Poker etiquette in local live cash games.

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HarryPaget

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I was in a cash game last night at my local casino and I drew :qd4::8c4: I 3bet preflop on the button and the big blind called. Flop came :8d4::qc4::3d4:. I pushed all in with my shallow stack and the BB called. I turned my cards over to show them but he kept his hidden. Turn :7d4:. He says "You didn't want to see that" River :10d4:. He flips over his :5d4::2d4: And I win with the high flush. I say something offhand like "sorry" and the guy virtually flips out.

I was wondering what the etiquette is on this. I'm a new player and I've said it before in tournaments after knocking somebody out or catching a bad beat but now I think that he was right that that proper manners would dictate I don't say "sorry".

Has anybody else found that local live cash game players can be intimidating? He and his friend was berating me all night for playing tight. Constantly asking "Is this the first hand you've played?". When I made a lay down of an over pair facing 3 all-ins I was heavily ridiculed for it despite it being the correct play.

Anyway I finished the night £170 up. My first cash game but feeling extremely uncomfortable in those surroundings. Any advice?
 
5TR8 FLUSH

5TR8 FLUSH

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If I were to lose to a hand like Q 8o, I would trip out as well but then yet again none of you guys should of been in it. I can't really say much because i'm yet to play in any live poker events, but when I do i'll share my win and horrid losses with CC. :)
 
5TR8 FLUSH

5TR8 FLUSH

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Congrats on the profitable night, hope to hear you improve your skill more and have many other profitable nights. I don't know if your a luck box, or if your an alright player like I am because you stated you where a beginner but came out a winner. Well best of luck in all your live/online poker event :)
 
shrimp29

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If you watch the tournaments on the tv you will notice not much is said in a live game. I would guess anything that berates the other player would be better off not said. Besides if he is playing bad you want him to continue to play bad.
 
fletchdad

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Im not an experienced live game player, only local pub games with drunken louts (like myself lol) defo no etiquette there. As far as your hand, like 5TR8 said, neither of you had a stunning hand, but I dont know the table dynamics, what position u were in and especially what the other players were like etc, so maybe you 3 betting Q8os was the right move, I cant say, and calling with 5 2 - sooted or not - makes me scratch my head. But like I said, I have no idea as I was not there. It may have been a good move on your part. On his???? But a "sorry" seems to me to be a gentlemanly thing to say, even though it would have been more appropriate if he had KK or somethng - he should be appologizing for calling a 3 bet with his hand - but he sounds more like an idiot who was taking his self-loathing out on you, and I wouldnt let it get under your skin. Keep playing, and see how the more sophisticated players act, and try to emulate. Or not, no law says you cant just be yourself.....
As far as playing tight, I cant comment on that . Im tighter than a Nuns Ass sometimes, but I do mainly online play. I cant imagine a personal playing style can be a reason for berating a player, but I dont know Casino etiquette. But I cant imagine there is anything wrong with tight play. Maybe they were just loose and want loose play. Their problem......
 
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HarryPaget

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I was on the button. The reason I 3bet was that I wanted to pick up some easy blinds and I knew these guys were playing very loose and often with rags. I felt I could outplay them post flop if either one of them was to call.
 
Vfranks

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Screw him, I woulda said, "OH and U didn't wanna see that," when the river hit. Prolly no need to say sorry, it's poker.... Why be sorry for winning. Then when he flipped out woulda said, " UR fault for calling 3bets oop with suited 2 gappers."

But I have never played live, so I dunno. I think he was trying to get in ur head TBH. It might have worked a little? He wanted you to question urself, which would prolly affect ur play.
The right thing to do honestly.. probably would be just to smile at him and keep quiet, but I myself probably couldn't hold back, I like argueing..lol
 
Arjonius

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There are people who don't react well to losing, and some who are just unpleasant because that's how they are, and still others who do it intentionally because they think it gives them an edge. Others have different reasons too, no doubt. If you want to continue to take their money, you'll probably have to get used to it. Of course, there are also soft games where the atmosphere is positive, although not necessarily at this particular casino at the level of stakes you want to play. Or maybe it was just a bad day.
 
