responding to insults at the table

[Mackie]

is actually my favorite response to "what the hell were you doing playing like that" or variations thereof.

[nothumb]

You have to decide if you want to respond or not. If you say nothing it will likely bother him and nobody else. If you say something it will make him direct even more hatred at you and possibly affect the play of others as well. So it turns up the heat a bit, but contrary to what others have said, some responses may be +EV if you can deal with the situation appropriately.

My nuclear option in this situation has always been, "Dealer, would you please push my girlfriend over there the second place pot?"

A less confrontational response might be something like, "Poker is easy!"

Sometimes I like to pretend I don't speak English.

NT