pretty weird question about softplaying

so anyway theres a guy who basically couldnt win a hand for like all day (12 hours and he was there before i was).


basically all his money went to me (via other players sometimes you know) so hes stuck like 1500 and ive got that much in front of me almost. (6/12 stud game).


so anyway one time i told him not to call (big pot dealer flipped up burn card, a 6, and the guy had paired his doorcard - 6 -, and i had 8's full.) this was a multiway pot.


then later it was heads up in a kill pot (12-24) and we put a lot of bets in and i made my flush and hes thinking and really sweating it so i showed him my river (club), then he *still* is sweating it (i think he had like 8's up or something) so i flip another club over and he folds.


am i being retarded or is it kind of good in a way to not have somebody maybe hate you for life just because you happened to run super good just when he runs super bad (and you play better).


brad

I think the answer is yes to both. Sometimes in a poker game, it might be good not to go for every edge. On the other hand, poker usually plays best when everyone plays hard at everyone else.


Best wishes,

mason

Brad,


I've left games when this has happened to me at the same table. You show your cards to him and not to other players when you know you have them beat. You did it twice. I probably would of said something to you or left. I personally hate when people do that at the table. Maybe you were playing all day and I only have an hour to play before I go to eat and you pull that stuff. Sorry play cards as you would against all at the table and be fair to all which is impossible so either don't bet when playing against -1.5k or drop and let him win if you feel that bad for him or just call. Better yet take him out to dinner.


paul

well not exactly true.


the first time i told him to fold (but didnt show any of my cards) because the dealer flipped up a burn card which killed his hand. i said this pretty late in the hand (6th street before he acted) so everyone knew i had a pretty big hand anyway.


the second time it was a kill pot (yes a kill in stud you probably know it), his kill, i was first in and called, everyone folded to him, and he raised. so it was heads up from the very beginning. (1 dollar ante, but 12 to go because of the kill.)


on the river he was torturing himself about knowing he should fold a big pot on the river and after a bit of watching his inner turmoil i just spur of the moment decided to make it easier for him. (also a woman im friendly with asked what my last card was after he folded and i held it up and showed her.)


i guess what im saying is that i dont think anyone objected because i took only 100 instead of 125 from him on the second hand.


anyway, believe it or not, its a very friendly game so its not a big deal, but in another type of game i wouldnt have done it.


brad

I agree with Paul.


Generally, show all or show none.


If you are heads-up, then in many ways it is nobody's business since you are the only two in the pot. In a non-heads-up situation, it is unfair to the other players and against the rules in some games (it is a form of collusion).

for the 3rd time, i just want to say that in the multiway pot i didnt show any of my cards, i just told the guy with a 66 on board to fold when the dealer accidently flipped up the burn card, which was a 6.


brad


p.s. im a big loud mouth and everybody at my table and some at other tables heard me.

agreed. I complaign about softplaying every time it happens, and it happens far too often.