Tournament Etiquette

Poker tournaments are more popular than ever before. I was reading a friend's website recently and came across an article about tournament etiquette. I e-mailed my friend to see if I could use some of her material for my column, with her name attributed to it, of course. She said that I should use the material, but she did not want to be identified as the author. So, for tournament novices – and veteran tournament players, as well – here are some of her top tournament etiquette tips, mixed in with some of mine:



1. Report to your seat promptly prior to the start of the tournament and show your tournament seating card to the dealer. This also applies to when your table is broken and everyone is reassigned seats. Do not stall to avoid taking the blinds when moving to your new table.



2. Remove any items from the table that are unnecessary. Try not to encroach upon your neighbor's space with things such as beverages, iPods, headphones, medication, sunglasses, reading material, and so on. In addition, according to the rules of the Tournament Directors Association, which most major tournaments use, "There will be no foreign chips on the table except for a maximum of one card cap."



3. Do not drink excessively when playing in a tournament.



4. Accept seating reassignment with grace; it is truly the luck of the draw and no one is picking on you when you get moved in order to balance tables.



5. Do not berate or abuse your opponents under any circumstance. They purchased their entries and are entitled to play their cards/chips as well or as poorly as they want.



6. Be a good winner and a good loser. Don't overcelebrate when you win and don't whine when you lose. No one wants to hear it!



7. Return from breaks promptly.



8. Do not rabbit hunt (ask to see the next card when the hand is over).



9. Do not "slow-roll." Turn up the winning hand promptly.



10. Do not trash talk your opponents. Always act in a courteous, mature manner, no matter how others behave in the cardroom.



11. Do not "soft-play" anyone. It is your job to play the same against every player; anything other than this is cheating. Your friends will understand.



12. Be aware of the tournament rules, such as having to turn your cards up when you are all in and there is no further action pending.



13. Act in an appropriate amount of time when it is your turn.



14. Do not pressure opponents to make a monetary deal that they don't want to make.



15. Keep your higher-denomination chips in front or on top of your stack so that your opponents can see them.



16. When an opponent in front of you says "Raise" in a no-limit hold'em event, do not act until he has stated the amount of the raise. Folding before he finishes with his turn could affect the amount of the raise.



17. Never comment or act in such a way as to reveal the contents of your hand while a hand is in progress. For instance, if three kings come on the flop and you folded the fourth king, don't slam the table, hit yourself in the head, or make any comment to infer that you folded a king.



18. Don't ask for deck changes.



19. Make sure that your chips are always visible. Place your chips in a rack when you are changing tables; never put any chips in your hat or in your pockets.



20. Do not expose your cards during the play of a hand. Make sure that your cards are well concealed from your neighbors when you peek at them.



When in doubt about any of the rules or etiquette aspects of the game, don't be afraid to ask the dealer or the tournament director. They are there to assist you. After all, everyone was a tournament virgin at one time or another!



Now, let's play poker!

Linda is available to host poker seminars, corporate nights, and poker events. You can contact her through her business website at www.cardplayercruises.com or her personal website at www.lindapoker.com.