Typical home game dilemma

Bodhi · #1 06-01-2005, 03:50 PM

In our little neighborhood here at the Graduate Theological Union (yes, my home game is made up of people studying to enter the ministry), most of us see each other every day, and we have a game about once a week. The game is mostly made up of LPPs with a couple LaG's, with a lot of friendly talk, beer drinking and sillyness. Now, one of my best friends from my time at Cal is a strong player, reads 2+2 and almost always plays to take every last chip at the table. He intimidates a few of the weaker players, and frustrates a good player who wants to play a relaxing loose game of cards (he goes to the Oaks club if he wants "an aggressive game"). For my own part, I have a great win rate in this game, but I don't attract negative attention to myself because I play a little too tightly, and I don't put the suckers all-in at every opportunity.
So the good player who wants to play loose says he's not coming to the game if the strong player will be there. To make matters more confusing, one of the LaG's is leaving for Boston permanently next week and it would really suck if our friend weren't there.
My own opinion on this is that poker is poker, and the good player is being a crybaby just because he can't play stupid in the home game when the strong player is there. However, I have to balance a lot of diplomatic issues here and this is pissing me off because it's like a miasma of feminine melodrama.

What the [censored] should I do for tonight's game? And what should I do for the prevention of this bullshit in the future?

P.S. I am not in the ministry.

Lottery Larry · #2 06-01-2005, 04:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
In our little neighborhood here at the Graduate Theological Union (yes, my home game is made up of people studying to enter the ministry.... Now, one of my best friends from my time at Cal is a strong player, reads 2+2 and almost always plays to take every last chip at the table. He intimidates a few of the weaker players, and frustrates a good player who wants to play a relaxing loose game of cards (he goes to the Oaks club if he wants "an aggressive game"). For my own part, I have a great win rate in this game, but I don't attract negative attention to myself because I play a little too tightly, and I don't put the suckers all-in at every opportunity.
So the good player who wants to play loose says he's not coming to the game if the strong player will be there. To make matters more confusing, one of the LaG's is leaving for Boston permanently next week and it would really suck if our friend weren't there.
My own opinion on this is that poker is poker, and the good player is being a crybaby just because he can't play stupid in the home game when the strong player is there. However, I have to balance a lot of diplomatic issues here and this is pissing me off because it's like a miasma of feminine melodrama.

What the [censored] should I do for tonight's game? And what should I do for the prevention of this bullshit in the future?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell your friend that saving a bet that costs him the whole pot isn't the smartest move in the world.

[ QUOTE ]
P.S. I am not in the ministry.

[/ QUOTE ]
shocker....

Bodhi · #3 06-01-2005, 05:13 PM

Which friend? Maybe you shouldn't reply if you don't have anything helpful to say.

SamIAm · #4 06-01-2005, 06:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Which friend? Maybe you shouldn't reply if you don't have anything helpful to say.

[/ QUOTE ]Bodhi, lighten-up. You posted a big mass of somewhat rambling text, and then somebody responded with an opinion that wasn't quite clear. Sorry about that. What if Larry had said "the good player"? That title was pretty vague during the whole story.

I think Larry meant that you should tell the "good smart player" to tone it down, so he can win from the "good stupid player". Is that clear enough?

Larry's right, but I also agree with your elegant "Poker is poker," and think anything's fair. As long as the "good smart player" is jovial while betting hard and fast, I got no problem with it.

[ QUOTE ]
What the [censored] ... prevention of this bullshit ... you shouldn't reply ...
I'm not in the ministry.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thank G-d. I think if you WERE in the ministry, you'd make Baby Jesus cry.
-Sam

Bodhi · #5 06-01-2005, 06:51 PM

LOL! I certainly don't have the temperment for it, that's obvious.

Sorry for the rambling post. I was getting hit on 3 sides at once from people whining and complaining about our game tonight.

The good (tough) player has never been mean-spirited, so in my judgement he stays.

bolgenmod · #6 06-01-2005, 11:44 PM

Of course even with the time zones, this will probably be too late for your game tonight, but none the less...

How about asking the tough aggressive player to tone it down? If he reads 2+2, he may be familiar with the saying "Don't tap on the aquarium." It seems that yours is a nice friendly and soft game, one he should treasure and nurture, not annoy and possibly get barred from.

BTW, I was in grad school at Cal many years ago, and I used to love to go to the GTU to use the library (for the Acta Sanctorum mostly). Such a lovely library to work in, one of my favorites (along with the small Forestry Library!) especially in the days before they redid Cal's main library. Your email brought back fond memories of the beautiful GTU campus and unfond memories of the climb one had to make to get there!

Bodhi · #7 06-03-2005, 06:11 AM

You know, it's funny because I have tried to have the "tone it down" talk with him. I'm not sure if he's just dense or defensive, because he'll always answer with "I'm just playing my game, what have I done wrong?"

Then I try to convince him that he'll make more money in the long run if he'd just go a little easier on them... It's that or they'll ban him from the games that aren't at my place.

The GTU is indeed a beautiful area.

Lottery Larry · #8 06-03-2005, 01:47 PM

"Then I try to convince him that he'll make more money in the long run if he'd just go a little easier on them... It's that or they'll ban him from the games that aren't at my place."

NOW does my non-helpful reply make sense? :P You DID only identify one player as your friend, as opposed to the whiner

sahala · #9 06-03-2005, 04:10 PM

I wouldn't tell your friend so much to ease up on the sharking, but rather to be a good guy about it. I've seen so many home games where people willingly re-buy when a better player cleans out their stack, just because the shark is being cool about it. Then again I've never been to a home game where stakes have been so high that a re-buy is out of the question (that's what everyone goes to the casinos for).

Oh and tell your other friend to suck it up and play and quit being a prude over his money. There's nothing wrong with having another good player at the table.