the bubble that might be why the 4 callers. lol.
I do notice also if someone plays like an idiot, whether nice or not, he is going to get called. I usually play tight aggressive and don't bully too much. This might be why I get help when needed at the bubble. I have had a couple players get into a fight with some others that try to get me out on the bubble.
I have noticed too that Daniel Negraneau is always nice. I think that too has brought him a few more hands.