Home Game Etiquette

eggzz · #1 03-07-2005, 08:19 PM

Ok, I want to get people's opinion of this situation, and let me know if you think I was being a "nit" or if you would also have the same reaction.

My buddy and I "John" play home games/tournaments with mutual friends, usually over at my house about 6 times a year. Sometimes during the summer, he comes over, and we play heads up matches for five and ten bucks, nothing major, just something to pass the time. Usually when he comes over for a regular tournament though he is in for the duration. He stays over.

He does this because his wife goes to bed early and they have a dog that barks its frikkin head off when he walks in the door. There is no way he could walk in at 1 in the morning, as the dog would go apesh*t and she would be pissed. He needs to either call it a night by 11 or stay the night. Plus she doesn't like him playing cards too much.

So if he is going to go home, he announces that its his last orbit and stays for that. But what he does then, is if we're playing a cash game, then he either folds or goes all in pre-flop. He goes all in with any Ace, and other pretty marginal holdings. He'd probably do it with J10 suited, a pair of twos, etc... This irritates me because most people that have to leave, play an orbit and they play it like they normally would, and then they cash out.

I realize that he is making less than marginal plays, and I technically should embrace that. I should just stay out of his way unless I have a great hand and look to double up. But short term variance is going to render its share of bad beats. He's going to get lucky and his 79suited is going to catch a pair of 7s on my AK and he's going to take me for a large amount. Or I can just fold pre-flop, I realize this.

Well, he did this again this weekend but against a differnet set of people, friends that he teaches with. These people haven't played with him too much, so they didn't know beforehand what he does at the end of the night. They've only played with him a few times.

The standard game was a $40 buy in NL game with one $2 blind. He has $28 left and pushes in. He gets one caller and he drags the pot when his pair of 5s holds up against AQs. He now says that he is going to go, but then retracts that and says he'll play three more hands.

I'm in the BB with 9Ts. Something I'd like to see for $5 or less. The action goes limp, fold, limp, he pushes. I show my displeasure outwardly. I'm not really upset about not being able to see the flop. I'm not really upset about losing the two bucks. Thats no big deal. What irritated me was he got some guy to call him. John had A7 of clubs and the guy that called had wired 3s. Jeez. I can't believe he wasn't dominated like he should have been. I can't believe the guy with the 3s called sixty bucks.

Well, he catches a 7 and wins with a pair of sevens. He now has over $120 and he promptly cashes out and says good night. No one at the table gave him a hard time but what my question is -- is do you think that they would have given him a hard time had they seen him do this four, five, six times like I have?

Is this just the nature of the game, he's free to play however he wants to, and should I just zip it and accept what he does? How would you feel? Am I overreacting?

Thx.

guller · #2 03-07-2005, 08:25 PM

You're way overreacting let "John" play his game, you play yours.

SamIAm · #3 03-07-2005, 08:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You're way overreacting let "John" play his game, you play yours.

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. What, his buddies didn't know that this was "the way John played"? That's fine. I often bluff without telling my opponents first. And bluffing's allowed, even at friendly games.

I say let him play.
-Sam

eggzz · #4 03-07-2005, 09:11 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You're way overreacting let "John" play his game, you play yours.

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. What, his buddies didn't know that this was "the way John played"? That's fine. I often bluff without telling my opponents first. And bluffing's allowed, even at friendly games.

I say let him play.
-Sam

[/ QUOTE ]

I certainly dont mind if the consensus opinion is that I overreacted, but if you think I was upset because John was "bluffing" you are not on the same page.

It should have been transparent to anyone that he was just pushing if he had any semblance of a hand. That was quite evident, he was not hiding it. He was just saying, "Listen, I don't care, I'm happy to go double or nothing, you may as well bet me fifty bucks that I can flip heads with the quarter I have in my pocket".

In retrospect, I agree, he can do whatever he damn well pleases, it will probably not be kind to him in the long run.

msb · #5 03-07-2005, 09:42 PM

I'm with the consensus, here... let him do his thing.

I see this happen often on-line, where somebody states that they have to go and they will go all-in on the next hand. It annoys me a little (unless I have AA [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]), but I get over it.

I know where you're coming from, but imagine if he did this all night? Now that would be hard to take. Just let him do his thing, and wait for a monster to call him (or better yet... push before he does, knowing he'll proabbly call with anything... just for the fun of it).

Zaxenexaz · #6 03-11-2005, 10:09 AM

if you don't want him at your game, send him over to ours, i'd be more than happy if someone was pushing with a7 and other junk, if the short term variance is too much for you maybe you're playing at too high of stakes for your poker budget?

brokedickrooster · #7 03-11-2005, 02:24 PM

Send him to my game. Let him be. It will catch up with him.

EStreet20 · #8 03-11-2005, 05:15 PM

I can't believe you're complaining about this. If you happen to pick up a monster when he pushes you'll double up a vast majority of the time. Bring an extra buy in in case he gets lucky, other than that use position on him and only play hands you can empty his pockets with during his last orbit.
Good luck,
Matt

FrankieFish · #9 03-11-2005, 05:27 PM

NOTHING your buddy is doing is outside of the rules of the game NOR even the SPIRIT of the game.

However, if you continue to feel irrationally annoyed by someone's style -- and all attempts at being rational fail -- consider changing your home game to a limit game or a pot-limit game.

chesspain · #10 03-11-2005, 05:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
...So if he is going to go home, he announces that its his last orbit and stays for that. But what he does then, is if we're playing a cash game, then he either folds or goes all in pre-flop. He goes all in with any Ace, and other pretty marginal holdings. He'd probably do it with J10 suited, a pair of twos, etc... This irritates me...

[/ QUOTE ]

I stopped reading here, given my aversion to what I assumed would be the whiny, irrational bitching to follow.