The Unwritten Etiquette of Poker

Poker is about winning, but like any game it is also about losing. The art of losing gracefully is one that all players must master, no matter how much it hurts when he or she is knocked out on the bubble. Even if just in a regular ring game in an online casino players should conduct themselves appropriately, lest they earn themselves a reputation that is hard to shake.

Former WSOP winner Gus Hansen recently found himself in such a position, playing other high stakes regulars Phil Ivey, Phil Galfond and Di Dang. After going all-in pre-flop in a pot worth $251,000. Naturally with such a prize at stake, tensions are running high, but when Galfond won the hand with two pair (Aces over Kings), beating Dang's Queens over Eights and Hansen's Pair of Sevens, Hansen accused the two of colluding.

Laughed off by Ivey, Hansen was serious, possibly because of Galfond's well-known friendship with Dang. However, the professional that he is (or ought to be) he should have buttoned his lip and got on with the game. Not easy, of course, when you've just lost the possibility of scooping a $251,000 pot, but still Hansen's actions are a lesson for any aspiring poker player that it pays to be humble.

For those just starting out in their poker careers by playing online, it is important to be aware of those negative terms that can land a player a shaky reputation. A big factor in online play is probe betting (betting to gauge the value of opponent's hands), as the "tells" normally associated with live poker are not available to online players. Instead they have to "probe" their opponents.

Such betting tactics in an online game would be called "angle shooting", whereby a player might deliberately induce confusion amongst the other players by miscalling his own hand or over-egging the amount of chips he places into the pot. There is a fine line between bluffing, super-bluffing and angle-shooting, the latter of which is generally held to be ethically poor on the poker table.

Similarly low in etiquette stakes is to "limp-in", also known as "gypsying in". Of, course, it is unlikely that the likes of Hansen and Ivey could ever bring themselves to do such a thing, as it is unlikely that either of those will ever reach a stage where they would need to. The term refers to calling a bet when entering a pot rather than raising.

A "gypsy" is usually played by cautious ("tight") players who have a marginal hand who are unwilling to risk any further stakes until they have seen the dealer place more cards placed on the community board. The first person betting on the pre-flop who wagers in this manner can be said to "open limp".

Similarly frowned upon, and in actual fact normally prohibited in public card rooms, is "ratholing", also called "going south". This is the act of removing a portion of one's chips from the table, in effect attempting to reduce any losses from an upcoming "all-in" encounter. In a casino, such action would certainly get a player noticed, removed from the table and barred.

Overall, it is clear that there is honour among thieves when it comes to playing poker. Tipping some chips "for the boys" is also good style and can earn a player a place at a busy table in a bustling casino. Certainly, it is better to be remembered for all the right reasons than all the wrong ones.