Body Odor = Strategy???

[Poker_Mike]

you've probably encountered a lot of people with poor hygiene at the poker table but do you know anyone who refuses to take a shower so opponents will want to leave the games early?

One of my very first live tournaments - had a player moved to my right.

He had an old shirt on - it was pressed lol.

He smelled extremely strongly of onion juice and garbage.

It was an assault on my senses.

I thought it was a fluke but the next time I saw him he again smelled of onions and garbage!

To this day I am impressed by his choice and ability to get that particular odor.

Good luck !

 

[SPANKYSN]

I can't recall any blatant hygiene issues, but I have seen players who have played for more than 24 hours straight...they looked like hell, but I never got close enough to smell them. I don't think anyone would intentionally smell bad...after all, I do think that players play better live (FOLS...Fear of Looking Stupid), because they are not some anonymous avatar.

 

[Master Bedroom]

I don't think it's about making anyone want to leave the table, or bust anyone, but more about disrupting your opponents demeanor, thought process, and normal game mindset.

I first read about this strat in a Phil Gordon book when he was describing the 'Full Tilt' boys, or w/e they were called.

 

[valen_niyee]

he must be practicing suntzu art of war. he do the deception. disrupting opponents 5 senses and then he will channeling his inner negreanu

 

[newelis74]

hahaha, how ugly that that happens to you on a table, very unbearable, terrible ... that's why I play online poker :smokin: naa if it happens now, chinstrap always at hand !!!

 

[Geyomobama]

That's messed up...im glad I havnt encountered any such...lets it was me (evil smile emoji)

 

[pvenditto88]

Yes you can put your opponent on tilt with the onion stench good idea.

 

[No Bologna]

No Bologna

Had marginal stinkers in casinos twice which is not bad considering how much I've played. The worst is playing home game after a round of golf. After a time or 2 you learn to sit strategically!

 

[619Leafs]

Never heard that one before. I guess what ever it takes to psyche your opponents out.

 

[WhiskeyFix]

hahaha anything and everything can be a strategy

One of those thread titles that made me LOL

 

[cathi1962]

Well if someone has to use their hygiene as a tool to win, that's pretty low. I would presume that they would have some fans (not people as fans) but mechanical fans blowing his BO down to the other table! OMG! I can't imagine not showering and brushing my teeth, and sitting so close to people! That person has some serious gambling/mental health issues if they can't take a time out to take care of personal issues. Then again, I think they should put him in an isolated room and play with himself! haha

 

[Ron112355]

Hahaha that’s a new one to me, I m have been seated beside some smelly dudes but never any I think that did it as a tactical thing... lol too funny

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2008/07/31/man-ejected-from-casino-because-of-b-o/

 

[Alizona]

I think you give FAR too much credit to the mindless degens that fill the casinos, they're not doing it as a strategy, they're more than likely well on the way to mental illness, gambling is a disease of the mind.

And lest you wonder why I would say such a thing while posting here on Cards Chat... its because I don't consider poker to be "gambling" at all. That's for the smelly degens to revel in. For me, poker is a skill game, with a gambling element yes... but over the long haul, that "gambling element" (otherwise known as "luck") converges to zero. The gambling element disappears leaving only the relative skill sets to determine who is a winning player and who isn't. Smelly degens are almost never winning players, trust me on this. LOL

 

[7CardKillR]

yeah ive sat at the table for 35 years and that was one thing I could never get used to smelly people. Not a guy at the end of the day who came in to cash his check and decided to get in a few hands and a few beers smelly. Or Ive been on a 30 hour heater smelly. But that I havent bathed in 6 days kind of rank smell. since Ive been in vegas I have run into that I havent bathed in months smell from certain types in both cases they were either western Europeans or middle easterners. I mean take a totally different elevator because even on the next run this one still straight up stanks.

I had a couple young net poker friends from the netherlands come and visit and after a couple days I had to tell them. that in this country it is customary to wash every day and that if you dont people will avoid you and think ill of you & especially at the tables its considered common decency. Once they started bathing the tables turned for them much for the better.

 

[Jutt315]

no

There is no reason for anyone to have body odder at a poker table. That is just nasty and should never ever be a thing. If I was at a table and some next to me had bad odder I don't know what I would do but I would def say something to him or her. Thats just nasty.

 

[DS3]

A few years ago I was listening to a podcast about women in the game and how womens's only tournaments were so popular. Obviously, a host of reasons were given as to why some preferred to only play those events rather than deal with men being men...but at one point a player said "well the room just smells so much better" and everyone burst out laughing.

I don't think it was about women wearing perfume - more about several hundred men in a room for hours and the aroma can get a little "Eau de Locker Room".

 

[Belgiumburnley]

That's why I'm only playing online

 

[ChickenArise]

We used to play with a gent who was a heroin addict and was actually proud of the way he smelled or thought it was funny. The players even bought him deoderant but the guy just didnt give a hoot.

He ended up winning big one night and then OD'd shortly after. Its kind of sad.

 

[MoCoSolo]

Hopefully good casino ventilation can help a bit! Otherwise, I'd consider just bringing it up to management. I have gone after working a long shift at a sports complex and might have smelled a bit, but no one said anything so all good.

 

[bigthereal]

would be sad if something like this happaned

 

[Gorbonz4988]

Ha I mean I know when done with work u gotta go play but you know if can leave room to shower fast lol unless strategy play for you and your doing well lol

 

[peaceofcoke]

Stinky shoes gambit

 

[scobido]

I still haven't been able to play with such people, but I would definitely tell him right away that he needs a shower.

 

[cdntyler87]

Nothing worse then sitting close quarters with a group of people and someone left the deodorant at home 🤢🤮

 

[KozakAlex]

I've never played at a live table. I didn't think about this problem. But as a measure of struggle, you can try to knock out a player who does not like. But perhaps you should not allow such players to the table.