Mind your Manners in a Home Poker Game
Many people who get invited to home poker games take for granted the importance of the gesture behind the invitation. An invitation indicates that the host trusts the person invited that is why he is opening the doors of his home for him. Here are a few basic pointers to help you avoid acting like a jerk that could get you banned from your circle of friends and have your name stricken off the list of future invites to home poker games.
Respect your host and the sanctity of his home. Even if he is your closest buddy, drop the familiarity. Accept his word as the law for as long as you are inside his home, which is his kingdom. So when disputes arise in your poker game, look to your host for resolution and abide by the decision made. Notice how he keeps his house. It would be a shame and downright rude if you lit a cigarette when no one is smoking, littered on his carpet or took liberties with his booze. If you are not sure how to play the poker game that has been called, ask your host about house rules to ward off any misunderstanding later on. When you are in a hand, and you want to tell everybody about your fabulous trip to Europe last summer, talk but keep the poker game going. Nobody wants a slow game least of all the other poker players waiting in the sidelines who are raring to getting back in on the action.
Play safe and follow typical casino rules even in a home poker game. Keep your cards on the table in plain view of the dealer. There is not much sense in concealing your cards behind your glass or poker chips where the action will pass you before you declare that you are still in the hand other than causing a misdeal. When you are out of the action, stay out of sight, out of earshot and out of mind of the players. If you don't dig playing the role of the invisible man in the sidelines while watching the poker games, go on a beer run, lit a cigarette by the porch or watch TV - do anything to keep you busy. But just do not breathe down the backs of the players and goad them to hurry up so that you could get back in on the action. But if you are really keen on getting back on the saddle, offer to trade up poker chips for players who are playing so that the poker game runs quickly and start off sooner another game.
After the poker tournament, express your appreciation by thanking your host sincerely for his effort of putting together the game and for allowing you to participate. This way, you earn brownie points into the guest list for the next poker tournament.
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