Cash Game Playing against a friend in a Casino - Cash / Tournament (2 Viewers)

[codeman00]

A friend and I are playing at a casino this weekend. On the drive we were talking about what would happen if we were at the same table during a tournament or cash. The last thing I want to do is be battling head to head against a friend at a casino table...but we really don't want to be colluding together either.

What kind of agreements and etiquette do you put in place when a friend is sitting at the same cash game as you? What about a tournament? Or do you not make any agreements at all and the best player wins?

 

[DJ Mack]

Not really a dilemma. I invite my best friends over to my house and try to take their money and they do likewise.

 

[Kyle]

Generally just bet lightly if heads up or just bet the river. I figure we can take each others money in home games instead.

I rarely play with friends at the casino though.

 

[upNdown]

I frequently go to tournaments with a friend, but we rarely end up at the same table. When we do, we don't go after each other unless we have it, and then the other guy will usually get out. It's definitely not collusion, but it's definitely not 100% cool either. That's why I hate playing in tournaments with husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend at the same table - they generally play that way and it's very noticeable after a while.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Our general rule of thumb is, you push when you have it with friends, and don't bluff. If you both think you have it, then may the best man win....

 

[TheBigTater]

Sorry but playing soft or differently against someone who is your buddy at the table or acting in anyway that is not a self-interested manner at a poker table is collusion. That goes for making agreements ahead of time on how to play each other, it's called teaming.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Happens every time I go to Vegas. We want to hang out and drink together. Usually only 1 or 2 friends at the most though.

We play our normal game, but if we get heads up we play each other more straight up. As in we don’t get tricky, we bet our strong hands, don’t float, don’t check raise etc.

 

[v1pe]

I would play no differently than I would in my home game against them.

 

[BiGGyT]

I'd offer to chop a tournament. Cash, sorry, my money was at risk just like yours.

 

[upNdown]

Sorry but playing soft or differently against someone who is your buddy at the table or acting in anyway that is not a self-interested manner at a poker table is collusion. That goes for making agreements ahead of time on how to play each other, it's called teaming.

I’m not sure about that. During tournaments, there are people at the poker table who I don’t mix it up with unless absolutely necessary. I’ll avoid somebody who’s a really good player. If I have a huge stack, I’ll avoid the other guy with the huge stack. I’m not going to fold aces against either one of them, and im not going to fold aces against my buddy, just because he bet in to me.

I agree than having agreements on how to play each other is collusion. But I’m pretty sure you’re entitled to choose not to get involved in pots with anybody you choose.

 

[Kain8]

If we're at the same table and you're in a hand with me, I don't care if you're my spouse, childhood friend, or the freaking Pope. I'm playing to win. Nothing sweeter than bluffing someone you know quite well too!

 

[TheBigTater]

I’m not sure about that. During tournaments, there are people at the poker table who I don’t mix it up with unless absolutely necessary. I’ll avoid somebody who’s a really good player. If I have a huge stack, I’ll avoid the other guy with the huge stack. I’m not going to fold aces against either one of them, and im not going to fold aces against my buddy, just because he bet in to me.

I agree than having agreements on how to play each other is collusion. But I’m pretty sure you’re entitled to choose not to get involved in pots with anybody you choose.

Avoiding the big stack in a tournament is sometimes considered acting in your own self interest. Not the same as taking it easy on your buddy to avoid knocking them out of a tournament or keeping them from losing more money.

 

[upNdown]

Avoiding the big stack in a tournament is sometimes considered acting in your own self interest. Not the same as taking it easy on your buddy to avoid knocking them out of a tournament or keeping them from losing more money.

I don’t want to argue with you because you’re righter than me. But I play in cardrooms with a lot of locals, and I see it happen with couples. And the dealers see it, and let it go.

 

[bentax1978]

I don’t want to argue with you because you’re righter than me.

I love that quote, I may have to steal it and use it a some point. Of course I'd have to wait until I find myself less right than someone else, so it may be a while

 

[TheBigTater]

I don’t want to argue with you because you’re righter than me. But I play in cardrooms with a lot of locals, and I see it happen with couples. And the dealers see it, and let it go.

Agreed, I'm not wanting to argue it either, but just because people/dealers let things that are wrong go (mainly because they want to keep taking the rake/tips from as many players as possible) doesn't mean they still aren't wrong.

 

[Rhodeman77]

I will say that the friend I end up playing in a casino setting the most often with I have changed my more passive stance with.

He is okay at best and when he starts drinking or tilting he becomes very bad.
He is going to give the money away to someone so it might as well be me I figure.

Now I play against him like he is any other fish at the table.

 

[Kyle]

Our general rule of thumb is, you push when you have it with friends, and don't bluff. If you both think you have it, then may the best man win....

@pokerplayingpisces and I know all about that. Ha ha!

