Too Chat or not too Chat?

[Guernica4000]

I would like the room’s opinion on the following:


1) Chat, be funny and fun creating a positive image at the table. Hoping that players will take you less serious while you play solid poker. Maybe some players may lay down a hand to avoid busting their new e-friend. (Daniel Negreanu)

2) Chat and be Phil Helmuth annoy players with your mouth and play. Get them on tilt and hope they come gunning for you. Play solid and take them down when they come.

3) Play solid poker say NH and TY when appropriate and let the chips fall where may.

As you probably gathered from this post I am not a great player so any edge would be appreciated.

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[Jsb]

well definitely either 1 or 3. in my opinion, it is definitely not worth it to coax players into trying to attack you. first of all i guess i'm not confident enough in my play to do that, second of all, i don't think SNG's are long enough for that to even have a positive affect. i could be wrong about that though. either way i am pretty sure that most people here would say that number 2 is not a good strategy.
personally i don't like to chat all that much unless something spectacular happens, i made a comment in a tourney i played earlier because one player got pocket aces two hands in a row. so i guess my personal strategy would be number three, but number one is a good strategy too. in a SNG i am looking to avoid confrontation unless i have a monster, so its a much bigger advantage to have people lay down when they might normally not than it is to have them attacking you when they might normally not. small statistical advantages that matter in a ring game and make 2 a possibly good play are situations you want to avoid in a SNG. thats IMO.

[Gramps]

I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about chat. You don't want to be a total ass, as you run the risk of players ganging up on you in late stages and making "spite calls" against their own interest to try and knock you out (i.e. when you'd really prefer to just steal blinds and not get called).

If you're super friendly-chatty, I've seen situations where another player (who's on a good run and has a big stack) who you've been bantering with may give you a break at some point (e.g. folding a hand he could have called your short stack all-in with)...but most players won't do that.

I think poker should be fun, and if you enjoy joking with other players, joke with other players. If you enjoy talking a little smack, talk a little smack. How you play the game will determine how well you do in the long run, that where one's focus should be directed.

[Robert Ezzo]

I definitely lean toward #1 myself - but I find that at a lot of tables (probably 60%), there aren't too many people willing to chat. So I usually start out at #3 (to avoid annoying the players at the table), and if a couple of people open up, then I do as well. I do wish people were more comfortable chatting, though, as it makes the experience more enjoyable (closer to B&M).

[w_raedy99]

I personally am very chatty, but I am also a very talkative person IRL /images/graemlins/smile.gif I am also not that great of a player as well, so take anything I say with a grain of salt of course.

As others have mentioned, I have had it happen on more than several occasions because I had gotten chatty with a person who had a big stack, they were much kinder to me and even mentioned in the room they would've called anybody else on some of my all-in's. Definitely won't always happen, but it is nice when it does.

I have actually had one person be so chatty, when it got to 3 handed he simply announced what he had b4 each bet. Sucked cause he told the truth and showed every single time and he was getting the best hands. This was too far imo, and I'm sure a major breech of the rules as well, but in general I usually try to employ #1

Will

[ZeeJustin]

I'm generally #3, occassionally #1.

[Phill S]

someone needed to point it out.

the word is to, not too, ie 'to chat or not to chat'.

anyway, be number three, but dont be afraid to start up conversations now and again with people and become number 1. stars is especially good with this with their pictures.

ive played a few people whove chosen the number two route, and generally it doesnt go down well to say the least. if people are gunning for you eventually theyll crack you. a 40% chance against you will still come good for them 40% of the time.

for what its worth, against these players just keep your head. if they talk big, theyll try and play big, wait for an opportunity then strike with the best. even if they know they are behind, theyll often call just to save face.

Phill

[SixgunSam]

I usually avoid chatting. It throws off my concentration.

[t_perkin]

I wouldn't chat at all as a beginner.

1. You should be concentrating on your game, and what is going on.

2. You need to be able to exploit a table image in order for it to have any value. Trying to exploit anything other than your opponents weak play at low levels is pretty much a dead loss.

Most importantly:

3. Most people even at higher SnGs aren't concentrating that hard on their opponents. Either because they are playing multiple SnGs, reading their e-mail, having a wank or whatever.
It is best that that you do as little as possible to make yourself stand out. It just makes people watch how you play more carefully. It is best just to blend in.

Just some thoughts

Tim

[Dooner]

I would say #3 is the way to go.

With #1, you may get too chatty and miss some of the action while you are trying to type out your next comment. Also, what if you really start to like the person, then you might not try so hard to get them out. Friendship should never come between you and a hand. You should break your own mother if she is in the pot with you. Make up after the game and buy her some flowers or choclates with the money you took off of her.

With #2 if you try to be annoying, someone can just click on the cancel chat and all your jabs, jokes, snarls and whatever else you might throw in are lost. Not to mention that you might upset the whole table and you do not want them all gunning to get you out first.

I personally think that you should be polite and let your game do the talking for you. I start every tournament with a "Good Luck Everyone", and then go for the gold.

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[Guernica4000]

Thanks for all the advice including the "too" vs. "to"

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