>Why is it so difficult to be friendly, yet simultaneously looking to beat the stuffing out of someone? I play hard and expect no less from others, including my dear wife and close friends.


I tend to find that people I know are fine with this arrangement. However, when a new player sits down and I'm nice to him, he wants to play nice to me too. If I don't, he usually gets upset. When you get a fish friendly with you and then bet into him and he says "But its just the two of us" and you respond "Thats true, but I'm here to make money", yeah, good luck with your friendly image then, Rocky McPro.


>...it would be difficult for you to tell whether things are going well or badly for me.


This is not true for me. I go there and provide entertainment. I'm the world's greatest winner and the world's worst loser, and the world's most talkative player! A new player sits at my table, and he's generally just going to sit there in bewilderment at the show. Some hate it and want me to shut up. Some laugh their asses off. Whatever. As long as they realize I'm there for gambling, and they gamble with me, I'm happy.


But what works for me won't work for everyone.