Behaving in the Poker Room

I have been playing in poker rooms for 30 years, and have been writing about poker for the past 11 years. One platform I have continuously advocated in my writings is stopping obnoxious behavior in the poker room.

The standards for what is and is not acceptable behavior in poker rooms have changed greatly over the past decade. When I first started playing poker, there were very few women in cardrooms. Profanity at the table was common, as was dealer abuse. For the most part, today's poker atmosphere is different. There are now penalties administered in tournaments for players who behave inappropriately, and I have seen many cash-game players given warnings or even suspensions for unacceptable actions at the green felt. In fact, the atmosphere in most cardrooms today is very friendly and jovial.

Unfortunately, there still are times when bad sportsmanship occurs – and this usually is when a television camera is aimed at someone who either wins a big pot and "over-celebrates," or loses a big pot and yells, screams, needles, and cusses. I recently was reading a poker newsgroup when I saw a very well-written post by Daniel Negreanu. I was so impressed with Daniel's words that I wrote to him and asked if I could quote him in my column.

With Daniel's permission, here is what he wrote: On this week's episode of Inside the NFL, Bob Costas said, "Why do so many of us, not necessarily on this program, but on television in general, make the mistake of confusing buffoonish and loutish behavior with colorful behavior? Colorful and quirky characters are the lifeblood of sports, but over the last several years, we've seen guys who are just louts, and television flocks to them. We can't get enough of them. We want to document their every utterance, which is almost always dopey."

Now, I have a question for you: If I didn't tell you that it was Bob Costas who said it, and that he was talking about football, wouldn't you have bet your last dollar that he was talking about poker? It amazed me how well Bob's comments related directly to what we are seeing in the poker world today.

I'll add my own two cents: It's human nature for people to want to be recognized, which often translates to wanting to be on TV. In the poker world, there definitely are ways to ensure that you will get on the air. Acting like a buffoon will absolutely guarantee that you will get noticed. If you want to be a memorable character on TV, you can come up with a bagful of gimmicks: Dress up in a pink chicken suit and you'll get camera time. Beat your chest like a gorilla and scream, "I'm the best player in the world!" and, again, they'll air it. Throw a temper tantrum when you lose – they'll air it.

What seems so much less interesting is a kid like Gavin Griffin, the youngest World Series of Poker event winner in history, who behaved well beyond his years at the table. He was extremely polite and well-spoken, and didn't talk any trash or parade around the table doing a victory dance. That kind of behavior just doesn't sell tickets. It does, however, earn you a great deal of respect from your peers in the poker community. Buffoonery will ensure two things: camera time and disdain from your peers.

I guess this message goes out to all of the new young stars of our game. There are ways to get your due respect from the media: keep winning. And there are ways to earn the respect of your peers in the poker world: do it humbly.

There is nothing wrong with being excited. There is nothing wrong with being fun and colorful. But when doing so, always be mindful of your opponents' feelings and the way your behavior will be perceived. If you abide by that simple rule, you will have the best of both worlds.

Daniel, I'm jealous that you were able to express my sentiments better than I could have done. Thanks!

Now, let's play poker!

Linda is a partner in Card Player Cruises and is available to host poker events and seminars. To view a list of upcoming poker cruises, go to www.cardplayercruises.com.