Poker Insults - Play With Honour...........

Lay Off The Poker Insults

Insulting other players leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't care if it's done out of frustration (Phil Hellmuth), part strategy (Phil Hellmuth) or for some other inexplicable reason (Phil Hellmuth), it doesn't have a place in the game as far as I'm concerned.

First off, a truly talented poker player doesn't need to employ this tactic to be successful at the game. And a true professional doesn't let his or her emotions get the best of them anyway, certainly not to the extend where they feel they have to belittle someone else to get their anger out.

I don't know what's worse, either. The insult that comes after a nasty loss, or the one rubbing salt in the loser's wound after you rake in a huge pot. I take that back, the later is definitely worse. You don't repeatedly count your chips at the table, you don't laugh after a huge win, and you don't put down the guy you just put out.

Something else I don't like is insulting a player who's more inexperienced than you. Chastising someone on PokerStars for asking questions you already may know the answer to, or making a play for a win that statistically should've led to the opposite only exposes you as a hypocrite. Unless you're Doyle Brunson, you shouldn't be calling someone else out on this.

I know Hellmuth is a champion, but he's just as much a punch line. If you do a You Tube search on the guy, you'll find just as many highlights of his meltdowns than of his big wins. That's weak, and inexcusable for a guy the game of poker has no choice but to use as a face for popularity. He doesn't need it as a strategy and should be above it as an emotional reaction. He's better than that. Who does he think he is, Michael Jordan?

So next time you get the urge, take a breath, smile and thank the table. Then collect what chips you have left, get up and walk away. You might not be remembered for your huge victories that day, but you'll avoid being remembered for being the jerk who called out player X for going all-in on his K-10. Maybe you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't overplayed that inside straight in the first place, huh?