Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
I was very specific about how soft playing (which this is) can hurt other players. I haven't seen you address my argument.
Chillrob, this is what you have posted on soft-playing:
Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
I believe soft play is unethical, akin to cheating. While it may not be in many rule books, poker is not supposed to be a team game, and soft play is a form of collusion. You may think it doesn't harm anyone else, but it absolutely can do so. If others rightfully assume you are trying to win everyone's money (as you should be), they will pay future hands with incorrect inferences about your style of play, which will lead them to not playing as effectively against you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
Actually I don't think trying your best to win money at a poker table violates the golden rule. I want others to try to win my money at the poker table. In fact, I find it unethical for them not to do so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
If you don't want to try to win as much money as possible from everyone, then you shouldn't be at the poker table, at least at any meaningful stakes. As I stated earlier, doing anything else is collusive and cheating the players you don't softplay. When I play any game, I play by the rules, and that is part of my moral code.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
Of course I'm serious. Poker isn't supposed to be a team sport. Soft playing anyone is collusion, and can hurt the other players as well.
To me, you're saying that:
A. If you're not trying to maximise EV at every decision point in a poker hand then you're soft-playing.
B. If you're soft-playing you are colluding.
C. Colluding is cheating.
D. Cheating is unethical.
I agree with C and D but not A and B.
I can see how some might make an argument for A, as Lord River Rat does, but to be honest I think Lord River Rat ties himself in knots by trying to argue that BN is cheating against the CO by not iso-raising preflop with the bottom of his 3bet/squeeze range. If you are calling such a decision a form of soft-playing and therefore cheating, you are really opening a Pandora's Box. Imagine trying to write the rules to regulate this type of cheating. Imagine all these OMGs who would be escorted from the casino because they flatted KK preflop! I mean, to be honest, I kind of like the idea that I would be escorted from the building because I flatted AJo on the BN over two limps --- there is some kind of ironic justice to such a scenario.