Dealing With Very Aggressive Online Poker Players
The growth of online Poker has led to an increase in the number of players that participate in the game. Among those that you will often see in card rooms are the ultra aggressive types, sometimes called Poker bullies. Before their behavior affects your game, it is vital that you learn how to cope with their presence.
The first thing that you have to understand is that if online Poker bullies are more aggressive than their casino based counterparts, it is because they are on the Internet, and for some people this makes it easier for them to speak in a boorish or abusive manner. Fortunately there are several ways to handle them.
One of the ways course, is to simply leave the online Poker room and look for another. However that is not always possible; if you are winning then there is no reason why you should leave.
A much better way is to simply avoid chatting with him, or disable the function altogether. Do not get caught in talking back. This can distract your game and will often lead to a tilt. The moment you start losing, your frustrations will increase, and his taunts will continue.
Remember that you are into online Poker to win money, not make small talk. You can always chat with your friends after the game.
However, the best way to handle the bullies in online Poker is to simply outplay them. Pay attention to the cards that they bring to the showdown, and you will often see that they over value their hands. The reason is that these players often try to make up for their lack of hands by intimidating the other online Poker players.
If you have the high hand, then use it against them. No matter what they say, the fact is that you are in the game to win. Let him talk; what matters to you is that you can take the pot. He may win a few games with his style of play, but he will lose a lot in the long run because of his tendency to over play his hands.
The bottom line is that when faced with online Poker bullies, you just stick with your game plan. He may be the most talkative and verbally abusive player in the card room, but that earns him nothing. Keep your focus on the pot, and you will be all right.
