Just as there is a set of etiquette to follow while playing live Poker, the same holds for online Poker as well. While there won’t be miscues such as bending the cards or acting out of turn, one still needs to behave properly while playing from behind the computer screen. Many times some player will do something irksome in a game that might just leave you infuriated or vice versa. Thus, an online poker player needs to follow certain unwritten guidelines of decorum to help create a pleasant online atmosphere and have a smooth game.
Overall, poker etiquette is a pretty broad concept that covers a wide range of DOs and DON’Ts. Let’s take a look at some online poker netiquettes one needs to follow to help the game run as smoothly as possible-
- Stay Attentive
The software usually provides you with a good amount of time for you to act, and you are supposed to take action within that allocated amount of time. So try to utilize the amount of time necessary before coming to a conclusion. Don’t rush into making any decisions, but there are people who do not pay attention to the table at all and make the game really tedious and annoying for other players on the table.
Even though it’s rather normal these days to listen to music while playing, you should never use headphones or play your music loud enough that you can’t hear the dealer or other players. Furthermore, you might miss important information from your opponents that might help you make better judgments.
- Avoid Swearing Completely
The online Poker or Teen Patti game has a chat box that is useful for light discussions. However, a lot of people, in the heat of the moment, use the chat box to abuse and threaten other players. Also, many players use the chat box to show off their skills at Poker and boast about how good poker players they are. This should all be avoided.
You should remember that you are dealing with real people and learn to draw a line. Make use of the chat box only to discuss the game or to have a little discussion. Nobody is interested in knowing how good you are at the game! Also, completely avoid passing any offensive or abusive remarks as no one will benefit from them. If you don’t keep your language in control, the poker room moderators can easily throw you away from the game.
- Don’t be Too Slow
If you have guests at home or have to take care of your baby, avoid logging in. Distractions can make it really difficult for you to concentrate on the game and, in turn, disrupts the flow of the game, irking other players as well. A slow game takes away the fun from Poker and can make it really boring and annoying. Slow Rolling is when you purposefully move slowly when you know you have the better hand to make your opponent doubt it. Slow Rolling is the worst thing you can do when playing and should be avoided at all means. This is just common courtesy and decent Poker Etiquette.
- Keep a Good Internet Connection
Imagine you are about to win a big pot, and the internet disconnects! Frustrating right? Having decent internet is a must if you are sitting down to play online Poker. It is not only advantageous to you but also to the rest of the players on the table. It can be really frustrating for others on the table, who are forced to keep waiting while you try to establish the connection in the middle of the hands. Most poker room software provides you with an option to set the amount of time to try & reconnect to finish off the hand. However, if you use this time on a regular basis, you are hindering the pace of the game and making it really slow for everyone else in the game.
- Say No to Collusion or Any Other Type of Cheating
Collusion is strictly forbidden in the game and is considered highly unsportsmanlike. Collusion is basically when two or more players sit at the same table and share information about their hands and use this to plot or cheat others in the game. Collusion is one of the biggest problems with online Poker, and it is something very difficult to deal with. Thus, you yourself should be fair in the game and should not indulge in any such misconduct.
The benefit of playing Poker online is that the software program gives you greater control over how you bet and behave, which helps prevent you from making minor etiquette errors. Use the information on this page to understand basic internet etiquette. Once you understand the typical practices, it is up to you to determine whether or not to use them.
