I don't know just sometimes I feel guilt. Like I was playing turbos and looking for shortstacking fish. A person log on and then gave me two buy ins as he would shove with garbage on most flops.

But, surely how you not feel guilty. You guys most feel some remorse about taking peoples money from them. I sort of rationalise it away.

Also, my style is sort of like bullying. Sort of feel like I'm bullying someone.

Is this even real?

If you feel bad about winning, then poker isn't the game for you.

I think that it's really easy to see someone who is awful at poker and just assume they must be retarded. But in actual fact these people are (for the most-part) able-minded and play poker because it's fun, and also because they win every now and again.
If they were really that bothered about losing their money they would do what a lot of fish did and start taking positive steps to becoming sharks. (So that would include the 99.99% of good players who didn't have a natural grasp of the game)
Of course, some of these guys would rather convinve themselves that they are awesome and it's just the site that is rigged causing them to lose. Notice it's almost always people who have joined in the last few months making the rigged threads in BBV!
If you have swallowed your pride, accepted your own flaws and then worked hard to get yourself to the standard you are at now, then you should feel nothing but satisfaction at reaping the rewards of your hard work. If you can't then you shouldn't be playing poker for money!

I remember a time playing live and there was this really nice, timid kid who was a regular. I just didn't think he belonged as a regular in that scene. He wasn't your typical compulsive gambler who was running away from something(s) in life. He sorta looked like an abercrombie and fitch model, fit, dressed nice, etc, but he sucked at poker and was just such a nice guy. For all his good looks, I had a feeling he had trouble getting the ladies because he was just so timid and too, too nice.

So anyway I have AT and flop top 2 pr and bet the flop heavy, he calls and nicely/timidly asks me if we could just check it down. He looked quite scared. And it's not like we knew each other, I'd never talked to the kid. I just coldly said no! And quickly proceeded to shove the turn, which he hesitantly and sadly called. I think he had a weak ace.

I felt bad as a scooped the pot, the sad kid in my peripheral vision slowly pulling another $100 bill out of his wallet.

But now as I've grown older, for the most part I enjoy inflicting pain!

kinda sucks but your there to make money (i assume ldo) and hes there on his own choice, no one has a gun to his head telling him to gamb0l

Meh, stop and think why these players are at the table and playing?

That's right, to take your money.

Don't feel bad.

this is all you need to move on past this problem. When that guy called your turn shove, he did so because he thought he saw an opportunity to take YOUR money away from you. No part of you should feel bad about that.

I have sometimes felt what OP is describing to some extent.

For some reason I feel it more in some games than other.

For example in MTTs I practically never feel it.

But sometimes in 180man SNGs, when I for example shove 62o BVB for 8BBs vs some random I have 18 hands on, it has happened that I have asked myself "dont you have any shame?"

I think it is because 180mans are more hardcore bloodbath than other games.

But overall, its a game, just like any other game, and you play to win, so does your competition. A chess player tries to win vs his opponent, does he feel guilty if he wins? A basketball player tries to beat his competition, does he feel guilty if he wins? The fact that theres money involved in poker, doesnt change the fact that its a game, where everybody tries to win. Nobody should feel guilty for winning. If someone plays over his head and looses money he cant afford to loose, thats his problem, not yours. But like has been mentioned earlier ITT, I htink most people play within their means.

Bottom line, its a competition, a game - everyone who participates is trying to win - nobody should feel guilty for winning.

I disagree.


The very fact that there's money involved is what makes poker the game that it is. The proof? Look at the difference between how people play in play money games compared to real money at the lowest stakes. The difference is huge.

If people were playing because they like playing cards, then they'd play canasta or bridge or whatever.

Poker isn't poker if there's no money at stake. People play because they want to win OUR money.

So no point in feeling guilty about wanting to take theirs.

dont feel bad.

oh and when playing live, always be super friendly to your left neighbours so they feel guilty taking ur moniez and play u soft instead despite having position on u

If you don't take their money somebody else will. Don't feel bad.

OP is levelling a little too obviously.

in poker, someone has to win. It might as well be you, if you dont feel this way all the time, then just give up on poker and life also.

You could also donate your winnings. I can guarantee you can find people that are more needy than villian.

Well, u might have a point there, i sometimes do feel...nah, jk, I feel fine taking peoples money