When attending any social event it is always a good idea to keep to the accepted rules of behaviour and interaction. This goes for parties, weddings, and the world of online poker. Even if it is an online environment, there are others involved, which means that you should do your best to ensure that you are being good company. You wouldn’t want to annoy the other players, or worse, make them quit due to your inconsideration. Nor do you want to be banned!
But just what is the etiquette in a game of online poker? Let’s take a look at how to be a considerate player in live dealer games, in tournaments, and in general play.
If you are in a tournament, or playing at any table that involves other real opponents, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind. The first is to act in a timely fashion. Most sites give a more than reasonable time limit in which to make a move, and letting this limit run down is annoying and often frustrating. The standard procedure is for the chips to be divided up amongst the other players if you miss a turn, but the break in flow is certainly an inconvenience. If you sign up for a game, play the game with your full focus.
Also, don’t spam the chat window. The chat window is there for pleasant conversation, if others choose to participate. Rattling off paragraphs of nonsense, or worse, punting your side project or business is certainly going to get a few disgruntled reactions. Most of all, absolutely don’t discuss your hand with other players, or ask them about their hand. It is also bad manners to berate or mock others if you consider their play bad. Everyone is learning, after all.
Most of what has been said above likewise applies to live dealer games. The only real addition to keep in mind is that although live dealers are paid to participate, it does not mean that they are required to take verbal abuse, or entertain any lewd or disrespectful text. Any behaviour that the dealer finds inappropriate will almost certainly result in a ban from the site.
Or to put it simply, the best approach is to treat the dealer as you would a real world croupier. After all, just because you are separated by possibly thousands of miles, it isn’t an excuse to start behaving badly.
In closing; keep it snappy, don’t let the timer run down, don’t berate other players for what you think is bad play, and generally avoid being unpleasant. So basically, don’t be a jerk and you’ll be fine. Have fun!