Do you take pleasure in watching fish bust?

[milesdyson]

i laugh a lot more when table coach "TAGs" bust

I always hope the fish win (not from me). That way they stay at the table longer.

[numeri]

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I hope they're not compulsive gamblers and that they were, and will, continue to play within their means.

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I have to admit that this is me as well. I still feel guilty winning at poker, because I know many of the players that I've won money from do have problems controlling their gambling. Most don't, and many that do have problems simply run out of money, but there are those that make their own lives miserable and yet continue to play. It's something I continue to struggle with. At this point, the level I play at is low enough where the money isn't significant, and I don't feel incredibly guilty taking it. We'll see if I continue to feel that way if I move up.

[jaxUp]

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I hope they're not compulsive gamblers and that they were, and will, continue to play within their means.

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I have to admit that this is me as well. I still feel guilty winning at poker, because I know many of the players that I've won money from do have problems controlling their gambling. Most don't, and many that do have problems simply run out of money, but there are those that make their own lives miserable and yet continue to play. It's something I continue to struggle with. At this point, the level I play at is low enough where the money isn't significant, and I don't feel incredibly guilty taking it. We'll see if I continue to feel that way if I move up.

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I think that this is pretty easy to push out of your mind when playing online. Live you would get more of a feel for how much the players need the money. But yes, it is troubling to think that you are sometimes winning somebody's diaper money for their kids. I just try and take the approach that it's not really my problem. It's a cop out, and it helps me sleep.

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere quite a bit on the forums but I often wrestle with the same 'guilty' feeling sometimes as well.

I was raised in a very conservative household. Basically the people who lose are for the most part uneducated probably playing out of their means, hoping to get lucky as with any type of gambling.

On the other hand (the little devil on my shoulder) says well it's a competition with rewards to the winner or that well they get entertainment value for their dollar from playing.

meh. i'll still play, but yeah i'm sure there are lots of us (that are for the most part 'nice people') who question if what we do is 'right'.

Amen. Schadenfreude in action.

[UATrewqaz]

Well, I rationalize this.

A compulsize gambler is going to lose his money, period.

Doesn't matter if its to you at poker or someone else at poker or slot machines or blackjack or craps, etc.

As long as they have a gambling problem their money is gonna bleed, plain and simple, so I might as well pick some up rather than let the rake get it.

Annoyed me tonight. I left PT and PAHud on at bet365 while I went away to do some stuff after a session, came back and saw a couple of fish on one table (VP$IP of over 40%), got a seat after about 10 minutes and 21 minutes later had busted the biggest fish (52% VP$IP, 22% PFR) walking away $17 richer in 21 minutes after cold calling his early raise w/AQo and hitting trip Queens. He raised with JTo. (Yeah, I wouldn't usually cold call with that but I was on the button and he was the only other guy in.)

Anyway, point being, I would have stayed far longer but the fish busted leaving only the Rocks and TAGs.



Almost made up for being cold called earlier (AKs) to lose to trip 10s when his T9s hit trips on the turn (K came on flop, A on river). What sort of play is that in early position eh?!



Off topic: I've never seen as much cold calling as I did tonight at bet365 (usually a bit of a rockfest) and people going to the river having hit bottom pair or drawing to a gutshot. It was great! I should join Party sometime. I'm not used to soft games like tonight.

[MrWookie47]

Crap. I had a long, well thought out post typed about my thoughts on the ethics of online poker, but I fell victim to the time out bug. I don't feel like typing it all out again.

Poker is a fun game, and people pay money all the time to play fun games.

The fact that some people spend too much money on too much of a good thing does not imply that the system is inherently evil.

I personally will have a problem with myself playing poker if it interferes with my relationships with my fellow man.

Consequently, I must not let my love of money and love of EV trump my love of others.

I manage this by not choosing poker over social activities, and by giving 25% of every dollar I bank to charity. I have given to Lutheran World Relief in the past because they're one of the best organizations that maximizes the fraction of my dollar that helps people and minimizes the amount that's necessary to maintain the organization. However, my next donation should probably be to an organization that helps problem gambling. After that, I'll mix it up.

That should do for now. At least until I feel like writing more.

[Fryguy]

I take pleasure in watching a fish bust if he reloads for another 50bb right away.

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I ask because tonight I sit at a table, guy has 30 BB and donkfest's his way into 76 BB

Typical stuff, chasing gutshots and 2 outters to the river and spiking many in a row.

Fortunately I was only hit once by this...

anyway, the worm turns into a hook, as it always does to our fishy friends

The guy is sitting on 25 BB and plenty of it has found its way into my stack as well as others at the table.

And like part of me is happy, I feel like he deserves it and all is right with the poker world.

I usually feel bad for the fish if they just go bust fast but if they win I'm rooting for them to go broke.

I'm a bad man.

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