Not in a cardroom per se, but I had an amusing incident at a bar poker tournament a while back.
My wife's family hails from western Nebraska, and every year or two I'm forced to trudge out there with her and make nice-nice with the locals. It's boring as sin, and if it wasn't for the internet I'd end up sitting around watching the fishing channel with my father-in-law for the entire week.
This last time I went we actually found out that they host some sh*tty bar tournament at the bowling alley where my mother-in-law bowls. I let my wife drag me up there with her and figured I'd kill some time getting hammered and try to see if I can drink for free. (This tournament has like 3-4 tables, and first prize is a $50 bar tab or some nonsense. )
By the time the cards are in the air my brother and I have already been playing pool and made our way to the bottom of 3-4 pitchers. Needless to say I'm feeling pretty good, and oh hey, there's the waitress with my next one..
I make it to the final table, which took no effort, and end up sitting next to the most awesome guy I've met in a while. Take your average poker pro with the hoodie/glasses/ipod, age him about 30 years, and then let him stew for a few weeks in a trailer park. That is our new friend.
So, Trailer-Pro was sitting two to my right, and absolutely hated me from the get-go. He made the mistake of saying how I played some hand real horribly and was a donkey for calling with Q10 against some guys AK (because I'm psychic..).
Now, that kind of irritated me, not because he called me a donkey (I was) but it's a free f-cking bar tournament, who cares? So I figure I now need to fight back and tilt him, so every hand I look at him ask what the blinds are, if it's my turn, if I can raise, how much time is left, what are the payouts.. I figure if I can get him upset then all the better for me anyway, it's part of the game imo.
So, the guy is almost turned sideways in his seat giving me the shoulder, ignoring me, and I let it drop after about a few minutes and go back to being non-confrontational, chatting with my brother, and just having fun playing some casual bar poker.
30-40 minutes later Trailer-Pro busts on the bubble (top 3 payed like 50/20/10 in bar credits or something). At this point I figure I can be a decent enough guy, tell him good game, no hard feelings, and shake his hand. It's for fun after-all.
He counters with leaving my hand hanging, and telling me that I'm a "stupid f*cking donkey".
At which point I lost it.
"Dude, are you F*CKING SERIOUS? YOU'RE WEARING THE LITTLE GLASSES AND HAT AND HOOD AND IT'S A FREE F*CKING BAR TOURNAMENT IN SH*TSVILLE NEBRASKA, GO F*CK YOURSELF, YOU'RE A GODDAMN IDIOT.. <shortened drastically>"
This guy is pissed, and I sort of realize at this point that I've not only insulted his family, questioned his lineage, and offered him some sexual advice that's not phsyically possible.. but I've also drawn a crowd, and inadvertently insulted some of the other Sh*tsville locals.
This worries me as it's fairly obvious that I'm from out of town, mainly because I'm not wearing cowboy boots and have my full set of teeth.
Trailer-Pro storms out of the bar, and I'm sitting at the table with the other 2 players and this crowd. There's absolute silence for a moment or two and I'm waiting for the lynching to happen from one of his friends/cousins/whatever..
Then one of the players at the tables starts laughing, a second girl joins in.. finally one of them tells me "We've been waiting for someone to do that to him for months now, he's played down at the WSOP a few years ago busted out almost immediately, yet thinks he's a poker genius.. No one here cares for him."
*Phew*