Talent Agency 411

Your reputation in the poker community is important, and being an upstanding person of character will yield far more long run returns than short run losses. Being fair and just in all of your actions and transactions will build your credit in a community where having working relationships and rapport with other players will positively effect your game and your results. Online poker has brought about a whole new code of etiquette pertaining to poker. Collusion and other forms of cheating have become much more commonplace due to the ease and anonymity provided by the Internet. Players can easily talk on the phone or through instant messenger on their computers to share hole cards and team up against other players. This can occur in both ring games as well as tournaments. These are clear cut cases of cheating, and there is no argument pertaining to these infractions. However, there are other cases of etiquette that aren’t so clear-cut.

High stakes follows a different code of conduct, as many of the players know each other, and wish to keep a good relationship with each other so as to continue to get action from one another. If one poker player disconnects, the other will time down to allow the other to reconnect. In some circumstances, the other player will send back half the pot. However, do not expect this kind of conduct from lower stakes players. If you wish to do this against a regular you know, he may note your upstanding conduct, and extend you the same friendliness in the future. Doing your best to protect your own best interests but at the same time being fair to those you play with will foster a great game environment to play in, and will keep the game going around you for a long time.

Every time I play blackjack or poker I’ll see some college kids or tourists who have never played sit at a table with a few bucks. They’ll play for a bit-hit, stay, maybe a double-down or two, then their money is gone and they go home with a story to tell. They played for fun, didn’t care if they won or lost, and if they had a good time, that’s great. Heck, that kid was me for a while. There’s no problem starting out this way, but eventually it will get old and losing your poker money will stop being fun. If fact, you can have a good time while you win money! Go figure… It’s all a question of attitude. Once you’ve learned the game, it’s good to plan on winning, rather than “seeing how long my money lasts”. Honestly, that’s how I gauged my success-not by how much I won, but by how long it took me to lose my bankroll. Ouch. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy-if you plan to lose, you probably won’t be winning. If you plan to win, however, at least you’re giving yourself a chance. Come with a strategy in mind, and be ready to take home some extra cash. And I’m not saying that you should freak out if you do lose your bankroll, you should be aware that it’s at risk when you gamble. I’m just saying you shouldn’t be willing to throw your money away, especially if there’s an alternative. So play for fun every time you play, whether its blackjack in the casino or even online poker at home-just play to win at the same time.