Feel free to share any and all encounters with A holes at the table and how you shut them up or otherwise handled it.
5thStreetIf you've ever seen those "power slap" contests, saw basically the poker table equivalent of that at 2-5.
College kid was yapping, called another guy a ****** and a fish, dude stood up, walked over and knocked bro clean out with an open-hander to the jaw. Ambulance and fire came.
Permaban for slapper, day ban for slapee but he never came back.
Saw a guy pull out one of those expandable batons and chase another dude around the table until the redcoats got there. Neither party was truly motivated to get at it, but there was a 2 or 3 second instant of anger where the baton guy probably would've yoked the other guy if he had caught him.
Saw a gangster in the big blind flash a gun in his waistband after being shown a bluff by an early raiser (in a pot of blinds). Everyone played it cool but obviously extremely nervous, floor saw it and called security. The coats showed up in a trot, one with a taser, the other Glock drawn and at low ready. Table scattered, dude got put out.
I will die on this hill- there is literally no place on this earth where you will have a broader cross-section of society than a poker room... and thats a huge part of its appeal.
You will have CEOs sitting at tables with actual murderers, having casual conversations about football. Its a big part of its draw, but something to always beware of when you're playing. You're sitting at a table with someone whose values on violence may be quite different than yours and if you don't understand that world and its parameters, beware, because its different than the cul-de-sac you grew up in....
Not exactly an incident but hopefully worth sharing.
About ten years ago I was playing in a private game. I’d only played there once before and didn’t really know anybody in the player pool. There were ten players, two dealers, two house men, and three or four guys waiting.
The cops kicked the door in with guns pointed like they were raiding Tony Montana. After telling everyone to place their hands on the table one of them said “If you’re carrying a weapon, slowly raise one hand.”
Every hand in the room went up except mine....
Several years ago, I'm walking into the poker room and I get seated immediately. I had to go to the cage to get chips at this cardroom, so as I'm standing in line, these 2 rather large gentleman start having a disagreement about $500 right behind me. I'm trying to ignore them and not pay them any attention. It's not my business.
"GIVE ME MY F'N MONEY" shouts Large bearded man #1.
"YOU'LL GET IT TOMORROW" says Large bearded man #2
"YOU LYING SACK OF ****, DON'T MAKE ME..."
and that's when Large Bearded Man #2 is pushed into me, while large bearded man #1 pounced on number 2. I fell to the ground, having a rather large man pushed into me while my back is facing them.
Security shows up, one dude is detained and arrested/cops are called... Other dude is taken out on a stretcher. Poker room has about 8-10 tables going, everything stops and everyone is rubber necking the situation for approximately 30-60 seconds, then the games resume.
Security asks me if I'm okay, I'm fine.. I start flexing my hand as if it were sore from me breaking my fall. Poker room manager prints me out a comp for the steakhouse as a goodwill gesture. I accept it.
I skip poker, take my buddy to the steak house, i get the biggest, most expensive cut on the menu... and we called it a night.
That's the best I got. Not a winner, but I got a steak dinner....
