There have been a few threads recently about bad behavior at the poker table and abut behaviors that are socially inadequate... I experienced one of those last night at a game I hosted for a rotating league. It was not one of my leagues. (Used Aztar Secondaries 5to1Ks, fyi, no pr0n though...)
My objective is not to vent or to ask how to deal with Villain on a personal level, I'm quite clear on that. It is just to get your insights on a practical matter I'll have to deal with.
Okay, Vilain is a friend of a friend and one of those guys that when someone meets him for the first time, the first reaction is to think he's an a-hole, very abrasive. It wasn't different with me. However, after playing poker with him for a couple of years, we actually became sort of friends. I thought that deep down he was an okay guy.
He has been playing in one of my leagues, every two weeks, for the last couple of years, without any issue whatsoever... He likes bourbon and malts just like I do and every game I put a bottle up for us, and the next, he buys a bottle he likes (totally irrelevant for the issue, but I just wanted to illustrate things were good).
I have been sending emails and txt to some of my players about this other game that I sometimes host and Vilain never bothers to respond, not differently than many others though, which is okay.
Yesterday, the day of one of the games, he wrote me asking if it was too late to be included. I mentioned it wasn't my league and I would ask the league owner for a total count. Copied Villain on the email. I never got a response but told Villain that we'd find a way (I can only host a finite number of players of course). Was doing anything I could to include Villain.
He showed up very late without notice (not drunk, came from work)). He took the last seat as there was a cancelation. I had to cover his buy-in upfront. He proceeded to antagonize every player at the table rudely (he ended up at my table). All other guests knew he was 'my friend'. He went to the bathroom and we had to fold his hand pre. He was pissed and started to berate me and other players for it. I explained to him that I was just hosting the game for others so I had to keep the table moving. A few hands later, it happened again as he was getting a dram. He was pissed again and made it clear to everyone. Another few hands later, he calls an all-in terribly bad and was the first one out. He asked for a re-buy and was told there were no re-buys at this league (he had received the flyer stating that!). Pissed again and just left.
At our first break, some people wanted a smoke. They came back asking me where I had put all their shoes. I went up to the front door and found out Villain had put ALL of the guests shoes by the sidewalk, a good 80ft from the door. I live in Michigan, and not only was the ground covered by 6 inches of snow but it was still snowing like crazy. (I know some of you might be laughing, which is fine!)
To me, it crossed the line as he did that to players he had never met before. But in my mind, it wasn't done to aggravate the other players, it was done to me! If he had done that with my shoes only, I'd be pretty pissed but friends sometimes do that kinda shit, so "maybe" I'd take it as a practical joke. He did that to all the other players, which were guests at MY house. All of them knew it was done by a player that "I", not only invited, but pushed for it. There's no three strikes for this one. He disrespected me, my guests, my house. Done.
Now, the practical question if you sticked around till now
We are in the middle of a season in a league I host and he plays regularly. He's accumulated leagues fees. I won't allow him to play at my house anymore, so what to do? Keep his fees? Give his fees back from the pot? Give him his fee back from my pocket? Suck it up and keep the guys until the season is over? How to approach other players about him being banned? He's a bit below mid-pack in points... And he's always stuck in cash games afterwards, not that it matters to me...
I'm sure you guys will have great insights about it!!! Thank you all!
My objective is not to vent or to ask how to deal with Villain on a personal level, I'm quite clear on that. It is just to get your insights on a practical matter I'll have to deal with.
Okay, Vilain is a friend of a friend and one of those guys that when someone meets him for the first time, the first reaction is to think he's an a-hole, very abrasive. It wasn't different with me. However, after playing poker with him for a couple of years, we actually became sort of friends. I thought that deep down he was an okay guy.
He has been playing in one of my leagues, every two weeks, for the last couple of years, without any issue whatsoever... He likes bourbon and malts just like I do and every game I put a bottle up for us, and the next, he buys a bottle he likes (totally irrelevant for the issue, but I just wanted to illustrate things were good).
I have been sending emails and txt to some of my players about this other game that I sometimes host and Vilain never bothers to respond, not differently than many others though, which is okay.
Yesterday, the day of one of the games, he wrote me asking if it was too late to be included. I mentioned it wasn't my league and I would ask the league owner for a total count. Copied Villain on the email. I never got a response but told Villain that we'd find a way (I can only host a finite number of players of course). Was doing anything I could to include Villain.
He showed up very late without notice (not drunk, came from work)). He took the last seat as there was a cancelation. I had to cover his buy-in upfront. He proceeded to antagonize every player at the table rudely (he ended up at my table). All other guests knew he was 'my friend'. He went to the bathroom and we had to fold his hand pre. He was pissed and started to berate me and other players for it. I explained to him that I was just hosting the game for others so I had to keep the table moving. A few hands later, it happened again as he was getting a dram. He was pissed again and made it clear to everyone. Another few hands later, he calls an all-in terribly bad and was the first one out. He asked for a re-buy and was told there were no re-buys at this league (he had received the flyer stating that!). Pissed again and just left.
At our first break, some people wanted a smoke. They came back asking me where I had put all their shoes. I went up to the front door and found out Villain had put ALL of the guests shoes by the sidewalk, a good 80ft from the door. I live in Michigan, and not only was the ground covered by 6 inches of snow but it was still snowing like crazy. (I know some of you might be laughing, which is fine!)
To me, it crossed the line as he did that to players he had never met before. But in my mind, it wasn't done to aggravate the other players, it was done to me! If he had done that with my shoes only, I'd be pretty pissed but friends sometimes do that kinda shit, so "maybe" I'd take it as a practical joke. He did that to all the other players, which were guests at MY house. All of them knew it was done by a player that "I", not only invited, but pushed for it. There's no three strikes for this one. He disrespected me, my guests, my house. Done.
Now, the practical question if you sticked around till now
We are in the middle of a season in a league I host and he plays regularly. He's accumulated leagues fees. I won't allow him to play at my house anymore, so what to do? Keep his fees? Give his fees back from the pot? Give him his fee back from my pocket? Suck it up and keep the guys until the season is over? How to approach other players about him being banned? He's a bit below mid-pack in points... And he's always stuck in cash games afterwards, not that it matters to me...I'm sure you guys will have great insights about it!!! Thank you all!
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