If you were playing in some of the classier games, two “associates” would escort the offender to the restroom and “explain” that the loose player was needed for the good of the game. This usually resulted in the offender returning and sheepishly apologizing. Repeat offenders were escorted to the door and dealt with more firmly.

In some games, you could almost count on the person you were berating setting a piece of hardware on the table and inquiring if you had anything more to say and if you did, was your life insurance paid up.

Either way, the feedback was immediate, personal, and meaningful. Somehow, online poker does not offer that. Ergo, kids will be kids.

The fact that online poker is very suspicious and now there is actually proof that some sites were rigging play (absolute poker).. I think this creates a bad atmosphere among players who just want to see normal flops and play normal poker. Given the chatting option just gives people the option to swear.. and lets face it, if you can swear you will.

All players try to detach from emotion, well I do, especially when playing for money. But if you look at the moment on google, there is an article about Phil Helmuth losing the plot online and ranting on for ages about how it’s unbelievable.. He doesn’t say ‘it’s rigged’ because it was his own site he was playing on! But how can poker stay friendly when someone who should be leading by example is swearing and losing the plot!

The bottom line is that Poker is gambling and where gambling exists – degenerates exist. Sad but true.