Please tell me, why do experienced players have 'Amnesia'?

I really want to know why it seems, when it comes to how many experienced players deal with newbies, why it seems they seem to have selective Amnisia and forget what it was like, when THEY were learning how to play poker?

I see this over and over, and had experienced it first hand, mostly during the first year I was learning how to play.

One incident when I had only been playing for 5 weeks, and only my 2nd time at a live face to face table, one player decided it was 'pick on the newbie' game day, and I was made the butt of every joke, and every mistake I made, was loudly announced for the whole room to hear.

I was made to feel very very small, and stupid, all because some of the moves I made back then, were those of a newbie player, and simply put ... I didn't know any better back then.

It got so bad, that finally I burst into tears, grabbed my chips, cashed them out, and ran out of there as fast as my legs could carry me.

I almost quit playing poker that day.

However, as I was running out of the place, in tears, the Manager was coming in, and inquired what had happened to me.

Once he heard what happened, he was furious, and ejected the offending player from the room, baring him for I can't remember how long.

He then took it upon himself, to look up my phone number, then call me and assure me a number of times, that THIS isn't how New poker players (or players in general) were to be treated, at least not in HIS establishment. Finally, I believed him, and went back and played again (this time with no problems), and have been playing poker ever since. I also swore at that time, that I'd never EVER forget what it was like to be a new player, nor would I let any OTHER player do to a new player what had been done to me, or any variation there of, ever again, at least not while I was present.

Even still though, after this happened, and during that first year, I found myself many times on the defensive, as players who KNEW I was green, would berate me for my play, telling me how stupid I was for calling this or that (often in the form of a personal attack), seeming to forget that EVERYONE has to start the learning process somewhere, and forgetting what it was like, regardless of how long ago it was, when THEY first learned how to play.

Thus the question ... why is it so hard for most experienced players to remember the trials and tribulations of when they themselves first learned how to play poker?

Why is it so hard to walk in the newbies shoes, and cut them some slack?

Why do experience players, seem to have Amnisia when it comes to newbie players?

Comments?

[4_2_it]

How do you know it was an experienced player? Most experienced players want to keep the game fun and light with a gambling air. Sounds like you ran into a WPT wannabee who probably had less experience than you.

What stakes were you playing? It seems at the lower levels 4/8 level, 1/2 NL this type of douche is commonplace. I'm glad you did not let it spoil your day.

That being said, the guy was obviously trying to get you on tilt. He was most likely afraid of you (why intimidate someone whose money can take, right?) and since you showed signs of getting upset he kept on it. Next time, just calmly ask for a table change if someone is pushing your buttons. The floor should be happy to accommodate you.

[Akzhel]

Well many players are not that experienced and feel very insecure about their ability so they need to pick on others. I never pick on newbies since I don't want them to feel unhappy or learn anything from their mistakes. I want as many newbies as possible around me...

[Akzhel]

I had my best poker momements when someone call me clueless after I just made the greatest move they will ever see and take a large chunk of their money. I one time pretended to have a flushdraw and went all in when the flush arrived. The other player said stuff like "You are such a bad player that you cant fold a draw." and then he folded. I said "Well I thought I had some implicit odds." and he said "not from me you jerk!" I had the best time of my poker life. =)

[ QUOTE ]
How do you know it was an experienced player? Most experienced players want to keep the game fun and light with a gambling air. Sounds like you ran into a WPT wannabee who probably had less experience than you.

What stakes were you playing? It seems at the lower levels 4/8 level, 1/2 NL this type of douche is commonplace. I'm glad you did not let it spoil your day.

That being said, the guy was obviously trying to get you on tilt. He was most likely afraid of you (why intimidate someone whose money can take, right?) and since you showed signs of getting upset he kept on it. Next time, just calmly ask for a table change if someone is pushing your buttons. The floor should be happy to accommodate you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, first off .. this happened a few years ago.

At the time however, I was VERY green, as remember, it was only my 2nd time out playing at a live face to face venue.

At that time, I didn't even know what a 'floor' was, let alone know how to call the Floor.

The Dealer, nor did anyone else at the table, call the floor on my behalf either (I guess they were having too much fun at my expense, or didn't feel it was their place or something, to say anything).

Yes, it was lower limits then .. it was either 2/4 or 3/6 ... I can't remember now, as like I mentioned above, it was a few years ago.

As for knowing it was an experienced player ... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] well anyone at that time was more experienced than I was back then. That aside though, I have seen players who've been playing for decades 'rip a new one' for some newbies mistake when they get sucked out or something.

Hence my original question on why players who've been playing for years, can't seem to remember what it was like when they first started to play.

[A_C_Slater]

Most of the players are men. I think women begginers are treated much more harshly then men at the table. Some men take a woman's mere prescence at the table as an insult. Therefore their memories of being berated would not be as bad as your memories.

[4_2_it]

Glad that your first trip to live play didn't prevent you from going back [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Some men have to make up for issues that make them feel inferior (insert witty comment here) by finding a situation where they can feel superior.

[Guernica4000]

I would have to agree with 4_2_it in that it was unlikely that this person was an experienced player and furthermore he couldn't have been a winning player.

With some exceptions I would say that experienced winning players are happy to have a new player at the table and it would be against their own financial interest to scare or ridicule this player away.

Wouldn’t it be weird if the animal kingdom had the egos of bad poker players?

So instead of the lion approaching the gazelle in stealth mode until he is close enough to attack, he would come roaring from a distance something like “I am a lion and I am going to eat you…”

It would probably make for one hungry lion.

Glad you stayed in the game. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[BarronVangorToth]

[ QUOTE ]
How do you know it was an experienced player? Most experienced players should want to keep the game fun and light with a gambling air.

[/ QUOTE ]


Most don't, though.

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com

[A_C_Slater]

[ QUOTE ]

Wouldn’t it be weird if the animal kingdom had the egos of bad poker players?

So instead of the lion approaching the gazelle in stealth mode until he is close enough to attack, he would come roaring from a distance something like “I am a lion and I am going to eat you…”

It would probably make for one hungry lion.



[/ QUOTE ]


No, it would be more like "how can you be so stupid as to be walking in the back and outside of the main herd? Don't you know that's the easiest place for me to catch you? You should be in the middle of the herd seeking protection from the larger members. You have no idea what you're doing."