Guilt...

PShabi · #1 05-01-06, 10:40 PM

Man,

I've been through the same scenario at least a couple times. All the way down to everyone sitting out. I've also been really chatty w/ ATMs like you mention. I even say shit like, "Damn, I got lucky to hold up there," as he paid off for the 1,000th time. I've seen all of the things you mentioned, just maybe not ALL at the same table.

The only difference, I feel no guilt.

GTDawg · #2 05-01-06, 10:53 PM

What's the everybody sitting out thing?

lightfungus · #3 05-01-06, 10:58 PM

He means once the free-money guy left the table, everyone else left too. I do it all the time.

Talking Poker · #4 05-01-06, 11:10 PM

Yup... as soon as the ATM left, the table broke up. I've seen that happen before, but never quite like last night, where everyone apparently turned off the "Auto Post Blind" as he was getting all in, and then one at a time sat out when asked to post the BB.

"Guilt" isn't the best word to describe what I was feeling. Maybe "sympathy." Like, I knew how bad he was and that he was going to lose all his money, but he didn't know I knew. Not only that, but he didn't even know himself.

Boobie Lover · #5 05-02-06, 12:00 AM

I've seen this happen various times. It can be humbling to understand that to be profitable I have to prey on those that play worse, or have less emotional control than myself.

melioris · #6 05-02-06, 08:59 AM

When you strip it bare to the core, poker is a cruel heartless bitch of a game. And to succeed you got to be as close to that core as possible. As you know this is something I struggle with.

For what it is worth, check out nature. The cold-hearted cruelty required to survive in the wild makes poker look like a cupcake.

Talking Poker · #7 05-02-06, 01:11 PM

That's a good point... but in nature, you don't see the predator being all buddy buddy with the prey, while attacking him. The prey knows he's prey and knows the predator doesn't have his best interests in mind.

It's not the predatory nature of the game that I have any problems with - because I don't. In order for me to win, I need others to lose. I know this. The other night though, it was just a weird situation, since he had no idea what was happening and liked me for some reason.