[Magic Koala]

We had a new player join our little Friday poker night. We've never played with him before but somebody knew him (we all work for the same large company) and knew he was looking for a game.

When the new guy came by to introduce himself, I said sure, come on by. After he had left, I heard from the grapevine that he's full of bluster, cocky, and joked that he'd love to walk in the game and take all our money (just hearsay, mind you). Now, I've heard all this before about other new players wanting to join, and they all ended up getting their butts spanked, so we just take it for a grain of salt and let the cards do the talking.

Anyway, we play $50 buy-ins 25c/50c NL, unlimited rebuys. So it's a small cash game, more of a social game, not really out to take your money. We smoke cigars, have some wine, beer etc. But new guy says he ain't drinking because he's playing us. So we figure he's really serious about his game, and we figured we gotta take him out before we're too drunk to play and he's still sober. New guy is a bit of a calling station and bluffed a lot, so all of us old hands basically just waited it out with a decent hand and then brought down the hammer. I knocked him out with him bluffing with his inside straight draw against my two pair. He decided to do all-in with his bluff but his all-in wasn't enough to scare me off since he only had less than $20 left and I had around close to $100 with a medium-sized pot, and I had the high over pairs. He didn't make the straight, and with that he decided to call it a night and left. However, he lost $170 (buy-in plus two rebuys). This was the highest ever loss for one person at my game.

Question is: Should he be invited back?

I said: let's invite him back, easy money! But some people said it may be unethical since we all know we could easily take his money. Plus he's a coworker.

What do you guys think?

We're not really in this to make money since we all have decent jobs, and winning a couple hundred dollars in 4 hours really isn't worth our time but we're just in it for the pride thing, show off the poker gear, have fun, improve our poker, and help the newbies get better. I'm just an average player, definitely with room for improvement as well. However, when a new guy comes in, tells us how good he is, and how much time he's played in Vegas, it's just natural for us to tear him apart like a pack of hungry wolves. I mean, he almost asked for it. However, we almost feel guilty doing it.

[Button Potato]

You feel guilty winning money at poker?

[VARoadstter]

Um, no it's not unethical.

Not in the least.

He put in his money. He's an adult. I'd say no problem.

Now if the guy is a tool and kills the mood of the game then I'd say he isn't worth putting up with. But that really has nothing to do with what kind of card player he is.

The worst donkey ever will occasionally get bailed out by the deck. Will you tell him that he doesn't deserve to win? Of course not. You'll let him keep his winnings. Likewise, if you let him play and he's donktastic, then so be it.

Game on.

[Magic Koala]

Originally Posted by Button Potato

You feel guilty winning money at poker?

Hell no!!!!

I said "almost". I want him to come back and help me support my custom chip habit. However, Iike I said, winning the money isn't a big deal to us, it's more of a challenge thing. So it was kinda like taking candy from a baby, not really a challenge. And that's how the other guys felt too.

[retravoh]

it sounds like your game is more about the atmosphere than the money. so, i say if he fits in ok with the group, then invite him back.

Its his choice to reload when outmatched.

[Magic Koala]

Originally Posted by VARoadstter

Um, no it's not unethical.

Not in the least.

He put in his money. He's an adult. I'd say no problem.

Now if the guy is a tool and kills the mood of the game then I'd say he isn't worth putting up with. But that really has nothing to do with what kind of card player he is.

The worst donkey ever will occasionally get bailed out by the deck. Will you tell him that he doesn't deserve to win? Of course not. You'll let him keep his winnings. Likewise, if you let him play and he's donktastic, then so be it.

Game on.

You're right, he's an adult and besides, he was able to stand up and leave once he was beat enough. It's not like he has an obvious gambling problem and we're taking advantage of it.

[xtwalker]

First off, it is unethical to let a fool keep his money.

Personnally, I'd just wait to see if he asks. If he does, then it becomes an issue of how much of an ass he really was. If he distracted from everyone else having a good time then he probably gets an off to the side talk and one more chance at my game. Hard for any of us to know without being first hand witnesses.

BTW, unless he was obviously very bad, I wouldn't completely write him off as a donk either. He may surprise you next time if he does come back. I know that I can have periods of horribly donktacular play bc I am tired, distracted, whatever. I have dropped thousands in those cases, but I more than make it up when I am playing well. (At least I know the big hole in my game, now I just have to close it... proving difficult)

[Magic Koala]

Originally Posted by xtwalker

First off, it is unethical to let a fool keep his money.

He may surprise you next time if he does come back.

I never thought it of that way. I think you've got a very good point there. Shoot, he may be spending that money on something even more foolish had we not taken his money.

Also, like you said, we should really give him a second chance. He was still talking smack at the table but not more so than the rest of the other players. Except of course, his calls just weren't very good.

Ironically, it was the best player at our table who raised the question if new guy should be invited back because of his poor play. I guess he felt guilty.

[roxtarbaer]

I'm with XT...

it's also sometimes tough being the new guy in a game because you don't want to do anything that seems to donktacular, which in turn makes you do some of the donkeyest things just trying to prove you can play...

i've moved around alot and have been in the situation, especially in a game with people you have normal interaction with (work, friends, etc.), where you're feeling out the game atmosphere more than the game play... is it a social game, a semi serious game, a bunch of guys just trying to BS game, a bunch of guys out to beat up on friends... i know i've dropped a couple buy ins in some soft games before i got a rhythm or comfortable with the "house".

it could just be more about trying to impress to fit in, or not over impress to not... or vice versa -- if that makes sense.

[Devilboy]

Dude you are now OBLIGATED to invite him back. If he behaved himself and had fun at your game, why not? He'll be VERY unhappy if he doesn't get invited back. He'll think 'Hey I lost all that money to them and they STILL don't want me back?'

Invite him back, but don't expect him to come.