Poker Etiquette - Face to Face games/tournaments ...

[Honeybadg]

... just pondering this.

What is deemed reasonable?

Taking pen and paper notes whilst playing? (I have never done this - but seems reasonable)
Reading books? (I am sure I saw someone doing this the other day in a big tournament)
Text Messaging? (Would seem reasonable - but do people have issues)?

In all of this - take as read game play is not slowed down ...

Louis

[Jon MW]

Not text messaging as you could be asking someone for help

Reading any book is fair enough, but looking up a chapter in a poker book specifically relating to the hand you"re in, might be "frowned upon"

Pen and paper doesn"t seem a problem - to make it more interesting I"d tell people I"m taking notes for my new book.

[Honeybadg]

... I like the idea of sitting with "Harrington" at the table looking up "squeeze plays" ... smile.

The texting one is weird in that I get the point about "cheating" but very common for people to send texts at the table ... (if you are out of a hand does it matter?)

L

[Swinebag]

I thought any use of mobile phones at the table was not allowed. This seems to be a standard rule for any cardroom. If people want to use them for a call or a text then they have to leave the table. I also thought your hand was declared dead if using a mobile phone whilst sat down. As to whether this rule is fair or not, I tend to find that people using mobile phones in my pub games tend to slow the game down so dont have a problem with them being banned.

As for reading at the table, I dont have a problem with it as long as the game isn"t slowed down. I know in rebuys that if a player builds a super stack early on in the rebuy period, they will shut down completely and some players like to relieve the boredom with a book or mag. i cant think why any player would engross themselves in a book when playing a freezeout though???

As for pen and paper and taking notes, cant see the problem with this. If I was to do this, I"d do the gus hansen dictaphone method. At the end of a long day/nights poker, I cant think of anything better than the sound of my own voice

[deanp27]

all are fine except the use of a mobile - nothing to do with cheating it is just poor etiquette and in most places using a phone at the table (either txting or speaking) will mean your hand is dead.

as long as you don"t slow up play the others are fine, people read all the time, especially in 2day+ tournaments

[AceOnTheRiver]

I thought any use of mobile phones at the table was not allowed. This seems to be a standard rule for any cardroom. If people want to use them for a call or a text then they have to leave the table. I also thought your hand was declared dead if using a mobile phone whilst sat down. As to whether this rule is fair or not, I tend to find that people using mobile phones in my pub games tend to slow the game down so dont have a problem with them being banned.

all are fine except the use of a mobile - nothing to do with cheating it is just poor etiquette and in most places using a phone at the table (either txting or speaking) will mean your hand is dead.

I generally agree with these points. The issue I have is that rules exist but are not standardised, enforced or adhered to.

For example in my regular card room the announcement preceding every tourney includes "mobile phones are not to be used in the card room" yet the rule is ignored. The other day I was sat next to a player and it was like being next to Dom Jolly.... "HELLO!! I"M PLAYING POKER". He meant no harm, but it was annoying and as no-one enforced the rule it carried on.

For me, their use at the table should be banned whenever cards have been dealt. If you need to make / take a call, leave the table or wait for the break.

[AMRN]

I use my phone to text whilst at the table - I am sending updates to my online chipgraph for my kids to follow progress. I certainly don"t allow it to slow down my play, and never do it when in the midst of a hand (in fact on Saturday in Cardiff I was busy sending an update when I realised the action had folded to me and I wasn"t ready - out of courtesy I declared my own hand dead by folding blind).

All but one dealer in Cardiff didnt seem to have a problem with it - the one who did got narky when I protested, and said I had to leave the table.... so I simply stood up after I folded my hand, sent my text, then sat back down again. Apparently that was ok with the dealer, although it probably annoyed the people I was sat between given that we were so tightly wedged in.

[AceOnTheRiver]

For me, their use at the table should be banned whenever cards have been dealt. If you need to make / take a call, leave the table or wait for the break.

For clarity, I meant speaking on the phone. IMO texting - so long as it is in between hands - is fine. In essence it"s no different to scrolling through your iPod.

[Jon MW]

For me, their use at the table should be banned whenever cards have been dealt. If you need to make / take a call, leave the table or wait for the break.

For clarity, I meant speaking on the phone. IMO texting - so long as it is in between hands - is fine. In essence it"s no different to scrolling through your iPod.

I played a tournament where the dealer declared a hand dead because a player was scrolling through the music on his phone.

It was a little harsh.