Ethical Question

[ricdaman]

I was playing at my local card room a few days ago when an interesting situation came up. I didn't think much of it until the whole table started telling me how much of a jerk I was.

Here's what happened:
I hold 7d6d on the button, 4 or 5 in pot.
Flop comes 3c8c3s
Everybody checks to me, I decide to bluff and so I bet, 3 or 4 call.
Turn comes 6c
UTG+1 bets and it's obvious he has the flush (his face went from "please" on the flop to "YES!" on the turn), everybody folds to me.
I decide to continue the bluff, knowing that I have a few outs to hit a real hand (3 or 6) but wanting UTG+1 to think I have a lot more (3, 8, 6, or X - representing I hold X3). I say something along the lines of, "Nice turn, but I still have quite a few outs... please pair the board dealer."
I call (2 in pot)
River comes 8s
The board is now 3c 8c 3s 6c 8s
UTG+1 has VERY painful expression on his face as he checks. Quietly I bet and watch UTG+1 as he makes his decision. He has chips in his hand and it looks like he's about to call. I know my 2 pair won't hold, so I say, "Sorry man... your flush just got rivered." Frustrated, but realizing the truth (or so he thinks) in what I just said, he puts his chips down and mucks his cards.

NOW -- Everything would have been just fine if it had been left at that. Everybody at the table would have thought that I had 3s full of 8s, and UTG+1's flush got rivered. Except for one problem.... I was so excited about bluffing and taking down the pot (a nice one btw) that I flipped my cards over showing the 2 pair. This was the point that the table just went off on me.

The table's argument was that I was talking about the hand, which is not allowed.

So, is this ethical? Are you allowed to bluff by talking about the hand and representing something you do not have. I never actually said what cards I held. I simply implied it when I said, "Nice turn, but I still have outs, please pair the board dealer." Is this unethical? Is this ok? Are there better words I could have used to not get the table to hate me and still accomplish my bluff?

[Pocket Trips]

nice play. you did nothing wrong. If he was stupid enough to believe you and folded for one bet with a flush then he got what he deserved

[Jeffage]

You played the hand horribly, but you did nothing ethically wrong (though it was a bit lame if you ask me). In general, silence is the best policy when playing a hand (IMHO)...I let my chips do the talking.

Jeff

[ZPinhead]

I believe that not talking about the hand while it is still live is only a problem if you are no longer in the hand. If another player that had already folded had been discussing the state of the flop and had talked the guy into folding that would have been another story.

[sfer]

These questions are best answered by the floorperson in your cardroom.

[Chris_P]

Amarillo Slim, the greatest table talker of all time?

[Guthrie]

Unethical? That's poker. Your only mistake, other than playing the hand, was showing your cards.

[mrkilla]

You can misrepresent what ever you want while your in a hand "I have thins, I believe you have that, heres whats on the board " etc thats fine. its totally UNethical to talk about a hand that your NOT involved in. If your in the hand yap away, when your not in a hand or have mucked you need to be tight lipped.

[Yarney]

[ QUOTE ]
Your only mistake, other than playing the hand, was showing your cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is exactly what I was thinking. Although I imagine you did successfully put most of the table on tilt if that was your intention.

-Yarney

[ricdaman]

Thank you for your reply. That is what I was looking for.

And as far as playing the hand poorly, or my intentions, or showing or whatnot...

I believe I played the hand perfectly, as my intention was to bluff and win the pot without the best hand and I did just that.

I showed my cards by accident out of excitement. Yes it was a bad move... although an unintentional one.

My only intention was to win the pot. I had not intended on putting the table on tilt, though I did get a lot more callers the rest of the night.

All in all, it was bad that I showed my cards because the guy who folded ended up leaving the table. He's a regular, and he's money, so him hating me is a bad thing. I really liked it when I played with him. Now he requests a table change the second I sit down at the same table as him. He's not the only one btw. What happens if nobody at the table wants to play with me? Will I have to find a new cardroom? Take a break? I can't move up in limits; I'm already at the FL max (a whole $2). My choice for the time being has been to play straight, showing the nuts when people fold. I'm giving people some time to cool off before I start getting tricky again.