"Oh, it's just me and you? I check.."

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I don't disagree with you in spirit. Maybe because I've never been berated or had anybody try to intimidate me at the table (may have something to do with my shaved-head goateed biker look), even though I'm fat and 51.

In a sense, I'm there to have fun, too. But regardless of the game, whether it's Thursday night team trivia, the once a year work softball game, darts or pool, I have fun by competing and playing as hard as I can to win.

I've always thought that the most misunderstood phrase was "it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." To me this doesn't mean that winning is unimportant. It means that as long as you've given 100% you can hold your head up after a loss. Well, so much for philosophy.

[bernie]

"I was berated by other players, physically threatened by a dealer for asking him to enforce the rules, etc. I don't want this guy to have the same impression of poker as I had initially."

these are very different from eachother...this is nothing lke berating a player. are you actually saying that youd have gotten the same impression if someone hardplayed you as you would being berated? cmon....

your actually showing more respect by playing him hard.
and if he cant handle it, he wont be there long anyway so you may as well get his chips while you can.

if you let too many of these bets go by, you become the maitre' d of the table while everyone else is collecting more bets from him. and if his chips get into a tougher players hands, it is that much harder to get them. the edge, even in great games, is too small to just let it slide. because it makes up for when the game gets tougher.

you can play someone hard and still make them feel welcome. ive talked to many people while i play them hard. that and the fact that they see you playing everyone hard means your not giving an inch to anyone, thus satisfies their need to fit in with the others to a degree.

b

[brad]

you should tell them that once they say 'just you and me?' then that obligates them to bet or raise.