The "Unwritten Rules" of Poker: What etiquette rule do people break that drives you crazy?

koalapanda

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  • #1
We all know the official rules of poker, but what about the unwritten etiquette rules that people constantly ignore?
For example, it drives me nuts when someone takes an eternity to make a pre-flop decision in a standard low-stakes game, or when people try to give advice mid-hand (or worse, after they busted). Another classic is slow-rolling or talking about the action while a hand is still live.
What is the one unwritten rule or table habit that triggers you the most when playing? Let's hear your pet peeves!
 
lcid86

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  • #2
People eating food at the table and handling the cards without cleaning their hands!
 
MK_

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  • #3
Well aside from the obvious things like collusion or slow rolling or betting into a dry side pot...

....it's people who talk when they aren't in the hand.... either about the hand or nh or whatever it may be,

... you're not in the hand, zip it👍
 
steve01991

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  • #4
when there are 3 or more players and you have a chance to take someone out, there is always one person that bets you out!
 
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fundiver199

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  • #5
koalapanda said:
For example, it drives me nuts when someone takes an eternity to make a pre-flop decision in a standard low-stakes game
On the bubble of an MTT, I think, stalling is an acceptable strategy to try to make it into the money. Its a bit much to expect people to play fast, when its clearly in their best interest to play slowly. That why online poker sites give people a set amount of time to act, and frankly live tournaments should do the same to solve the problem with excessive stalling.

In other situations I agree, that its annoying, if people take a ton of time just to open fold preflop. But if they are facing a 3-bet or 4-bet, its not unreasonable to take some time to think it through. Its the situation and size of the pot, which determine, how much time its reasonable to take, not which street we are on. Of course someone might have a bad internet connection or be visiting the toilet, and thats just part of online poker.
koalapanda said:
or when people try to give advice mid-hand
This is not just bad etiquette but against the "one player per hand" rule. You can not say something like "That guy is never bluffing", while another player is deciding on, how to react to a bet or raise.
koalapanda said:
(or worse, after they busted).
I agree. If you busted from a tournament, then dont hang around in the chat just to tell the player, who busted you, what a fish, he is. Move on with your life and learn to manage your emotions.
koalapanda said:
Another classic is slow-rolling
I actually think, slowrolling can be fun, but only in certain situations like a game with friends or a televised game. Or maybe if someone has been a complete dick and deserve it. But in most situations we should definitely not waste our own and others time pretending, we have a decision to make with the nuts facing a jam.
koalapanda said:
or talking about the action while a hand is still live.
This is a little more complicated, since its generally against the rules to talk about a hand, if its multiway. Which is obviously to avoid collusion. But in a heads-up pot it is generally allowed, although different casinos have different rules, and frankly watching televised poker would be very boring, if players were not allowed to talk about the hand at all.
koalapanda said:
What is the one unwritten rule or table habit that triggers you the most when playing? Let's hear your pet peeves!
I guess, I find it a little bit annoying, when my table play very few hands, because people are playing in a loose and passive way, where a ton of hands go multiway and all the way to the river. Like 4 players limp preflop, then everyone check the flop, then someone make a small bet on the turn, and someone call, and so on. In fast tournaments this can sometimes mean, that stacks have gotten into push-fold territory, before I hardly even had a chance to play a hand. But at the same time loose-passive players bring a lot of money to the game, so its not like, I would prefer them to not be there :)
 
TeUnit

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  • #6
Sitter limping, worst play in all of poker but some players do it like its their job to destroy value. Because why not play a bad hand, out of position, with no initiative, all while trying to pick up as little of the dead money as possible. Who cares if you add an hour to every tourney, its all worth it if you get to limp to players that are sitting out. It doesnt matter how much a sitter limper loses, they are committed to showing they dont believe any poker book.
 
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anbu210

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  • #7
For me, the most annoying etiquette violation is talking about a hand while it’s still in progress.

Especially when someone says, “He must have AA” or comments on what they would have done.
It can influence players still involved and potentially reveal information that should remain private.
Another big one is slow rolling — even if it’s technically allowed, there’s no reason to make an opponent sweat unnecessarily.

Good poker etiquette is simple: respect the action, keep the game moving, and let everyone make their own decisions. ♠️
 
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  • #8
TeUnit said:
Sitter limping, worst play in all of poker but some players do it like its their job to destroy value.
At least they can still win the pot, if they finally make a bet on the river after having completed and checked two times to the sit-out player. Its much worse, when someone walk a sit-out player and chip them up, so that they stick around even longer, while everyone is waiting for them to bust especially near the bubble. Have to admit, that I have accidentally done that once or twice when multitabling :LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
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  • #9
TeUnit said:
Sitter limping, worst play in all of poker but some players do it like its their job to destroy value. Because why not play a bad hand, out of position, with no initiative, all while trying to pick up as little of the dead money as possible. Who cares if you add an hour to every tourney, its all worth it if you get to limp to players that are sitting out. It doesnt matter how much a sitter limper loses, they are committed to showing they dont believe any poker book.

yeah , that bugs me too . but sometimes i think players on their
phones can't see all the details . and when people multitable they can miss what is going on also .
 
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