Speaking of drinking and poker...

[NA_kicker]

Do any of you adjust your play versus a player who is drinking or noticably drunk?

Last Saturday (10/30), I sat down at a Borgata 3/6 game and played nearly all day (10 hours). I drank beer when I sat down and soon thereafter, white russians. But here's the thing, I just got out of college and I got a little winter fat on me. The point is, while I was drinking all day, I wasn't drunk at all. In my opinion, I played pretty well and took home a decent profit.

However, I believe people were betting into me and in pots with me solely because I was drinking. I found this really hard to believe, especially because I was never showing uncalled hands and winning pots with premium hands.

In short, my "drunken" table image helped me more than any serious image ever would.
Oh well, just wanted to see what y'all think.

[feelixthegreek]

What's the -EV for long term liver damage?

Actually, you bring up an interesting issue. Where I play down in New Orleans the drunk factor is a constant consideration, and while watching a player put down Scotch after Scotch may lead you to start disrespecting his raises, the fact is that some folks hold their booze better than others. There's no reason to equate liquor consumption with poor or erratic play. Clearly you seem to have beneftied from this misconception.

[KowCiller]

If you're playing solid poker at a 3-6 game and people aren't showing you respect, it has more to do with being in a 3-6 game than it has to do with any alcohol you're drinking.

Very rarely will you get into a game where the live 3-6 players will pay enough attention to you to adjust their game based on your drinks. If you are in one of those games, you need better table selection /images/graemlins/smile.gif

KoW

[feelixthegreek]

You're more or less correct, but Harrah's New Orleans gets a lot of weaving, slurring types who do get the attention of even the most unobservant players. Plus there's a strong perception that a lot of vacationing/conventioneering drunk people play there. This may be just as true in Vegas or AC (or anywhere, for that matter), but it's certainly true at Harrrah's. So in this realm, observation of players is an issue.

Note, too, that in this post no one his paying attention to the cards he's showing down. Could they think they have a "read" on someone based on the thin evidence of booze consumption? A little knowledge can be dangerous.

All right, let me confess an error I made based on my perception that a player was drunk. It was a 1-4-8-8 game out in Gulfport, and a guy was splashing into every pot, raising about half the time. I cold-called his raise from the small blind with K9s (normally I wouldn't have done this). I flopped a flush draw and check called him past the turn. I hit my flush on the river and checked rasied him. He weaved in a circle and sat silent. I was sure he was blissfully unaware that a flush had made the board. He took one look at his cards and then 3-bet me. I called, and he showed me AT of my suit.

Maybe he went on to give his money away. Maybe this was an example of a monkey typing Shakespeare. The point is I made an atypical play based on his alcohol consumption. Surely people may call with less-than stellar hands once they get it into their head that another player is imparied.

[WDC]

I adjust my play just enough to take the time to buy him a beer.