This blog article pretty much sums up my view of knocking on the table

I just saw "Lucky you" from 2007, where the winner knocks 2 times out of respect to the losing player. And if the losing player respects the winner back they knock one time ???

But hey, just a movie

Great movie by the way, really sums up the vegas atmosphere.

Please review House of Cards where our main character uses the table knock as the conclusion to a conversation. I forget the exact explanation (it's early in the series) but it is basically meant to suggest "Good chat." or "We have a plan."

As indicated here it could mean a variety of things depending on the spot. I don't really go down the 'nice hand' road very often since I want to mean it when I say it!

I think a lot of players would rather rap the table than verbalize something simply to downplay the gesture. Since there typically is a winner and loser of each hand a player wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves from the loser by 'giving praise' to the winner.

Coming from the winner of the hand it might seem rude or condescending even if they are acknowledging a battle well fought. Whereas a slight tap on the table might be enough to give credit to the loser efforts.

Coming from the loser it could simply be a 'I surrender' or 'well played' gesture to the winner .. without giving full praises verbally.

Here we are .. in poker ... and ... "It depends." GL

I've used or seen it used in two ways. First is good hand, usually by the losing player to the winner. Second is as good luck, usually to an all-in.

Of all the annoying things in live poker, I'm surprised anyone can find themselves annoyed over people misusing the table knock...

It probably started as a knock on wood, good luck kind of thing.

If I do it, it is usually at the end of a session when I'm saying good game / good luck.
Or if I get caught bluffing sometimes I'll do it as a nice call gesture.

It means well played.
I do it after an opponent successfully gets me to bluff or traps me, usually both.

Knocking on the table is simple acknowledgement, for whatever situation just happened or is happening. It could mean 'good luck' to an all in player, it could mean 'nice hand' to someone tabling a monster, it could mean 'tough break' to someone who just got coolered.

The only time I find it mildly offputting is when a player winning a hand seems to be rapping the table for himself. Not making eye contact or acknowledging the other player, but rapping the table as his hand is declared the winner. It is a slightly self centric thing to do to rap the table to acknowledge your own hand. But on the annoyance scale of 0 to 'shut the hell up already, we know you got sucked out on', this is probably a 1.

You resurrected a ten year old thread.


*knocks table twice*

Haha, i did see it was a bit old. But search for it after over thinking 😂 somethings never die

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive

Agreed

An old codger knocked me out of tournament in a race when I was short stacked, his 77>my KJs and he knocked on the table then gave me a fist bump...thought this was odd but like someone else said, maybe it was his way of being excited to knock me out without trying to be disrespectful.

Yes, I've seen it used both wise. Either:

a) Well played, nice hand, you got me, etc.

OR

b) I won but I can't contain my excitement so I still say nice hand

I haven't ever seen it used as a negative thing or maliciously. I've never seen it used with ill intentions. Although, I will say that when most players use the table knock as "b) I won but I can't contain my excitement so I still say nice hand" it's usually a younger/inexperienced player.

I do it occasionally , usually when somebody outplays me , or out draws me , or busts me in a fair and square manner. Usually I add "Good hand" with the gesture. Just a little show of respect to a winner I guess.

^^^This is the most common way I see it.

Once in awhile I will see someone use it after they suck out on someone pretty bad, like a 2 outter, they will tap the table basically to acknowledge the fact that they got lucky and even saying sorry I guess. Or say two flopped flushes, nut vs 2nd nut type of thing.