Long-time regular loses his marbles (2 Viewers)

[Bluegrass Poker]

My reg in question is why we had to stop ordering pizza. He would always dodge contributing but then cruise the leftovers and eat without paying.

This guy has done that too.

I was willing to give him the benefit of doubt and chalk it up to a bad day but these additional facts make the decision rather easy for me. He’s gone.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Whataburger or subway, FTW.

There is one of each on N Main, just north of the game.

You can pick up and still observe your curb dining ritual.

I'm a cheap bastard. Gotta save all the money for the table. I get the double cheeseburger and small fries combo that's like $4. Plus I don't know what kind of illegal substance McD's lace their fries with, but I cannot resist them.

 

[Budha]

I'm a cheap bastard. Gotta save all the money for the table. I get the double cheeseburger and small fries combo that's like $4. Plus I don't know what kind of illegal substance McD's lace their fries with, but I cannot resist them.

McD’s over Whataburger…

 

[MrCatPants]

McD’s over Whataburger…

Whataburger is not what it once was pre PE acquisition. PE ruins eveeything.

 

[Taghkanic]

FWIW, as alluded to above: For the past couple of months (about 3 straight games total) one of my longtime regs has been blowing up at people. Also saw him lose it at another game.

He is usually a smart, winning LAG. Lately he has been running bad—some of it from ordinary variance, some due to a few newer and sharper faces joining our mutual games, some a result of other regs finally realizing that he just can’t have it so often when he makes aggressive plays. So he’s getting called down light a lot and losing.

One session he was well over 700BB down before making a scene and storming out, taking the biggest stack (who had caught a ride with him) regretfully with him.

After comparing notes, the couple of other rags, and also the host of the other game we both play in, I decided to call him as suggested to the OP of this thread to find out if there was something else going on in his life, and in any case to put it into these tantrums.

My concern was not just his growing volatility, but the impact is has on other players, especially those who haven’t played with him for years.

My plan going in was that if he denied the problem, and pushed back at all at my suggestion that he was behaving inappropriately, that I would suspend him from the game for the remainder this summer, and then have another talk with him around Labor Day.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the player regretful of his behavior, and willing to try to contain his temper. He apologized and committed to being more respectful of the game.

As it happened, he can’t attend again until next month due to some work obligations, so that creates a short hiatus for further cooling down.

I’m glad I had “the talk” with him rather than just going nuclear via text, as I nearly did. (The last blowup being particularly bad.) He is now on notice that he’s on a one-strike-and-you’re out probation, and with hope he has learned a lesson.

This thread was helpful in deciding both my approach and how specifically to discuss a sensitive subject with a hothead.

Will see how he does the next time his bluff gets called by middle pair…

 

[Seven2Wizard]

Cash game tonight. Couple things occur with a long time regular that results in a weird incident. Where do you go as a host after the below?

1) Host feels a creased card while dealing and reminds players not to press down on the cards while peeking. Player in question gets defensive. It passes.

2) Player in question has a penchant for sloppy betting practices. Cuts out chips over the line (pushes a whole stack, sets it down and releases, then starts working his cut out of the barrel) without a verbal on the regular, and is warned this is string betting. In a subsequent hand he starts dripping chips slowly into the pot. He's told the bet can stand but is again wsrned he needs to stop string betting and should cut his chips out in his stack. He gets defensive and goes between "no casino does this" and "this isnt a casino whats up with all the rules?"

3) a holdem hand - he is big blind. Button opens, BB 3 bets, button 4 bets to 200 BB. Player in question has about 280 BB total. He asks if they can run twice, i tell them someone has to be all in first. Other player in the hand repeats that. Player in question calls the bet and asks "go twice?" and the other player repeats that no one is all in so they cant yet go twice. I confirm. Player in question stsrts getting belligerent and i deal flop. Ace in the window, BB checks and says "check it down?" And button says no and goes all in. BB angrily folds pocket queens face up, tosses chips to host and says "cash me out" and leaves table.

4) Player returns to the room and starts ranting about how in a cash game players can agree on whatever they want and starts posing hypothetical scenarios about what could happen with various run twice or agreements to stop action. Host reiterates that the all-in and 50BB pot minimum rules for running it twice have been in place in the game for alnost a decade. Player storms out.

Does host owe a followup to plsyer? Does player owe one to host? Is player out of the game unless they show some contrition? Just ignore it and move on? Wtf do i do with someone who lost several marbles?

Host is the casino owner so to speak. All rulings are final. Don’t like it, kick rocks!

 

[Budha]

Whataburger is not what it once was pre PE acquisition. PE ruins eveeything.

Yes, however we are still comparing to McD’s - lol.

 

[Player922000]

It all just depends on tolerance of the group in my opinion. If it’s all friends and everyone knows he’s a hot head and just puts up with it then it is what it is. If it’s not all friends and more than one person has a problem with the way he’s acting then it requires a discussion with that player about his attitude. If he’s apologetic he gets another chance to show improvement, no improvement and he’s no longer welcome. If he’s unapologetic then he gets uninvited to future games.

 

[APatHand]

So, what has been done about this problematic player?

Enquiring minds...

 

[MrCatPants]

So, what has been done about this problematic player?

Enquiring minds...

Hes been tickled.

 

[krafticus]

Hes been tickled.

Who had to tickle the poor guy?

 

[APatHand]

Hes been tickled.

Just, eeewwww.