when the mood turns ugly?

[mike l.]

i dont recall reading about this before. i play 20-40 with some really manic types who are basically straight up sick gambling addicts who like to play almost all their hands and play them to the hilt. they are like most people in that when they are running good (which is not too frequent as you can imagine, although they all play so bad so they are really on a constant rollercoaster just trading chips around) they are chipper and chatty, but when they are having one of those nice drop 4 racks in a half hour sort of moments they get very grumpy and nasty and like to stare holes through their opponents and cuss at and threaten the dealer. it gets pretty unpleasant sometimes. and sometimes the more grouchy psycho regulars scare off the more timid fish.

any fresh ideas on how best to act when things get really ugly re: dealer abuse, player abuse, and all around sociopathic behavior from the regular gambling addicts?

[TobDog]

People are going to be less than happy when they are losing, that is just human nature. You can play at a location that does not tolerate dealer/customer abuse, aside from that, if you can make your table a happy place, and 7 of your closest friends, then the 1 black hole will either leave or lighten up, not that we want him to leave if he is on record pace. Just a suggestion

tobdog

[Dwayne]

Bad poker players tend to do other things badly such as controlling their tempers. If these player are just letting off steam and quickly calm down then it may be best to just tolerate them if you want to play in that game.

If it is threatening vulgar abuse directed at someone personally then it becomes the responsibility of the card room management to put a stop to it. Taking up for an offended player or dealer may be the valiant thing to do but it is the floor supervisor's job. Most likely it will cause you to become the focus of future abuse. Stay on good terms with the management. Remind them that you are a customer that should be valued. Let the floor supervisor know how you feel about the abuse and except no excuses. Encourage other players that feel the same to speak up as well. Other than quitting playing in that card room, it's the best you can do.

[mike l.]

"If it is threatening vulgar abuse directed at someone personally then it becomes the responsibility of the card room management to put a stop to it."

unless it became scary in some way i wouldnt do this. i know this is an ethical scenario and the humanists will pipe in and say im wrong to not have more respect for the situation and get an authority figure involved, but frankly i try to keep my bottom line front and center when playing at 4am (try justifying to your wife playing all night and coming home with little or less to show for it!) with these angry turds.

really what i was asking was about anger management. not my anger but theirs. any ideas on how to calm them down? i dont know how to react when they get very angry at what they see as a suckout on my part, or a nut crunching checkraise on the river, or if god forbid i neglect to live straddle (or blind 3 bet a live straddle) when everyone else is doing it. ive tried just not reacting and that doesnt go over well. i try to laugh or make jokes, to smile, to be quiet and mournful over their loss ("yeah that was tough the way those pocket twos went down in flames when he flopped broadway on ya. you certainly did have the best hand going in. i can certainly see why you lost $400 on that hand."). it doesnt seem to work well. i dont want to seem too aloof and have all my action dry up, ive seen it happen to other players and it's a small room.

[brad]

you could start overbuying in sometimes maybe, that way they wont be too jealous of your racks of chips if u bought in for a lot. just a thought.

also if everybody is straddling i dont think a straddle is completely verboten. (within reason, etc.)

[Mike]

I usually just leave. Sittting there watching and listening will effect my game too, and then my game goes down the toilet bowl. Of course I have been known to make a few innocent comments to help them get the full enjoyment from their pouting and whining before I leave.

[BruceZ]

Is this at Oceans 11?

[mike l.]

[anatta]

I've played that Ocean's 20-40 five times. Four times it was Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The players were older, nice, kinda passive. Then I played on a Friday night, like around midnight to 3 am. I hated it. The game was profitable, but the drunken Maniacs wouldn't shut up. Talk, talk, talk, the whole time. I quickly went home.

I know you like the late night action, and that's where the money is, but for me I'm gonna play during the day.

If I were you, I would just say nothing, maybe listen to a walkman. Turn it up real loud when they are acting badly. I wouldn't worry about your action drying up until it happens. It probably won't. Just play your game, if they want to adjust, then counter.

[Al Schoonmaker]

I normally leave. I play primarily for fun, and it is not fun to play with nasty people. I really don't care how much money they are going to contribute. If the game ain't fun, I ain't playing.
Regards,
Al