Fri, 09/09/2011 – 07:32 – PokerPages Staff

New members of poker sites like PokerStars will be excited and interested by the chat client on the site.  There are a number of unwritten rules that it pays to follow for a couple of reasons: firstly, it will avoid annoying your fellow poker players.  Perhaps most importantly, not following these simple rules may mark you as a beginner poker player, and make you a target for any potential sharks out there.

Keep it Clean
When playing online poker, although the activity is very much aimed at adults, it is best to keep language clean and family friendly.  Nobody wants to read foul mouthed, derogatory or otherwise offensive comments, so be sure to behave yourself.

Be a Good Loser, and a Better Winner
Although even the pros fall down on this one from time to time, don’t annoy your fellow poker players by crowing if you win, or getting cross when you lose.  The very nature of poker means that every game will have more losers than winners.  If you do win, be magnanimous and don’t rub your opponents’ faces in it.  Likewise, it doesn’t hurt to offer a congratulatory word to the winner.

Stay in the Game
If you are chatting whilst playing, keep an eye on the game.  If you’re keeping other players waiting because you’ve fallen behind in the betting then you will annoy others.  Remain focused on what you are doing.  If you aren’t paying attention, you may miss crucial moments of play.

One Player, One Hand
If you’re out of a hand, don’t try to offer advice to other players.  The old adage ‘one player, one hand’ means that it is up to the player, and the player alone to make their decision over their poker bets. They don’t need anyone else to chime in.

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