Do you ever feel bad about taking someone's money?

Before everyone jumps all over me, I'll explain the scenario:
-$200 NL (B&M), I was up to $1500
-person in question had burned thru over $1000, had never played before (he had won $$ at 3 card poker, hit jackpot for $2000)
-guy was drinking quite a bit, on vacation w/ wife
-I had probably taken $200-300 off this guy throughout nite
-guy had mentioned he wanted to play a hand against me (due to my stack size)

I had TPTK in the hand in question and bet it on flop & turn. It was headsup after flop. I knew I had best hand and checked on river and told him if I were him, I'd check too. I took down the pot after both of us checked (about $120-150 pot).

I know this can be construed as softplaying. I didn't do this at any other time in the session w/ any players (this guy included). I know I cost myself $$, I could've bet $50 to $100 and been paid. Someone else at the table probably walked away with the money anyway.

Was I way out of line to check on the river? Can you never say "enough is enough" with a player?

[soko]

You want to know if we approve of you not winning extra "free money" when given the chance?

.....


uh...


sure.

[Good Idea]

It's always best to let your concience be your guide so I'm not going to crack you for soft-playing him. That being said... I always check my concience at the door of the poker room because if given the chance he would have taken all your chips.

[krimson]

Nothing about your explanation of the guy would make me feel bad for taking his money. He can afford a nice vacation with his wife and go gambling, etc, etc. Obviously if he took a vacation to go gambling (not mentioned in your post if this is Vegas or not), then he is prepared to lose a bit of money. All the money he is playing with he won off some jackpot.

I can think of situations where I might feel some guilt taking someone's money, this isn't one of them.

[coffeecrazy1]

This has been discussed before.

I tend to believe that you don't win any money that the other person didn't give to you, and that the converse is true when you lose. No one forced him to be there, and he knew the risks. Sleep well tonight, then.

I wasn't having trouble sleeping, it's just that hand stood out and I said (for that hand) enough was enough. It was in Vegas.

I guess in the back of my mind I'm saying to myself "this is too good to be true", almost too easy. I've been playing for a couple years now, have read a number of books, read this forum and other blogs. I enjoy the game and want to get better. The best way to measure "getting better"...are you winning money. Answer is yes for me over past 18 months. I've just never had a situation like this where it's so easy.

If you are unwilling to check raise your grandmother for the last 10 cents of her social security check, you probably do not have the proper mindset for poker.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The only thing you don't want to do is embarass somebody who is a regular donator and cause him to stop playing.

[ QUOTE ]
If you are unwilling to check raise your grandmother for the last 10 cents of her social security check, you probably do not have the proper mindset for poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's right, and if you think your grandmother wouldn't do the same to you holding the nut flush, think again.

Seriously, you aren't responsible for other people. I may have done the same thing as you on that hand, especially after the guy had donated so generously to my poker fund that night. But I would have slept soundly either way.

Sympathy for people doesn't really work at the poker table. Empathy, yes. Sympathy, no. Don't bother feeling sorry for people.

[ZenMusician]

Ever see "The Color of Money"?

-ZEN

A no-limit game. I once won a 400BB pot with a flopped flush against my opponents set of aces, with which he was very confident. He left the table and looked very sad. I felt bad for him for a second, but then I looked at all my pretty chips and got distracted.

Against other guys no... Against any stupid person, no.

But for some reason I have a hard time taking money from girls, especially the ones that are trying to play the game correctly but are just way in over their heads against me. Its a weakness of mine.

Although against any person regardless of sex that purposely plays the game to suck you out in the stupidest way possible, then no, I will try as hard as possible to stack them.

I've had ample oppurtinities to stack a friend of mine, but I would always softplay the nuts against her.

I let my conscience decide whats best. If I lose a few thousand over the course of a year because of it, so be it.

[pyroponic]

Anytime you feel bad about taking a fish's money, just wait until you start running real bad and they are taking your money. Do you think they feel sorry for you?

How bad would that guy have felt if he'd rivered on you during a hand in which he had no business at all playing? Would he have said, "Oh well, you're clearly the better player, and I just got lucky. Here's your money back." I know you have to make your monthly nut."?

Bahhhh. Stick it to that tourist. If he wants to gamble, he should be sticking to the slots or blackjack where his odds aren't so poor.

[AAmaz0n]

I guess that it depends on how you see your role at the table.

