Etiquette question for online play

Hello, all -

I'm new to the online poker thing, thanks to two evil friends of mine who got us hooked - Grumbar and Alli2132. I used to travel to LV once every three months to play poker (and even lived there for a year), but haven't been able to do that since getting remarried and having a couple of kids.

When I was hitting LV on a regular basis, my favorite tables were $1 - $5 stud where there was a relaxed, friendly group. Grumbar and Alli will tell you I can talk the hind leg off of a donkey, so a chatty table is perfectly fine by me.

When I tried out the online poker tables, I noticed that they are darn near silent most of the time. Now granted, this may be because the hands seem to move faster online than playing live or that people are concentrating more because it's harder to catch tells online. If I'm chatty at an online poker table, am I breaking some online poker taboo? I hate when other people ruin my play experience, so I don't want to be the one who is doing the ruining.

Opinions, advice, etc. are most appreciated.

Cheers,

Lady Siren

What I recognize in live games compared to online games, is that it takes no energy to say something verbally and you can get what you want to say off your chest quick. When online, typing for a lot of people is slow and it takes much longer to make a point.

Most people dont want to type chit chat because the chat window is small, it takes awhile to type and online, in general, people are a lot more comfortable with confronting people about bad plays, making the online expieriance a much more hostile one.

Serious poker is not a game for friends because you are against everyone. You arent playing the house, you are playing each other. Online there are a lot of addicts who take poker seriously. So small talk doesnt have a home online. People stick to talking about the previous hand, and talking about what a stupid play the person just made.

EDIT - Vulger

Welcome to THF LadySiren. You will find that most players have no problem with someone (especially a women) who likes to chat while playing. If they don't like it they can use the no chat option availabe to them and it will filter out your chat. Just keep it reasonably clean, playful and not slow down the play at the table and you should have no problems.

I've played with quite a few chatty people online and it has never seemed to bother anyone at all. Except the rare occasion where someone is talking trash a LOT, that can get under some people's skin. We even have a few chatty people here at THF.

As Cowboy pointed out, a lot of people aren't very good typists so they don't type much unless they have something really important to say. Other people are playing multiple tables at the same time so they are busy hopping between tables and don't have much time to engage in conversation. I have seen people who have tried starting conversations with everyone at the table and been unsuccessful, and others who chat it up with anyone that will respond to them for the entire game.

There was a discussion on these forums some time ago about whether a chatty person at a table is giving you more information, and possibly tells, by their chatter. If I recall, the response was mixed, some thought you could get tells and others thought you couldn't. At the time I was in the camp that thought you could get tells from the chatter. And while I think there are people who do give tells with their chatter, most people don't. Some people, like our lovely Siren here, just enjoy the conversation and that doesn't change when they are holding monsters or rags.

So, to answer your question, you aren't going to get under anyone's skin by talking at the table, and probably if you don't get any response it's nothing personal. But you will occassionally find people who like to chat while they play as well.

Thanks everyone for the insight and advice; I appreciate it. My mouth tends to get stuck in the On position, as my friends will tell you, and I would prefer not to tick off my fellow players.

Grum, no flirting with me as I would prefer not to face Alli the Alligator.

Cheers,

Lady Siren

OK - some sites are more chatty than others - and play chips are often more chaty than others. If anyone has a problem then just tell them to turn your chat off.

I actually find it the other way (from my limited experience of live games)- people talk less in live games....

Anyway - in all THF games chat is welcomed.

All i will say is that there is kind of grey area over TOO much observer chat.

Chatting is fine as an observer but some players will get annoyed if it continues (from a player not in the tourney) for more than a few minutes. I would say that too much observer chat (ie LOTS of observer chat, not just normal amounts) may be bad ettiqutte but otherwise everything is fine. Slagging off players as an observer etc is also best avoided.

Often if you start the ball rolling others will follow.

Hi LadySiren and welcome to the THF. Home of the warmest friendliest bunch of poker players. In room chat never bothers me..in fact I can be amused with it when the play gets very slow..I have been known to talk a bit myself and tetter on the edge a bit every now and then..especially with....
See you at the tables!
Cali

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CalifNaughti - PokerStars

not always homeville - I will often chat alot at the same time as studying everything in poker traker etc. - If you are being friendly you will 1) have more fun which can actually make you consentrate more, 2) be more likely to get players to show (provides really useful info on reads. If a silent player suddenly asks what someone has then they will rarely get a true response - if two players are chatting its another matter.

True i will chat more in a 5$ game than a 200$ game but thats jsut because i will be spending more time with the poker tracker and less time on the table chat box. It is quite easy type type and think about something else at the same time