How you react to players who like to insult during the game?

I ignore it. Sometimes I don't even see it. I'm concentrating on the game not what people are saying.

I turn chat off.

I take it as a compliment and laugh. You wouldn’t believe what I was called the other day when I called someone’s bluff and won a big pot. If you make someone mad enough to turn to vulgarity , you’re doing something right.

Katie Dozier said:

Whenever I’m insulted at the table, I remind myself that it is automatically a mistake by the person making a comment—because they are giving away a lot of free information. The most common insult I face is about how aggressive I am, such as “push bot donkey” or “hot Jenny you got any other moves??” Etc.

The thing is that these comments automatically indicate to me that the person doesn’t fundamentally understand tournament play and is extremely likely to be playing way too tightly. Whenever someone is critical of your play, unless it is someone that you respect a lot, focus on what their criticism says about how they play.

This info can be extremely profitable—such as when I get berated for making an any-two pot odds call, I make a note on that player that they will make pot odds mistakes, and as a result can shove wider on them with a short stack than I would versus an unknown opponent.

And it is easier not to get riled up from nasty comments when you take them for the statements of ignorance/free information that they actually are. When you use their insult to make more money from them, then you get the last laugh

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I love this post! It is so very true. Not only is talking like this usually a mistake (giving away "free information"), but like you said, you can often times learn a lot by HOW and WHAT they are saying. In many cases, it really just shows you how they do not fundamentally understand the game. We might use this information several hands later when we are sitting in the Low-Jack position and looking down at pocket Aces; we might just win all of their chips right there, because we have more information on how they play the game! (LJ position at the table because I recall that being your favorite seat at the table via the 30 Day Course on Cardschat. Whenever I am in the LJ, I usually think of your story Katie )

A good example of someone insulting in a way that gives away their fundamental lack of understanding (especially the situations) at the poker table comes from a game I recently played on Pokerstars. Mind you, this was a "play-chip" game at the lower stakes - so you would expect more players to be a bit more relaxed about it. Anyway, not this guy. After a few "bad beats" that were fairly standard, this person would start insulting others etc. Anyway, they had been at the table a while and I've seen them enter a bit too many pots with too little in my opinion. They limp UTG and I raise to 3x in the CO with A3 suited, everyone else, including the blinds, folds and so we go heads up to the flop. Neither of us were short-stacked and I was clearly playing the situation - not my hand. A3 suited isn't a premium hand by any means, but it can play good as some 3-bet mix ups in late position and I was playing the situation - not my cards. Anyway, the flop brings me a flush draw on a King-high board. I had a read they missed the flop (betting pattern timing) and so I value bet. The turn is a blank and I value bet again. The River comes a King and I value bet again to about half of their remaining chip stack. I figured my hand (even though only Ace-high) was still good because of the way they played the hand and what I've observed them play. Through their insulting chatter in other hands (as well as this one), I learned that they didn't really understand the power of position and situations at the table.

They fold on the River to the pressure and then they start really going off in the chat. "I can't believe you got lucky with a King there" and so on. Of course, I just ignored it. A few hands later they bring it up again (we were not even active in this hand) "You must have had Ace-King." I finally just responded something like: "No, but you can believe that if it makes you feel better " and then they bring it up again later on! This is about one orbit later and they are still talking about that hand! After they keep guessing what my hand was "unsuccessfully" might I add, I finally just say, "look man, the hand is over: you really need to move on."

Typically I just ignore insulting people like this, but sometimes you just have to let them know your aren't fazed and let them burn themselves out. Luckily I didn't have to put up with more insulting because I busted them with pocket Queens a few hands later, but that is just icing on the cake.

Some players just take the game way too seriously and there is NO REASON to be insulting other players.

flattershay said:

Just ignoring them helps. Not only in poker but in real life too.

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Agreed. Probably 90% of the time (especially online) I just ignore these people. They are attention-seeking and responses usually just give them fuel for their fire. More so in live games (but sometimes online), you just have to stand up for yourself at some point though. If in a live game, there is nothing out-of-line with you mentioning their behavior to the dealer or floor manager. Getting emotional about the poker game is one thing (although usually advised against), but insulting other players is uncalled for and rude. Just bad "table manners" really.

KristaK said:

hi hi :ciao:
i pretty new to poker, first i hurt feelings, very upset by rude players call me all kind of vile names
example: "i say hi GL everyone..." a player say to me: "shut the F up, play you dumb c**t"
i not enjoy being called a fish, donkey, whale, idiot, etc
geeze it horrible enough usually lose my monies - then on top that - players insult me?
i turn off chat plus ignore :damnmate:

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Wow. I've never had anyone say this just for saying "hi" or "GL everyone." In fact, if someone online says something like this, I usually respond with something friendly back as well. It hurts nothing to say "GL back" or a friendly "hi." Talking mid-hand has its own problems (mainly with giving away information), but there is nothing wrong with something friendly like this between hands or when the game just starts. If you chat "hi" at my table, then I'll probably chat "hi" back as well

rmcmullen2003 said:

People seem a lot braver behind a monitor and keyboard. It is like that one video of dogs barking on either side of a gate but when the gate opens they stop barking and acting so tough... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-oCHWsNZwI

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lol - thanks for sharing. Good to have a sense of humor sometimes.