If you are there to have fun and sometimes make some money on the side, then this is recreation for you and being a sport may have some priority so you feel good about what you are doing.

If you are doing this as your main income, then you are a pro and it is your job to take every dime that you can at the table. It has been said that it is a crime to every let a sucker walk away with anything, even bus fare. If you feel bad about it later, you can always loan him some money for a cab or whatever.

It sounds like the guy had money and was looking to blow some of it during his vacation. No reason not to accomodate him as much as possible.

My take on it, anyway.

Shauna

[WhoIam]

I feel kind of bad taking money from someone who clearly has a gambling problem or is hurting themselves by playing in the game. This happened to me playing 3/6 about a week ago; the guy sitting next to me was clearly working-class and mentioned that he had just lost $300 or $400 and was supposed to have picked up his kids 15 minutes ago. That being said, I didn't hesitate to relieve him of as many chips as I possibly could. I just felt like I was selling him rope I knew he would hang himself with.

[A_Junglen]

I decided awhile ago I wouldn't feel bad for others while playing poker. Including taking their money, monster suckouts, or any other situation. I can manage myself just fine, if they can't then it's their problem.

[4_2_it]

You didn't take the rent money from a welfare mom or Social Security money from a senior citizen. You won money from a gambler who wanted to get heads up with you. No need to feel guilty. I doubt anyone in the Big Game feels guilty after taking some whale's money.

If you have a moral problem taking a certain person's chips, then I suggest you find another table. It is a distraction you do not need.

I think a lot of questions in this forum can be answered by:

do whatever makes you feel best.

Me personally, I'm ok with it

Sometimes I do for a brief moment. Then I think about all the suckouts I've dealt with and how the guy was probably his laughing his ass off when he sucked out on my set in a 20BB pot.

I can see feeling guilty about taking someone's money if they have a problem. But if they're gambling I assume they're an adult. And if they're an adult they should be able to deal with their problems as one. If I've got a problem I'm expected to deal with it like an adult, I don't see why I'd expect any less of someone else.

To the OP: I don't get how you can possibly feel guilty about taking someone's money who just won big and is on vacation with his wife. The guy is doing fine. If you take his money now you're probably doing him a favor. He'll realize he isn't capable of beating the game as is a little quicker.

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
If he wants to gamble, he should be sticking to the slots or blackjack where his odds aren't so poor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now I KNOW you are retarded...

-ZEN

For someone who has no clue how to play poker other games are a much better bet.

[Jeffage]

This is definitely true. They will never have a 30% (or even 100%) disadvantage betting on a spin of roulette. For people who play well, poker is the better bet. For people who play atrociously, they'd be better off at just about any casino carnival game.

Jeff

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If he wants to gamble, he should be sticking to the slots or blackjack where his odds aren't so poor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now I KNOW you are retarded...

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that right? In which game does he have a better shot, at a slot with 98% payout, blackjack where he has less than a 1% disadvantage if he plays correctly, or a poker table full of sharks?

Think before you speak, jackass.

[Poldi]

Surely I would not have checked the river. He sat down to play so I ll play him as good as I can. If there are any concerns, the fact that he won the money by winning a jackpot makes it even so much easier.
He isnt losing money he needs so I wouldnt even think about it.

[ QUOTE ]
This has been discussed before.

I tend to believe that you don't win any money that the other person didn't give to you, and that the converse is true when you lose. No one forced him to be there, and he knew the risks. Sleep well tonight, then.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's quite correct, the title is misleading. It should read do you ever feel bad about someone giving you some money!

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess in the back of my mind I'm saying to myself "this is too good to be true", almost too easy. I've been playing for a couple years now,

[/ QUOTE ]

A great horrendous run of cards where everyone is kicking your ass for a couple months str8 will cure this.

I don't feel bad at all about taking anyones money on a table and I play with addicts and near hopeless players all the time. However, I'm not going to try and make them look like an idiot while I'm doing it. I'll play them like I play everyone else.


Another poster mentioned empathy, not sympathy. I think that's about dead on. I empathize with bad players all the time. I know it sucks to be running bad even if they are bad players. I don't celebrate and rub it in when I pick a huge pot off them and they get drawn out on. But I have no sympathy for them. I'm still going to play them hard.

Playing them hard is a sign of respect I have for them as a participant on the table.

b