I am of the mindset that you should not comment on a hand that you are not invested in. A game I play in, there is constantly a guy who makes comments on action whether he is involved in the hand or not. For instance, he will often say: "he is just betting low" in a split pot game. Last night he commented on a big hand I was involved in and he was not. I am wondering what you all think is allowed. I was in a hand with the guy and one other person and he made a big bet and I was next to act, I commented on what I thought he had and there was someone left to act after me. I realize that was a mistake, but at least I was in the hand. He comments on pots he is not even involved in.

If there is already a table talk thread perhaps someone could link it.

Also, is it considered acceptable form to comment on a hand you were not involved in, even after the hand is done? Like if someone hypothesizes on the strength of you hand?

Thank you.

You should not be commenting at all during a hand unless 1) you are in the hand; and 2) it is heads up. If there are multiple players in a hand, nobody should be talking about the hand. After a hand, I think you should be free to say whatever you want, because it has no effect on the outcome of the hand.

This isn't just etiquette its often the rule--no discussing the active hand except when heads up and done by the people in the hand. Even then some casinos don't allow that.

Next time tell the dealer to tell him to shut it. If that doesn't work ask for the floor.

Etiquette and rule-wise its fine to discuss a prior hand. I would caveat that with--as long as its not about how a participant in an active hand played a prior hand. That would be covered by the same rule about talking about a current hand.

Is the game in a regulated card room? Complain to the dealer and eventually a floor if the first step didn’t help.

If it’s a home game, everything is OK as long as the host and other players are OK with it. You can talk to the host or to other players to see how they feel about it, but there’s a decent chance they think it’s perfectly fine. I’ve played in games like that and they are generally significantly better than games where people object. If you are the only one bothered, it’s up to you to not play in the game anymore.

It is a game held at a bar. The dealer and the player Im complaining about are brothers and kind of run the game. They don't have any set rules per se. I don't think I am going to play the game anymore, it seems too dirty, always changing the "rules" to suit their needs.

YOu should not comment on a hand that you are in, or a hand that is multiway. You should not react at all to the flop. You should not comment in general about the players who involved in the hand.

You shouldn't really talk to guys who are in a hand. I have been in mid conversation with a guy, and as soon as he or I enter a hand, we both immediately act as if the other guy doesn't exist, until the hand is over.

After the hand, it is mostly fairgame to talk about a hand, though be sensitive to the fact that the guy who lost the hand may not respond well to anything that sounds like gloating or criticism.

Try to arrange for this group to play in a casino. Mr. Talky talky will get smacked down the first time he starts a play by play on a hand he is not in. And some players won't be polite about it, either.

That is just it. He has played in many casinos and he knows how to act. He just does it at this game because nobody does anything about it. The game is usually a cash cow for him. Lot of clowns at the table.

It's his club so he can do whatever the fak he wants, including splashing the pot. Either accept it or don't play there.

You're right. That ace didn't help me.

Best move is to walk away. Pettiest move would be to give a blow by blow, along with analysis, every time he is in a hand.

It’s totally up to you. You can play at the casino against (more or less) serious guys who play by the rules or play at the bar against clowns who don’t have any idea what they are doing and are fine with being very lax about rules.

You can also start your own game and play by your rules.

And you should discourage poker talk at the table in general. It educates your opponents. If your opponents are idiots, let them "educate" each other while you stay quiet and practice missile drills off their largest port.

--Marko Ramius

madlex is alluding to the fact that juicy games often have special 'rules' which annoy people who prefer strict adherence to the rulebook over making money. Basically if you want a by-the-book game, play in a well run casino and have a tougher table. Either choice is fine, up to you. Personally I'd play the soft game but also comment on the loudmouth's play during his hands vs. fish because that seems fair to me. Unless he's a massive fish himself.

Agree with madlex and WereBeer, this is a fun/soft game full of people who aren't concerned about the strict rules in a casino. Personally, I'd consider this a positive feature of the game. "Expert" table talk? Let's have some. If it is a fun game and this is accepted, why do you want to screw things up. Sure from a purist view, there's a chance of violating OPTAH or even flat out cheating with cues buried in table talk. If this is just guys busting each other, why not join in and enjoy the fact that this is a non-serious game where you can win a few bucks, have some fun with the guys, and maybe benefit as people spew information talking during hands.


This is one of the good parts of home game poker. Work on your skills. Real experts can talk people into calls or folds. In the beginning you'll spew information, but that's just tuition money.