The Ethics of Poker Players

There was a time in America when poker players were considered social deviants. Poker players were lumped together with petty thieves, drunks, prostitutes, and other degenerates. In Mississippi during the mid-19th century, poker players were shot if caught plying their trade. In an effort to "clean up" society, anti-gambling laws were enacted in virtually all states, and poker players became outlaws and social outcasts.

Things have certainly improved for poker players in the last 150 years. Most of our progress has come in just the last decade. Now, the only poker player "shootings" involve television cameras. Victorious poker players who win major tournament events are linked with sports stars and celebrities. Poker has gone from being a diversion for outlaws to a new national pastime that's watched, played, discussed, and celebrated by millions of "normal" everyday people.

Despite society's increased acceptance of gambling and poker, several lingering questions remain as to the ethical ambience of the game and the moral character of poker players. Most people in society know "right" from "wrong" – but what about right versus wrong inside a cardroom? Do the same ethical standards apply?

Some poker players believe it's acceptable to go beyond the prescribed rules of the game and do whatever is necessary to win. Indeed, the fine line between right versus wrong at the poker table has always been fuzzy. Accordingly, this survey is intended to measure our collective ethical foundation. A dozen questions have been listed that will reveal our reactions to an assorted array of scenarios. Unfortunately, I have no way to compare the responses of poker players against a "control" group, which would consist of non-poker players. Such a study could determine if, in fact, poker players are more or less ethical than average. Given these restricted parameters, it will be interesting to see the breakdown of responses to several ethical dilemmas, which should allow us to draw several enlightening conclusions:

Question 1: The player sitting beside you holds his cards in such a manner that you can see his hand. Is it ethical to look at his holecards to get information?

- Yes

- No

Question 2: The player sitting beside you holds his cards in such a manner that you can see his hand. You verbally warn him of this fact. Despite the warning, the player continues to flash his holecards. Is it ethical to look and try to get information?

- Yes

- No

Question 3: The player sitting beside you holds his cards in such a manner that you can see his hand. The player is a senior citizen who has trouble seeing his two cards. Is it ethical to look at his holecards to try to get information?

- Yes

- No

Question 4: In a high-low split game, you win the high half of the pot. You notice that your opponent has a weak "made" low, and is entitled to half the pot. The player misreads his hand, and after showing his cards to the rest of the table, he mucks his hand. Do you speak up and instruct the dealer to split the pot?

- Yes

- No

Question 5: When buying chips at the table, the dealer mistakenly pushes you an extra stack of chips – valued at $100. Do you speak up and refuse the extra chips?

- Yes

- No

Question 6: There is a visibly intoxicated player at your table. He's throwing away vast sums of money because of his vulnerable condition. Do you speak up and (privately) suggest to the player that – in his best interest – he quit the game?

- Yes

- No

Question 7: You sense collusion in your game. But, the colluders are so inept, they are losing money. Do you report the colluders to management, or keep your suspicions to yourself and continue playing?

- Continue to play

- Report them to management

Question 8: An obnoxious player takes a bad beat, then rudely criticizes a so-called "tourist" immediately after the hand. Should you speak up and intervene?

- Yes

- No

Question 9: An obnoxious player takes a bad beat and rudely criticizes a dealer immediately after the hand. Should you speak up and intervene?

- Yes

- No

Question 10: In the parking lot outside the casino, you see a stranger accidentally drop a large wad of cash and walk away. Do you pick up the cash and return the money to the stranger?

- Yes

- No

Question 11: In the parking lot outside the casino, you see a player you recognize accidentally drop a large wad of cash and walk away. You know this person to be extremely rude and obnoxious inside the cardroom. Do you pick up the cash and return the money to this person you dislike?

- Yes

- No

Question 12: You notice a defective card in your game (assume it's been crimped, and not intentionally marked). You can use this information to your advantage. Do you point out the bad card and request a new setup?

- Yes

- No

Please visit CardPlayer.com to vote on the question of the day. The poll will run April 28 through May 9.

What do you think? You are encouraged to visit www.cardplayer.com, where you can register your votes. You also may e-mail your comments directly to: [email protected]. Comments may be printed in a follow-up column along with the poll results. Due to space constraints, please limit your comments to no more than 300 words. All comments received may be edited for content.