etiquette
Are you a different person when you play online?
Sunday, July 27th, 2008 | Features, General | No Comments
Playing poker online has several advantages over playing live in a casino. You can play a much wider variety of cash limits, you can get in to a game with virtually no waiting at all 24 hours a day, you can play from the comfort of your couch and, for better or worse, you can be a totally different person when you play online.
A friend of mine recently told me about a hand he played online. On the river my buddy has the nuts and makes a bet. His opponent pushed all-in. Rather than just pushing the call button and collecting the chips, he clicked the “time” button and waited the full amount of time allowed prior to hitting call. To me, this is the worst form of slow rolling I have ever heard of. I’ve known this guy for more than 15 years and I can guarantee that if this same hand were to take place in a live casino, he would never think to pull this stunt.
This made me think of my own time spent playing poker online. Have I said things in a chat box that I wouldn’t have said had I been face to face with my opponents? Do I play differently online than I do in a live cash game? While I may never have taken it to the level of slow rolling with the nuts, I would have to say that I have definitely played and acted differently online.
When I play in live cash games, I play a fairly tight game. That’s partly due to the stakes involved. In a live cash game, most casinos have a $100 minimum. Depending on the maximum, you may need to bring $300 - $500 to the table in order not to be short stacked. With that much on the line, I’m not likely to be playing 6/3 suited after a 4x raise hoping to catch a lucky flop. However, put me on a $25 max buy-in online table with $0.10/$0.25 blinds and I may very well make that call.
As for etiquette, I believe that needs to be held up both in live games and when playing online. Treat others as you’d like to be treated and it will all come back to you in the end. Or so they say.
So how about you? Are you a regular Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it comes to playing live or online?