Playing against friends

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MaxMill

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Is it just me or does anyone else feel bad when they play with their friends who are significantly lower skill level than you??

Usually I tell people I am good at poker and either people say 1 of 2 things when brought up.

1. I don't play poker, I suck at it.

2. I play poker I am pretty good, Would play a game some time.

I have came to realize very few people are good at poker that I come across in life...

So after you tell the person you are real good and they really want to play.. You know before hand it would be hard to be better (Not being ****y just honest against a random friend) But anyways.. You get a home game together and end up doing very well..

They keep wanting to play you win multiple times.. Get sucked out on here and there but are doing what you do.. Playing well.. After what point do you start to feel bad for playing with friends if ever?

I am going to a home game tonight and when I look around I know only 1 of my friends playing really understands the game fully the rest just bluff on random hands, have no sense of action or what is going on most the time.. Its more of a thing to do to pass time it seems to most... So do you ever feel bad in these types of situations?
 
SAKhur

SAKhur

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this happened to me when I was playing with anyone. And for them, poker is just a game, and so they played on any card, and they were lucky. and really want to play with proffessionalom, show strategy.
 
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Tomioto3095

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Even if you are better, your friends can have some luck.
 
Helvec

Helvec

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Hello friend, personally I learned to play poker thanks to my friends, in a moment I felt very attracted by the game and started to read articles on poker, watch videos, tutorials and others. My friends only played without studying the game, so when we juntábamos to play, it could have a solid game and most of the times earned. It is the best to play with friends because you share good times.
 
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Whiterosemov

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if you are just playing for fun you shouldn't be worried about those issues, just relax and have a good time, you are taking it way too serious
 
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3ccasd

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In the game with their friends (they play very bad) I tried to bluff, butthey compared my jacks on the river, and I lost.
And to play with friends tight is not interesting, because it is a fun pastime for me, not gambling.
 
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paulsmall007

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Most of my friends are luck boxes and play any ace, play queens, Kings, aces all in no matter what. I feel bad when I beat them, but enjoy them winning alil so they will continue to wanna play
 
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Demagog

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I do not like to play against acquaintances, and even more friends. I try not to even meet new people, because then it is difficult to play with them.
 
George Lewis

George Lewis

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I have sometimes felt bad about putting in monster raises preflop because many of them want to just play a friendly game and see every flop. I have on many occasions been sucked out on though so do not feel bad about playing well. Just enjoy the game and play your best. No apologies and no lectures etc. An occasional "Aw shucks I got lucky there" is all you need. Avoid bitching about every little rule too..some guys will get very angry if you do this and it isn't worth it..like pointing out big chips should be in view not hidden etc..One friend wanted to kill me over that one and claimed he would put them wherever he wanted(I was messing with him but took it a bit far).
 
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Two6JJ

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When I am at a table with friends it is only for the fun. I will not soft play but the mental HUD kinda goes away and I become more concerned with the conversation than the cards. The buy in does not matter unless of coarse there is some smack talk that gets a little fire going before the game. Then maybe pots with said person become a bit more entertaining.
 
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nafanyalg

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Still I never got the same table with friends, as the game only in multi-table tournaments :)
And I live it is very interesting to observe the behavior of friends at the table :)))
Everyone is trying to be serious, but few who succeed :)
 
XXPXXP

XXPXXP

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play home game poker is so fun , esp with family members.
who lose who wash the dishes tomorrow is even more fun:D

I can imagine playing poker but hardly find anyone or table to sit with.
 
Sar52

Sar52

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I'm with my friends sometimes hold tournaments for money ... 1 small amount of prize money is more than 2 to jokes and good times
 
John A

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There are no friends in poker... no friends!

hehe... I don't play home games, and haven't in probably 7-8 years for this reason. 1) it's just not fun. 2) I might as well just have everyone put their money down, kick them in the ass, and send them out the door.

What I do if people want to play any cards game are things like one card poker, other stupid variants that are just fun drinking games. In those games we just play for a couple of bucks, and no one minds losing a couple of dollars to gain some laughs / good times. Never ever ever serious poker against amateurs. No bueno.
 
ayahuasca

ayahuasca

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There are no friends in poker... no friends!

This!

It's OK only when playing just for fun - but it's boring to play knowing that the prize will be "nothing".

And if it's a cash game there're no friends, they're just players you should see off ;)
 
TulasMoreno

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I have a good rivalry with one of my friends in poker, always fighting at tables to see who is better.
 
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dave snow

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friends

too competitive to care about feeling bad haha just want to win - doesn't matter against who
 
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separator

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I don't like to play with friends, all the time to have to drink vodka))
 
IntenseHeat

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I used to not feel guilty about playing with friends because they all thought they were such good poker players. Once they realized that I played the game on another level, I stopped playing with them. They used to play a regular game every Tuesday night at someone's house. Within a the first half hour I could tell which of them really knew something more about poker than which hand beat which. My friend Mark seemed to know the most, but in my opinion played the worst, or at least had a style that I knew would be easy for me to exploit. I didn't really care for the game, though. The problem with it was that they played with wild cards, which I really didn't like. Because I wasn't eager for the game, they assumed that I didn't like poker or that I wasn't very good at it without realizing that every time I had played with them I had won. When they did realize that I was winning they said that they didn't like the way I played. One day I heard them at the pool hall complaining about how all I did was fold until I got good cards and of course I won because I only played really good hands, like it wasn't fair.

There was also a game every Saturday night at the pool hall. That game was a little more serious. The stakes were higher and half of the people that showed up to play were guys we never saw at any other time. They played a mixed game, dealer's choice of Hold 'em, Omaha, RAZZ and 5 or 7 card stud. None of my friends had ever done well in this game. Mark played in it and lost $500. He warned me that if he lost, I shouldn't even try to play in it. I just rolled my eyes and walked away.

A few weeks later they were getting ready to start their Tuesday game when Mark made a comment that got under my skin. Someone asked if I had played at the pool hall the past weekend and how I did. I said I had done alright. Someone said they heard I won over $500. It was over $700 but I just let the $500 hang in the air. Mark said he didn't believe it, then made a remark to the effect that if I did so well in that game, I wouldn't be scared to play with them. That did it.

That night, I punished them. Worst than that, I talked shit the whole time. I was annoying and obnoxious to the point of belligerence. If someone said nice hand, I would be like "Just got lucky, you know I don't know how to play poker". I knew Mark bluffed a lot so I would stay in hands against him. He was the only one I would chase draws against. And I kept getting there. I would pick his bluffs off with mediocre hands and then be like "Nothing to be scared of after all". Then I would show a monster bluff and look right at Mark and tell him "That's how you bluff". The entire situation was made worse by my other buddy's girlfriend who was sitting over on the couch dying. She always thought Mark was too full of himself and she loved to see him sitting there pouting.

That was the last time I played with them. It's not like I was disinvited from the game. They just all seemed to quietly acknowledge the fact that I took poker more seriously than they did and played the game on another level. In fact I used to still show up for poker night. I just didn't play. I would sit and talk with my buddy's girlfriend and her friends. Women enjoy the attention of a man. Of course I thoroughly enjoy the attention of women. So everybody was happy.
 
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galojmi

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no one of my friend is playing poker but I think its quit interesting to play poker with friends
 
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Mobcasinos

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Your friend might be a newbie on poker but still their is a so called beginners luck. I won't feel that way playing with my friends specially if your winning nothing. It's just for fun and if you add a prize for winning it will still be nothing for me.
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

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i rather play something not for money, if i am playing against friends
 
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Dima666

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I do not very good at poker, so that conscience hurts :)
 
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