You're a Bunch of Factors

During every NPL game that I've ever played, there hasn't been a single person who understands the difference between the actions of "bet" and "raise".

So often I see people think that they are the authority on poker at the table, but don't even know the basic actions of the game.

ARGH!!!

enlighten us burger.

bet = if noone has put any money in the pot, raise is if someone has already bet and you are making the bet bigger.

what more is there to it?

moreover, who cares if they call it a raise or a bet, the effect is the same.

I think I know what he means...


I've seen this a few times myself (and it's pretty minor but yes also pretty basic).

Let's say the BB is 100, it's post flop and the first person to put out any chips has put out more than the minimum (let's make it 200). Some people seem to think this is a raise when in fact it's a bet as they are the first to actually put any chips out.


Strictly speaking it's a raise from nothing to something but yeah...it's a bet.

yeah blinds dont count for anything

some casinos actually take the blinds away from you before you UTG even acts, so this would definitely enforce that a preflop its a bet for you to act first and put more money in the pot than is required.

but it is pretty minor

Indeed Big Pete,

The person first to act after big blind can only ever fold, call, or bet.

I was just making an off the cuff comment about the amount of people who will argue ever facet of every rule at the table, and make trivial amatuer poker mistakes for example - say "raise" when a bet hasn't been made.

If you put in more than what the current action is, it's a raise. If there's no betting yet, there's no action.

Do you know what my pet peeve is?
Rule Nazis, well not exactly rule nazis I like to see a game run smoothly as much as the next person and the rules enforced and abided by.
What I really dislike is when I see a veteran player take advantage of a rookies misunderstanding of the rules or naivety.
I know one of our "respected" (and I do lose the word loosely now) players did this some time ago to a newcomer player when he told the player he had mucked his hand (the new player thought everybody had folded and it was his pot but the rule flaunter was hiding his cards) and then declared the pot as his.

This frustrates me and if I was the TD in this situation I would not hesitate to remove players from the game for unsportsmanlike behvior no matter at what time I heard of this.

As much as Poker is about deception and gambling, it is still a honest game and a game of and for honorable people.

Love your thoughts Garth and I totally agree.

It happened on my table a couple of weeks ago and I pulled the card hider into line as he had (in my words) tried to steal the pot from a new player to NPL. The new guy was sitting next to me and I said I would help him as much as possible so he could learn and enjoy the game.

There were 3 other players and the new guy raised on the flop. Two of them had reluctantly folded and the new guy was about to throw his cards into the muck when I stopped him.

I brought it to his attention the offender (who likes to hide his cards) was still in the game as hasn't called your bet or folded his cards as yet.

The card hider wasn't very happy with me and a few others on our table when we told him that his cards have to be visable at all times and not hidden behind his cupped hands. Obviously the new guy was grateful and learnt a valuable lesson.


Turned out to be a good night at the table and the young fella thanked me at the final break for helping him during the night. I was happy made final table and he was a little unlucky and bubbled out of the points.

So Dakota if you read this .......next weeks tip for the week is........... The players cards must be visable at all times and please muck your cards in order.

I agree on the whole rules nazi thing, it's supposed to be a fun game - down the pub with a few beers a few mates and some poker.

I've had people throwing BS rules in my face a lot recently, and they're not even right.

One guy last week was talking all sorts of junk about fine rules, but not living by most of the rules himself (hence the start of this thread and my comments about people who think they're the authority on poker making the simple mistakes and being hypocrits).

One of the (many) reasons that I play NPL is that I'm not good enough to quit my day job and play at the Casino. I sometimes wish a few other "regulars" took the same attitude...