Table talk is an integral part of poker for many players. Jamie Gold famously used it to win over $12 million at the 2006 WSOP Main Event. He blustered about the strength of his hands. He cajoled opponents into making certain plays. He alternately lied and told the truth so often that he had his opponents totally flummoxed and guessing-usually wrongly-about what he had until he was the last man standing.
Pros such as Tony G and Kenny Tran have used table talk successfully to berate and intimidate their opponents, chastising their play and scaring them out of pots. Mike Matusow has made his name as much for his mouth as his poker skills and he admits in his recent book, Check-raising the Devil, how he has used table talk to set his opponents on tilt. Others, like Daniel Negreanu, use table talk to charm and disarm opponents so that they practically hand over all their chips.
But table talk has its limitations. Though poker is known for its colorful and less-than-tame history, including at least one notable murder at a table, in the last few years it has become more of a tea party than a rough-and-tumble casino game. The recent trend has been to restrict what players can say at the table. Talk at the table must be kept civil and proper, even in cyberspace, where sites such as PokerStars and FullTilt expressly prohibit chat that is abusive, foul, or inappropriate. At the WSOP, the rules go so far as to not only prohibit abusive behavior at the table, but any behavior that is deemed "not civil or courteous," a fairly broad and undefined range of behaviors that is somewhat open to interpretation.
The WSOP rules are more specific, however, as to behavior that can affect the fairness and integrity of the game. There are rules that are expressly designed to "protect the other players in the tournament." Accordingly, players may not disclose their hands while a hand is in process, nor are they allowed to comment on play before action is complete, nor may they read a hand that is not turned face up. Players who violate these rules are subject to penalties ranging from a warning to disqualification from the tournament.
But what of the unfortunate "victim" of the rules infringement? Sadly, the rules only punish the offender; the other player is out of luck. At a recent sit-n-go at the Mirage, when it was down to four-handed play, the short-stack pushed all in. After one player called, another contemplated his move. The caller offered his unsolicited advice, "You should call." The dealer said nothing and the player continued to ponder what to do. Then the caller said, "Hey, pot odds." Finally, the dealer gestured in his direction, but said nothing. Ultimately, the cajoled player called, holding 7-6 off suit, the third best hand pre-flop. He took the pot with a pair of sevens. Had he folded, the short-stack, who had A-J, would have doubled up through the caller's A-6.
The "talker" was not assessed a penalty, but even if he were, it would not fix the short stack's situation. Instead of doubling through the initial caller, he was out.
There is as of yet no universal set of rules for poker play at cash games and tournaments, but all casinos have their own rules posted prominently for the players to consult before sitting down. Make sure you familiarize yourself with them whenever and wherever you play. Table talk has its place, but it should not cross the line of good taste and, more importantly, fair play.
Shari Geller is an attorney, journalist, reporter, blogger, poker player, and observer of the poker scene. You can write her at BurnThis2@aol.com, and read her blog at www.burnthistoo.blogspot.com.