 

[Chris Manzoni]

LOL people are so nice ITT. My friends and I have a different approach - if we find ourselves at a cash or tournament table together, we promise ahead of time to do two things. 1 - Play as hard and as tricky as possible and try to get as much money from each other as possible. 2 - Deliberately and viciously slow roll each other as much as possible.

 

[Jambine]

Not really a dilemma. I invite my best friends over to my house and try to take their money and they do likewise.

^That^ and it goes for casino play as well

 

[Mental Nomad]

When we do, we don't go after each other unless we have it, and then the other guy will usually get out. It's definitely not collusion, but it's definitely not 100% cool either.

No, it's collusion. A little cheating is still cheating. Just like your girlfriend can't get a little bit pregnant; she is or she ain't.

But I play in cardrooms with a lot of locals, and I see it happen with couples. And the dealers see it, and let it go.

No, no, that's about having to get into the same bed that night, after the game. My ex-wife and I used to play poker together.

She never got pregnant.

 

[derekdd23]

I have had friends that bluff more and others that will say just fold when they have it. Personally I treat everyone the same. I want all the money and don’t mind taking or losing it.

 

[Ghoti]

I've ended up at the same table a number of times with a friend at the casino. If anything, I try harder to take their money!

 

[JustinInMN]

I definitely won't give up any value to a friend just to be nice or engage in any sort of soft play.

But at the same time, I do play people differently based on familiarity. So I get why it's not black and white. I'm going to value bet thinner against regs that I know are calling stations than against nits. So familiarity changes play.

But I have gone for 3 streets of value against my wife with medium to strong hands. I'm not going easy on anyone.

 

[BeesKnees]

I went on a very poker heavy trip once with a friend of mine. We had agreed to give 25% of our own action to each other in all poker tournaments played. In retrospect it would have been in our own best interest to soft play each other. However soft play did not even come up in any of the conversations. I think we are just way to competitive to even consider going easy on each other.

The only reason to play somebody differently is because of the information you’ve gathered on them. If you give any kind of advantage to any player but yourself at a poker table through means of soft play or chip dumping, that makes you a cheater and a scumbag.

 

[moose]

Swap 10%. Win win.

 

[Gunnar]

I was playing a fairly large tournament the other day around 160ish players. My best friend was also playing. We are on day 2. 30players left and we are on same table . I'm big in stack he is small.

I raise
He shoves and it is folded to me.
Icall with AA and he had AQ



I knocked him out. He later said I should have folded for a friend

 

[Kain8]

I was playing a fairly large tournament the other day around 160ish players. My best friend was also playing. We are on day 2. 30players left and we are on same table . I'm big in stack he is small.

I raise
He shoves and it is folded to me.
Icall with AA and he had AQ



I knocked him out. He later said I should have folded for a friend

Yeah, because I'm sure he'd fold Aces preflop for you!

 

[Coyote]

Poker is by definition a most unfriendly act. If construed absolutely at face value, poker and friendship are mutually exclusive.

Poker is boxing with money. Even if the opponent is a friend, it would still be ridiculous to caress each other on the cheek instead of hitting each other. That's the game.
So, to avoid harming a friend (or anybody, but all the more a friend) you agree (if that's the case) that you honestly don't mind being punched in the face by each other, and use safety gear.

Poker among friends can only be played on the sincere agreement that they 're not gonna be friends for the duration of the game. All they can do is use safety gear, which is in this case can only be very low stakes (or, put otherwise, maybe lower than among non-friends), maybe betting limits, including limited number of raises, etc.

Treating differently people on a table on the basis of the friendship degree between them and you can be instinctive and I am sure everybody has done it, but it just isn't right.

If you are in a table where it's not up to you to set rules as "safety gear" (as in a casino), never seat with a (true) friend.
If you treat him like the friend he is, you are cheating on others.
If you don't, you are sacrificing friendship for a f*** game, and, for me, no game is as important as friendship.

 

[CHP TD]

I was playing a fairly large tournament the other day around 160ish players. My best friend was also playing. We are on day 2. 30players left and we are on same table . I'm big in stack he is small.

I raise
He shoves and it is folded to me.
Icall with AA and he had AQ



I knocked him out. He later said I should have folded for a friend

Its a tough choice for some. For me, i vote for the integrity of the game. Sometimes there are moral dilemmas. But at the table its war with my opponent (no matter who you are) - thats the game.

Im not holding a gun at your head - so its my opponents choice to be there.

You might have to have a common understanding, fire side chat about how poker works and why it has to be that way. Its not for everyone. If he doesn't get it its probably not the game for him.

Its a stupid game anyway... No one likes it...

 

[Frogzilla]

This came up in the wsop main last year, right near the final table...maybe just 10 left not sure. Someone called his friend light, and the friend got pretty upset and vocal. No enforcement/penalties shown on the broadcast.