What would be on your "Ten Commandments" list? (etiquette, not strategy) (1 Viewer)

Beakertwang

Beakertwang

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I'm sure a number of you have read my rant about my rough game Saturday night. If not, here's the link:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/poker-nights-should-be-more-fun-a-rant.31096/

I've been thinking about it a lot since then, and in addition to having clear rules about the game, I'd like to have a short list available to establish a culture for our group. Things like betting protocol, one-player-to-a-hand, not insulting others, follow the rules or leave, etc. I'd like it to be fun, but clear.

A couple of my players who didn't like the way things went Saturday tell me I shouldn't become a stickler, but not being a stickler is exactly why things went downhill. When the rules aren't clear, and can get changed to benefit one or two players, the game can't be fun.

What would be on your list? Or do you already have such a list?
 
If thou are not in the hand, thou shalt not talk about the hand, including the cards on the table, advice to the players still in the hand, etc.
 
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Don't focus on etiquette. Make rules and host the game you want. If people don't like it then they don't have to come. It is much easier to make and enforce rules when you are hosting at your house. It's pretty simple really.

People may bitch and complain but after a few sessions everything will become normalized. It may help to have some private conversations with several people to try and get them on side with a well run game that sticks to a basic set of rules.

Don't think short term. In the longer term your game will thrive if it is run well with a clear set of rules. And yes you might lose some players in the beginning. However, over time you will settle in with a group of guys/gals that enjoy a well run game.
 
Honor thy banker. Remember that only he touches the bank, to keep it straight.

Now that my commandment is out of the way, I'd focus first on rules and procedures that address the problems you had at the last game:
  • Announce the game in advance (cash or tourney, stakes, buy-in min/max, etc.).
  • If you commit to coming, show up. First no-show is a warning, second time you are removed from the invitation list.
  • Big chips up front or on top of your stack.
  • No tourney refunds. If you have to leave early, your stack will be blinded off.
  • Etc. etc.
But by far, the most important rule that should be #1 on your list:
  • I host the game, I run the game, and my decisions are final.
 
Don't do this, Mike Leah!
s56e4174620.jpg
 
Pay attention, and act when it’s your turn...

Hosted last Saturday and had a really good fried play. He knows how to play, but generally is a losing player, and his etiquette is sometimes poor. For instance, he is a talker (very much loud and used to being the center of attention). He was carrying on conversations left and right, about everything to current events to politics (ugh), but don’t get me wrong, he is affable and well liked, just talked a lot. Well, this talking meat he was never paying attention and always had to be reminded to act. Actually, come to think of it, even when he wasn’t talking, he still needed reminding, lol..
However fun someone is or how much they donate, it’s still annoying to have the action constantly stop on one person.

Now, his slowness was an abnormality. He’s played before, and been more In Tune with the game. Maybe since this was a cash game, and not a tourney, he felt more social. After the game I told him next time I was attaching taser probes to his chair for when he was inattentive. He got a good laugh...

 
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I can't believe I'd have to write this, but, keep your chips in stacks.
We played with an idiot one night who, on his fourth or fifth buy-in luckboxed his way into quads, when other people had hands too. He raked a pot of close to $100 in quarters, ones, and fives, and just left that pile in front of him, and played out of the pile the rest of the night. Which thankfully wasn't too much longer.
 
BGinGA said:
@Poker Zombie has a good brief set of 'fun' rules.

Our official tournament rulebook is about 15 pages, and (with rare exception) complies with current versions of TDA, RRoP, and WSOP rules.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see them! I think I saw a "post your rules" thread somewhere on here. I'll have to dig for it.
 
My old home game rules for freezeouts, cash games, and series worked well for many years, with zero problems. You might find a useful or unusual tidbit or two in there, linked on www.xhost.org.
 
Funny, I just made a "Tenn Commandments" for my game a couple weeks ago. Printed it on 11x17 paper and glued it to styrofoam and mounted it on the wall by the poker table for all to see while playing. I had seen someone's commandments somewhere on here so I borrowed some of them and changed some to fit my particular group. Here they are:

  • I am the Tournament Director, which have brought thee out of thine house of bondage.
  • Thou shalt not take the name of the Dealer in vain.
  • Remember the poker night, to keep it holy.
  • Honour thy Big Blind and thy Small Blind.
  • Thou shalt not splash the pot.
  • Thou shalt not slow roll.
  • Thou shalt not rabbit hunt.
  • Thou shalt not string bet.
  • Thou shalt not announce possible hands.
  • Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s chips.
 
I probably need to look these over again for 2017 TDA compliance, but this is how the last revision looked.
Kubali's Rules.jpg


When trying to enforce rules, don't just tell the violator the rule, tell them why the rule exists.
  • String raises can fake an opponent giving up a tell.
  • How would you feel if you were bluffing your stack, and another player goaded a third player into calling?
  • We don't get together to berate each other. If I wanted someone to berate me, I'd call my mother-in-law.
  • Rabbit hunting kills the clock in tournaments, and could expose an opponent's bluff. I think he had the case ace - rabbit hunt the ace - he was bluffing!
  • Making change from the pot in a 4 bet or 5 bet situation gets really confusing, and incorrect change can be made. When 4 people make change, but hte pot's not right, who is the culprit?
So-on and so-forth. Every rule exists for a reason. Know the rules, and figure out the reason. Then enforce through reason. If the player does not like reason because "they're just having fun", then they won't get a repeat invite.
 
Has anybody ever checked a firearm at the door? What if they're carrying zombie safe ammunition?
 
Playlist of ‘Yacht Rock’ emanating at a peaceful volume. I mean come on, who doesn’t enjoy listening to the likes of Seals & Croft and America while shuffling a buttery stack of Paulsons at the card table!?!
 
How about "thou shalt not do anything that Bugs Bunny did at the poker table"?

As a kid, I loved watching Bugs slow roll Nasty Canasta, but now I think a lot of poker players would want to shoot him! :D
 
DJ Mack said:
Has anybody ever checked a firearm at the door? What if they're carrying zombie safe ammunition?
Click to expand...

Isn't all ammunition "zombie safe?"

To quote "South Park": "How to you kill that which has no life?"
 
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Honestly I think the original post is an excellent question and it may be of value to all hosts to have some uniformity on this.

The big ones for me.
Act in turn
Verbalize action
Do not discuss live hands
Do not make change with active bets.

And I am pleased with how I worded this on my rules (link in signature):

Burn cards protect the top of the deck, cut cards protect the bottom, use both correctly.
 
I've been considering my list today. I think I'll do it in King James English to keep it sort of funny, with clarifying comments after each commandment. A few ideas (some borrowed from above):

-I am the Lord who giveth rules, which are unchanging. You shall have no other rules beside these.
-Honor thy fellow players, tournament director, and especially thy host
-Remember thy blinds and turn to act, to keep them holy
-Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy arrival and/or departure time
-Thou shalt not hit and run
-Thou shalt not splash the pot
-Learn to handle thy chips and cards (pertaining to shuffling, dealing, betting, stacking, etc.
-Thou shalt win and lose graciously
-Thou shalt have fun

I'm sure I can come up with one more. Or consolidate a couple above and create a few more.
 
Thou shalt keep thy phone in thy pocket
 
All this biblical language in reference to poker is a little weird.
 
upNdown said:
All this biblical language in reference to poker is a little weird.
Click to expand...
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, many of our players are from our church, including our pastor.
 

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