Grossberger

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You have to stop and ask yourself, what were you sorry for? for sucking out on the river a better flush? Did he say sorry for sucking out on the turn? If roles were reversed would he say sorry? No he would of stacked your chips and not had a second thought about it. You were the aggressor in the hand and got your money in with the best hand got sucked out on and then sucked out on the river. As VFranks said Screw him, I woulda said, "OH and U didn't wanna see that," when the river hit.
 
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wetyeti

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I run into guys like this all the time. When I first started playing live I would just sit quiet and take it... Not fun. As I became more and comfortable I started firing back at the table talk and that would usually shut them up for awhile.
These guys were trying to own you verbally cause they were losing. Dont take it, talk back, own the table. Nothing shuts people up faster than a growing stack that wont take any shit.

Im not advocating being an asshole, just stand up for yourself.
 
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budebuzz

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I play a bunch of live games and I only say sorry to people because I know what it feels like to be on the rail, I'm not sorry about the cards I played because I must have had some reason to play right or wrong, you never know if someone is tired or mad or on-tilt or feels like they are being bullied as a reason for what they are playing. In this case I say to the guy "thats what you get for playing 5 2" no matter what his reason is, I dont try to make it personal its just cards but he shouldnt make it personal either, If he continues to harass you you can get the tournament director to kick him out.
 
doops

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I tend to play limit games at casinos, so I seldom run into major jerks. Tempers seldom flare too much at limit tables. The fights, the screaming matches, break out at the NL tables. If someone is yelling at someone else, it's at a NL table. If someone is saying "But it was soooooted" it's probably at a NL table. People win and lose more $$ at NL, and get more upset.

You did nothing wrong. He was a dope for calling with such an awful hand. Plainly has no understanding of the gap principle. Your button raise preflop was not awful, but his call was. His turn suckout was killed by your river suckout -- so be it. He was also obnoxious by keeping his cards face down, although I don't know if it is necessary protocol to flip them in a ring game showdown. That's more of a tournament thing, I think. If the dealer says to flip them, then I do it. As i say, I do not play NL ring.

Saying "sorry" is a bit of a beginner thing. Most players stop saying it after awhile. It made it clear that you were not very experienced, and, no doubt, they then thought they could push you around. I don't say "sorry" much -- I find that it seems to be rubbing salt into a wound most of the time. And, well, most of the time, I'm not sorry. I'm especially not sorry if the other guy had garbage. I may sympathize if the other person had a great hand preflop (like AA or KK) and played it well but lost to my suckout. Been there and know the pain. Thinking about it, I have to say I am still not sorry, but I do empathize.

After that, he and his friend were trying to rile you, to get you to play their game, try to get you off balance. Good for you for sticking to your guns and playing your own game. Sounds like it worked out well for you, too. Which is the best revenge, isn't it? :viking:

Remember that, if you dislike the game at one table, if you are finding that other players are tilting you, you can ask to be moved to another table. Most casinos have more than one table at a particular limit. It's not a big deal. That said, a table with some active LAGs, even if they are jerks, can be awfully profitable if not fun and friendly.

The most important thing is to maintain your own balance. Wear an ipod and pop in the earpods if necessary.
 
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HarryPaget

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Thanks everybody. Some solid advice. It sounds like I'll get used to it after a while. I'll bring my mp3 player next time so I won't be put off by the trash talk.

I've played alot of live tourneys in a really friendly setting so I was suprised how these guys where acting. They were all obviously very experienced but played ultra loose and amateurish. They was constantly bluffing each other with all kinds of nonsense. I made a solid amount of money just playing from position or waiting for monster hands.

Hope it's always this easy.
 
Tom1559

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In live games especially against guys you do not know it is usually better to keep quiet. If somebody wants to sound off at you there is not much you can do about it but do not give them an opening.
 
bubbasbestbabe

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The correct thing to say was not sorry but " Ha Ha you're such a twit for playing that".
 
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F1johny

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Interesting Night eh? good job on keeping your cool.
 
Dreams of Tragedy

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you should of said .. " opps" really get him tilting. He was a bad player if he acted like that. Once when i was in a live game I had a person tell me that "he could see through my soul" I fell out of my seat ... laughing so hard.
 
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