The Ultimate Fish - Morally Wrong?

[coffeecrazy1]

Two anecdotes from my life to illustrate my feelings on this:

1)When I was in 8th grade, my basketball team went to play another school. On the other team was a kid that was radically shorter than everyone else on either team, and had a deformed right arm. I remember not knowing how to guard him, so I asked my dad about it later. My dad said simply that if he is willing to get on the court, then he is fair game.

2)I used to play a good friend of mine in basketball one-on-one. I was never the best basketball player, although I developed a reasonably decent jumper during college. During this phase, though, I was just too clumsy to really be very good. My friend, Drew, beat me every single time we played. Seriously, I don't think I beat him once. But...it was okay...because I never got the sense that he was taking it easy on me. I would always have rather lost 11-0 than to feel as though he was dogging it.

All of this is to say that you should never show mercy at the table, and this guy, most likely, would much rather you just kick the crap out of him than to show him a kindness you would not otherwise give. You're actually insulting him if you do...at least, that's how I felt about it when I was on the short end of the stick.

[d10]

I was almost in this situation a few months ago. There was a retarded guy who was playing at a table near mine. Normally I'm the first to say if they sit at a table with me I'm going to work them for every penny they're worth. But I had to think about what I would do if that guy had been at my table, and I never really came upon an answer. I certainly wouldn't enjoy taking his money.

[Pokrok]

I have been dealing poker to a mentally handicapped person once a week for over two years now. Not once have I ever seen this person win YET I have never seen this person get upset aswell. He (Andre) always sits down with sixty dollars and plays until he loses. I have talked numerous times with his care provider and have been told that this is what he chooses for his Tuesday fun activity. Point of my story is that he has been welcomed into our card room for over two years without incident and, for the most part, without sympathy. The casino and players care not for where their money comes from as long as it is there to be had.

[steamboatin]

Maybe this is a cop out, but I feel it is up to the floor to decide if someone is competent to play. I would assume the house has procedures regarding this situation.

If is like the situation decribed in an earlier post, where the house talked to the caregiver and the caregiver confirms that this is what He wants to do with his money, Then it is perfectly okay to play your A Game against him. It would be an insult to soft play him.

If you were purposefully seeking the mentally incompetent and inviting them to your home game, I'd have different feelings about that.

[Demana]

[ QUOTE ]
All of this is to say that you should never show mercy at the table, and this guy, most likely, would much rather you just kick the crap out of him than to show him a kindness you would not otherwise give. You're actually insulting him if you do... at least, that's how I felt about it when I was on the short end of the stick.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100%. They are not asking for your pity, they are asking to be treated like everyone else. If they happen to be a fish, then they are the same as the rest of the fish.

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
I've read posts here about whether it is right or wrong to take money off of a drunk person, gambling addict or whatever by playing poker with him. I lean towards saying it is not morally wrong, but this is the most extreme situation that really had me feeling bad:

10-handed limit cash game in a casino, and a guy sits down who is actually mentally retarded. I don't mean dumb, literraly mentally retarded, he also had some physical disabilities and speech problems.

He check-called every single hand, and at the river tabled his 83o or whatever over, and then has to look at the dealer to see if he won.

Of course he went broke.

I felt really, really bad for this guy, but I didn't leave the table or soft-play him.

what do you guys think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Take all his damn money.

True story:

I'm playing at Canterbury a while ago. A new player (who has some kind of mental handicap) sits down at the table. A few hands later I've got some crap in the BB and flop top pair (like T's). I bet out and a few people (including this guy) call. Turn puts a 3-flush on board. As soon as the card comes out, the new guy starts getting really excited, making gutteral noises and pounding the table. I bet out, someone calls and new guy raises. I fold, and the other player ends up folding on the river. New guy shows K-high, no flush. Nice bluff, bastard.

me=pwned.

[IsaacW]

+HARHAR. Was it Phil Hellmuth?

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Grisgra]

Take his money at the poker table and then donate the $$ you took from him to charity. You get to maintain your cutthroat principles at the table, as well as feel all warm and squishy inside for being a Good Guy (even though making that $$ was easier than breathing). And hopefully, the folks getting the donation will use it in a better fashion than this guy did [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Seriously, it's a win-win-win situation.

[ILL34GL3]

[quoteTake all his damn money.

True story:

I'm playing at Canterbury a while ago. A new player (who has some kind of mental handicap) sits down at the table. A few hands later I've got some crap in the BB and flop top pair (like T's). I bet out and a few people (including this guy) call. Turn puts a 3-flush on board. As soon as the card comes out, the new guy starts getting really excited, making gutteral noises and pounding the table. I bet out, someone calls and new guy raises. I fold, and the other player ends up folding on the river. New guy shows K-high, no flush. Nice bluff, bastard.

me=pwned.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's one of the funniest stories I've read on this forum.

I can't believe anyone would suggest the floor should be able to decline to let a person play based on a mental handicap. The only people who should be barred from card rooms are people who stink to high heaven and people who are just plain belligerent and obnoxious.

[BigSkiRace]

Win his money and then donate it to a home for mentally retarted people, or just dont play