Dealing With Obnoxious Poker Players

Dealing with Obnoxious Poker Players is something a lot of pros know about. William Kassouf has the honor of being voted the World’s Most Obnoxious Poker Player. He’s so obnoxious that they have banned him from Grosvenor Casinos in the UK. This is quite an accomplishment, as Grosvenor is the largest casino operator in the UK, with over 55 venues in all major UK cities.

There will be those who say William’s table talk is pure genius. He does possess the ability to put some of the best players in the world on tilt. Others will claim that Kassouf goes too far with his speech, and disrupts the players’ ability to properly concentrate during a hand, due to his incessant talking.

Obnoxious Players and Ego

Like you, I have been at many tables with a talkative player, sometimes more than one. I’m not insinuating that all talkative players are also obnoxious poker players. It seems that if there is one, someone else will join in the banters, self-preservation perhaps. Some talk in order to support their ego. They attempt to impress people with their poker knowledge, always telling others how they should have played that hand.

Others talk in order to attempt to goad other players into protecting their own ego, and sometimes it works. I was in a game just last night and witnessed this happen, which is really what prompted me to write this article today.

The player in seat 7 had not taken a breath since he sat down. He was a constant chatterbox, telling everyone how smart he was. He could read your body language to perfection and had everyone’s pattern “down pat. I paid him exactly zero attention and played my normal game. Not so much for some others. He went beyond talkative. He was what I would call an obnoxious poker player.

Eventually, the guy in seat 2 joined in the banter. He was disputing everything seat 7 said. The more he disputed it, the more intense Seat 7’s rhetoric became. It was almost laughable. The battle of egos had begun and the only winners would be those of us that refused to participate. I was in seat 1, and I knew all of the dealers in this room. I asked him if he could get a ruler. That way they could just throw “them” up on the table, we could measure their manhood and the egomania could end. If you know what I mean.

The Battle Begins

Finally, they engage in battle. Now, this is a $1/$3 game, with a no-cap buy-in. These games nearly always play like $2/$5, but tonight was more like $5/$10. Seat 7 is about $900 deep and Seat 2 is around $600.

So Seat 7 raises to $45 pre-flop. It folds around to Seat 2, who calls. Everyone else folds. The action will start with seat 7. The flop comes 8h,10h, Jc. The pot is $94, the $90 they bet, and the big and small blind. Seat 7 says, “Well, let’s see what you have,” and bets $120 into the $94 pot. Seat 2 calls immediately. Pot now $334. Of course, at this point they are both talking, and neither is listening. Typical ego standoff. Turn card, 3h. Completes the flush, and of course, Q9 would also make a straight on the flop.

Pot $334, Seat 2 has roughly $450 left. Seat 7 has him covered and bets $250 into the $334 pot. Seat 2 calls, leaving him about $200 behind. The pot is now $834. River card pairs the board, 8s. Now the board is 8h,10h,Jc,3h,8s. We have a potential flush, a possible straight, and a boat isn’t out of the question, considering the betting.

Of course, Seat 7 goes “all in”. Now, Seat 2 tanks for about 30 seconds, talking all the while, as is Seat 7 and finally calls. Mr. talks a lot in seat 7, shows Kh,Qh for the flush, and Seat 2 mucks his hand.

This is a classic example of allowing your ego to rob you of your ability to make good decisions. Although I didn’t see seat 2’s hand, he obviously didn’t have trips, nor a straight. More like top pair and not much else. The incessant talking from seat 7 is what prompted seat 2 to piss away $600.

Dealing With Obnoxious Players

How do we deal with obnoxious poker players? Outside of totally ignoring them, I don’t have an answer. I play my normal game, irrespective of any table talk, regardless of how annoying it may become. If everyone refused to engage, and just absolutely ignored it, eventually the idiot would shut up. But, that’s not likely to happen. There’s nearly always at least one player who just can’t contain himself and either adds to it or encourages the original instigator to continue.

Above all else, don’t participate or even acknowledge that you hear them. Just play your game. Use his chatter against him. Often, I have seen them goad and needle people pre-flop, after the flop, doesn’t matter. Then there are those who,. They when they get a big hand, suddenly go silent. They don’t want to bring any attention to themselves during that hand. Some go the other way. They will up their rhetoric when they have a big hand. The more obnoxious of a poker player he may be, the more distinction you may find between their good and not-so-good hands.

Use Their Chatter Against Them

Watch them, pick up on their tells, just don’t acknowledge them or attempt to engage them in any form. Just be patient and take their chips. They will lose them all if you play on your terms and not theirs.

If an obnoxious poker player gets to the point that you just can’t tolerate it, or if it’s interfering with your ability to play well in any form, get a table change. Just don’t allow them to disrupt your concentration or alter the style of play you know to be correct.

Look at our Poker Tells Page for some further insight into Poker Player Behaviors. This is a category that we will be adding to weekly.

Check back in with us often, as we are constantly adding new articles and expanding on the existing data.

Should you have questions, comments or suggestions, please email me directly at: terrywood@pokerrailbird.com

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