Comments From PLO8 Tourney

I want to go out of my way to apologize for some things I said on Wednesday. Not for telling so-and-so, "Your blog sucks!" either. LOL.

During a tournament, there are rules set in place to attempt to ensure each player receives as fair of a shot as he can get.

While poker is never going to be completely on the level, or 100% honest, poker rooms do try to ensure as fair a game as possible.

For instance, if two "friends" are sitting at the same table, and the other players start to notice that while they are in a hand together they are raising and reraising players in between them (jamming), they might call the floor over and ask to see both players' holecards after the hand is over. Usually, when this occurs, one player has a premium hand, while the other holds a piece-o-cheese that in no way fits with the exposed cards (board cards in Stud games, flop cards in HE games).

Another way that cardrooms try to keep the games fair, is disallowing some types of talk during live play and/or tournaments.

Most tournaments these days use TDA rules.

Stars uses most TDA rules verbatim. Of course, there must be some additional rules for online play, but the general gist is the same.

In the beginning of the tournament, I was distracted by the whole bloodwork FUBAR. I was chatting with my Dad on Yahoo IM. I was also talking to Glenn and not paying much attention to the game.

A couple of times I "gave advice" to players in the first hour. Not while actual hands were being played, but later. This is not directly against tournament rules, per se, but it is not fantastic etiquette either. A case can be made that I gave everyone the same advice, although I was addressing one, particular player. A case can also be made, on the flip side, that I was giving a player advice on a particular hand just played, so he, in all actuality, received more specific advice. It is a fine line.

While some readers may think I'm being a little extreme, and hard on myself, the fact remains that it would have been better altogether not to speak about any hands. Not before, during or after play of said hands. Not to even speak, period, about how to play a tourney (not because it is unethical, necessarily, but because it's just stupid).

I've seen players "coaching" other player in every type of event, from the lowest payout freeroll all the way up to 10k buy-in events. This is simply dumb. Why would a good player want to "teach" worse players? But for whatever reason, this remains the case.

In my particular faux pas, I will make no excuses. It was in poor taste, and I will try never to repeat the mistake.

My apologies to all involved.

Felicia :)