Gigio22 said:

I ignore it. Sometimes I don't even see it. I'm concentrating on the game not what people are saying.

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I might "ignore it" by not responding, but I'm always paying attention to it. As Katie highlighted, we can learn a lot when other players start talking - this is "free" information we are able to gain if we pay attention to them.

Thanks, Phoenix! That's a great example of exactly what I mean with your A3s hand-- and nice hand btw. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

Ignoro o GL

I just don't know, I don't say a word GL GL GL good luck to him! and that "karma" is in charge of the situation hahaha, for now working for your battery is mine.


We also do not know the moment in which that person may be passing and, although there are limits, we must always control our villains ... Without leaving that they disrespect us ... As I say, there are limits haha


GL GL GL !!!

They're really ripe for a big pot. I just wait til I can play with them ad put down the hammer.

what reaction

I simply block the chat

Just don't answer because it will just make more of it.

keep chatting + perhaps later begin needling them later !

you might pick up important info about their playing style , opening preferences ,whether they might be planning to bluff or otherwise go tilt , etc .

It is really easy to yell at them when you are playing then when on line. Will have to remember if we ever play live again everyone will be able to hear the yelling. Some I tell them I am their real father and please knock it off or you will go to your room.

If I'm playing online, I ignore the chat. If I'm playing live and someone is belligerent, I just smile at them while I take their money.

Online is quite easy to ignore.. you can silence your chat, I ALWAYS do this when there is some annoying player!
Live poker i guess is much harder, you gotta learn the real poker face to play against those fellows lOl... Not that I know though

I answer like this: Shut up, idiot. I don't talk to food.
Then, regardless of what he says, he doesn't answer any more.

You have to be very desperate to insult a chat, it happens very often at low tables because a teaching that a pro poker player has I imagine is to be careful with your feelings, for my part I try not to interfere in my game but if I read them

I have been insulted several times.
I usually ignore those things and continue my quiet game.

It used to be really bad and vulgar. People acted like animals when they thought they were all anonymous. I have been on Party Poker almost since it started out 18 or so years ago?

It is much less now everywhere, people are aware now that everything online is pretty well permanently recorded and traceable .

Still , when I see it, I let a few odd remarks pass, but if someone is being really nasty I screenshot and send it in to the room's snitch line.

Generally I don't watch what they write in the chat while I play, I don't give it a ball, either good or bad

I learned that CC doesn't tolerate rude comments...

I guess, you can ignore it first. But if it becomes excessive, you can report it to Admin.

Before, I did make retaliatory reaction... But the other guy use it and reported me.
I was surprise I got warning from CC Admin...
Now I refrain from reacting badly!!!

I like it

jfofla said:

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]1- doesn't answer[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]2- react aggressive just like him[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]3- mock her aggressiveness[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]4- or would do something else.[/COLOR]​

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poker online at the tables is always fun to talk a little smack when someone initiates it. i like pushing ones buttons because the ones who start it have really short fuses and makes them more likely to shove all in against ya when you got a good hand. although you set yourself up for a bad beat most of the time, just knowing you got them where you want them is half the battle. I leave my own feeling out and get a nice laugh.

wengz2002 said:

I learned that CC doesn't tolerate rude comments...

I guess, you can ignore it first. But if it becomes excessive, you can report it to Admin.

Before, I did make retaliatory reaction... But the other guy use it and reported me.
I was surprise I got warning from CC Admin...
Now I refrain from reacting badly!!!

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So did you make that reaction towards some certain individual or not i wonder ...

normally i don't answer but sometimes i give a sarcastic comment

Normally I just ignore, maybe give a smiley face just to throw them off

I'm new to poker and only play online.

Written insults are easy to ignore because a chat pop-up can be hidden or the text only appears momentarily on the screen.

Incessant use of emojis and cartoons can really provoke me though, so I guess I react badly

Party Poker has a donkey ear pop-up (hard to describe) that one guy was doing before/after every single hand. I deliberately targeted him and got tangled up in pots that I shouldn't have. I went from overwhelming chip leader (in a spin) to 3rd Needless to say, he went from smallest stack to winner

I guess it's something that I need to work on ignoring

From my opponents' perspective it's a legitimate tactic (within the rules and available to all via the software) and it got them an edge! :fight: