Do you get annoyed by people who don't follow etiquette in home games?

[splashpot]

I like to organize a friendly home game once in a while in the dorm. Purely for fun. I really don't care if i win or lose. It's mostly just so I can get to know some of the people who I don't normally hang out with (mostly people who haven't played a whole lot of poker and don't know poker manners).

Even though it's not for any serious money, I tend to get really annoyed when players don't follow proper poker etiquette. Specifically, calling and folding out of turn, commenting on a hand in progress, people not paying attension when it's their turn, and just making the game really unorganized in general. I feel like if I make a big deal about it, I will look like a jackass and that's definately not what I want. I know peolpe are just having fun and that it's not a huge deal. Nonetheless, the lack of professionalism really makes the game unenjoyable for me.

Does anyone else have this problem? How have you dealt with it? How can I create a more organized game without being a total jerk?

[PinataUT]

This may be horrible advice and your mileage may vary.

You might consider adding a 'serious' poker night where the idea is that it will be played 'correctly,' but with the understanding that not everyone may know how to do that. Anyone playing in that game has to at least be willing how to learn to play a little more seriously. You may find people self-select in/out according to their personalities. With luck, you'll have someone else in the game who is even more of a stickler than you are and you can sit back and let them take the heat. Join the 'loose' games only when you feel like it.

If there are enough people in a 'loose' game to peel some away for a more 'serious' (not higher stakes) game, that will let everyeone see more hands.

You might even offer the reasons why you want a more serious game: more like what you find in private / casino games and you want to build the right habits or whatever other reasons you might have for wanting to develop these skills (even if you've been playing seriously for a long time offered up this way might be more acceptable since college is a learning environment (in theory)).

Best o' luck

[sonarc]

I'm hosting a small home game, but it's all friends that I know very well. None of them have any significant poker experience. When I brought up some of the etiquette rules, the common resoponse was that this is fun and why do people need to be anal retentive about these things.

To some extent I agree. A lot of these rules seem to be in place to regulate cheating. Playing with friends whom I've know for years and trust, none of us are concerned about that. So while I'd kinda like to run a game that resembles a casino/card room game, it's not what they want. So people will make change from the pot and toss their chips in as well.

If I were to 'lay down the law', I think it would say to them that I don't trust them. It's not necessary in this game.

For you, it sounds like you are playing with some that you don't know well. So while the money may not be that important, I think you can feel free to set out the rules before the game starts. You can explain that you want to run your games exactly how you experience them in real card rooms. Tell them that if the group of you were to take a trip to the nearest game, or join a stranger's game, you wouldn't want to have bad habits that might make you look like an amatuer.

good luck

[Slow Play Ray]

Yes, it can be annoying, but I find the etiquette comes to most players eventually, mostly through experienced players leading by example. A well-placed "you better not try to pull that at the casino" also goes a long way. But the thing that bothers me far more than the etiquette thing is not paying attention or knowing the game (i.e. after declaring my nut straight after they call a big bet, they declare "I've only got a pair of aces" when they have AJ in the hole and the board is AKQ10x). Now that sort of thing really annoys me...!

[smoore]

heh, when people splash the pot sometimes I'll say, "call" and only put out half of what I know they threw in there. Stare at them dumbfounded when they tell you you need more and they get the picutre.

And I'm assuming they tabled thier "pair of aces", Ray? Bummer, almost got a half pot for free.

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
And I'm assuming they tabled thier "pair of aces", Ray? Bummer, almost got a half pot for free.

[/ QUOTE ]

But of course...hence the annoyance. Had they not, I wouldn't have been the least bit annoyed! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[TheCroShow]

i enforced the rules early on when i started hosting my games. the longer you let them play loose and break every rule of etiquette, the harder it will be to get them to take the game a little more serious. i went pretty casual about it though.

example #1

i'm involved in a 3 handed hand..the board shows JTQ8....i'm milking my nut straight to the Ace, when someone says "I wonder if someone is holding King Ace!" I make a small bet on the turn, the other guys fold and show top pair and one guy shows middle and low pair. i flip over my straight, and say "come on guys, please don't talk about the hand if you are not involved." everyone seemed cool about it.

example #2

one dude is taking FOREVER to call, fold, raise, or check when the action is on him. i tell him "if we're going to have to wait longer than 30 seconds for you to even realize the action is on you, we will fold your hand for you."

in each situation i was calm and cool about it and did not come off like a jerk. do the same and you will get positive results.

[Dan Rutter]

I just try to warn them once or twice, especially if they are new I always take time to help them out. If they continue to do things I do not get upset, I just remind myself that I will be able to use their poor etiquette to my advantage. If your paying attention to things such as has a guy or gal thrown away their hand, and now only the blinds are left, you will have oppurtunity to steal. Thats just an example. People not paying attention does tend to annoy me though when the game begins to drag. You just have to keep reminding them. It is good for you though that they are not paying attention.

[Dan Rutter]

If I am or would be playing for serious money, or believe my opponents are actually capable of cheating I would enforce rules. I am not really too strict just playing with some friends, or others who have no idea anyways.

[BarronVangorToth]

Following the rules is always the best way to avoid problems -- and the money involved isn't too relevant, as my grandmother has a regular weekly poker game at her house (it's a 5/10 game -- that being five cents / ten cents) and they follow the rules to a fiercer degree than Foxwoods.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com (http://www.BarronVangorToth.com)

[Lottery Larry]

One, you need to learn to chill on getting upset. People can learn, but it's a home game.

Second, introduce some rules slowly and explain why, tell them that it will be good practice for when they play in the casinos ("it's just like TV!")