Playing with friends Q, Ethical?

[StacysMom]

I recently have been playing more BM poker than before. I usually play internet poker and therefore find the slow pace of real life poker extremely boring. To compensate, I like to be at a table with a friend so we can chat and critique eachothers play.... just makes the whole experience more fun.

But we run into the "taking friends money" issue that has been disucssed here. The solution we came up with seems fine to me but possible objectinable to others and I was curious what people think.

We started playing 5/10, normally play 2/4 online. We are both winning players and play 99% of all hands the same. We therefore agreed that one of us winning or losing in comparison to the other was nothing more than which chair cought better cards. In order to decrease the variance we decided to split our winings/losses at the end of the night.

I know that if we signal/raise people out/ect... this would be completely wrong. We do none of this. But we both play our normal game and try to take eachothers money even when heads up in a pot during the game. The only difference being that at the end of the night we even up wins/losses.

Thoughts?

[Hermlord]

If you absolutely don't play any differently (and I'd think the temptation to trap some sucker between you would be great) then I see no moral problem with it. But if anyone found out somehow, then how would you possibly prove you are not colluding? Sharing bank is generally something only teams do. So I recommend staying away from this, as getting caught could lead to real trouble.

In my mind, a bigger problem is this: poker is supposed to be an individual sport, played in your interest only (OK, except for backers). You should get the full benefit of your good luck and take the bad luck like a man. It's a matter of pride.

Finally, playing 1% of hands differently could easily make a huge difference in the long run. Probably only 1% or so separates a journeyman pro from a star.

[jayrutz2]

I play with friends all the time. The only thing we tend to do is agree to only check out anytime it ends up heads up between us. No one seems to mind this...

We will also chat about hands after they are over, but only with publicly avaialable info, and always pretty discreetly...

[omahaChamp]

Interesting point I have no problems with it. What I have a problem with is spouses playing, often its so obvious that they do not want to win money from each other i.e.push their cards !

[AAquadsAA]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting point I have no problems with it. What I have a problem with is spouses playing, often its so obvious that they do not want to win money from each other i.e.push their cards !

[/ QUOTE ]i often play at my wifes table when im waiting for a higher limit to open. ii have no problem raising my wife and taking her chips, and neither does she in return

[omahaChamp]

Have to admit its been fun most times playing husbands & wives particularly at stud. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[MickeyHoldem]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Interesting point I have no problems with it. What I have a problem with is spouses playing, often its so obvious that they do not want to win money from each other i.e.push their cards !

[/ QUOTE ]i often play at my wifes table when im waiting for a higher limit to open. ii have no problem raising my wife and taking her chips, and neither does she in return

[/ QUOTE ]
My wife often plays at my table while she's waiting for a higher limit to open. She has no problem taking my chips, but she does get upset when I take hers!

[Lurshy]

Sounds like collusion collision to me.

What happens in a three-way pot, sounds like such potential for extra splashing.

It also sounds like there would be some potential to lay down some chasing hands as well, given betting of your partner in front of you (lower payoff for non-partners that hit).

You may think its clean, but as long as you have 50% stakes in each other, it doesn't sound on the up & up to me.

I've played at the same table as my mom, and although we prefer to lose to each other than lose to strangers, we don't reimburse each other at the end of the night.

And you would think by now my mom would learn to let go of the TP bad kicker when I check raise her on the turn heads up. After all, I am a rock and she is a fish.

What you folks are doing is no good.

[Hoss1193]

I tend to agree with the other posts...you're crossing a line. No one can stop you from doing it, of course. Make sure you never let the cat out of the bag around other players at the table. They'll be unhappy about it. I would be. If I knew a couple of players were doing that, I'd leave.

[bunky9590]

I play with friends quite often and also in B&M establishments.

James, sfer, Mike Gallo, bdk3clash, gonores, fsuplayer, and several other 2+2ers as well as other friends not on this site. We play poker, we TRY to beat each other. (Yes we don't get rich off each other, but there are plenty of fish to feed off of).

If any of them soft played me, (intentionally of course) Frankly, I'd be upset. We are good friends, and we don't let good times and poker get in the way of that.

BTW, sfer check raised me HU on the river. If that isn't playing some poker, I don't know what is. I still consider him a good friend. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Maybe even moreso now that he did that. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]