Standard Operating Procedure?

[msb]

I was in a SnG last night and had about $3500, while my remaining two opponents had about $1200 and $1300.

We were in the 50-100 level and my internet connection was lost. It took me about 5 minutes to reconnect, but by that time I had only $900 left.

These guys realized I had disconnected and called/raised my blinds while I was gone as fast as they could. I checked the history and they didn't play one game between each other.... just satisfied to split my blinds as fast as they could.

When I called them out on it (I believe I said something like "You guys suck!") one guy responded with "Sorry, dude, standard operating procedure." I was steamed... granted it was only a microlimit, but I was beating the pants off these guys and in 5 minutes I lost 3/4 of my stack!

Anyway... what I want to know is this really "standard operating procedure" when the table is shorthanded and someone drops their connection? Does anybody else agree with me that this really sucks?

[BradleyT]

Hate to say it but I do the same thing when someone gets disconnected. I'm playing to win money - not to be a nice guy.

[msb]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm playing to win money - not to be a nice guy.

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Why don't you just cheat, then?

Isn't this just some form of collusion? I'm not saying that you shouldn't raise the disconnected BB if you're the only one left in the pot... but agreeing with the other players to eat away at the other guy's stack as fast as you can before he gets back, is, in my opinion, unethical.

[Meatmaw]

That's true. I did agree with a guy headsup to fold continuously just to try to score the 499 millionth hand thing, but flat out agreeing with another player to do something for the sake of gaining an advantage over a 3rd player does seem to fall under the definition of unethical collusion. Never really thought of that and hadn't had a chance to do it, but until now, probably would have. The main reason for not doing it, from a practical standpoint, of course, is that I think stars' investigation staff would be in the right to penalize people who did this. I think the clincher is the act of agreeing with the other person to do something together.

[BradleyT]

I never verbally say anything. I just raise their BB and occasionally their SB depending on my position and depending on how aggressive the 3rd opponent is. And generally I avoid playing with the other stack unless I have a hand.

Getting you out and getting a free 2nd place is +EV. Tangling with 3rd player and finishing 3rd is a catastrophe when someone is disconnected.

[msb]

I don't have a problem with just playing tighter or raising the blind, etc... I mean, no sense in "showing down" a guy's cards that isn't even there.

But it was pretty obvious that these two guys simply split my blinds a fast as they could. If one of these two guys was the button, then they would immediately fold and the other guy would raise my blind.

I'm not saying that might not be the best move to make when you're on the button and the third player is off-line, but they seemed to do this as fast as they could... I mean, the blinds were 50/100 when I disconnected and I lost about 2600 in less than 4-5 minutes!