Whether you win or lose, you need to make sure that you walk out of a room without having made enemies or having embarrassed yourself, otherwise you might not get invited back to the table in a future event. Be sure not to taunt other players when you are up, or whine when you are down – keep your emotions to yourself. After all, it’s just a game, and it’s important not to wear your feelings on your sleeve in poker, anyway.
Even if you are online and you aren’t playing face to face, keep your head in the game – don’t walk away from the computer half way through a hand, as others will often be waiting on you and become annoyed if you slow down the pace of the game. Also, many sites allow you to pass comments to other players – although you should stay in the spirit of the game, you should refrain from avoid saying something that you’ll regret later on.
When playing at someone’s house your playing style will be much more comfortable. In this situation, your focus should be on playing a relaxed game without being overly competitive. Winning is not everything, especially with friends, so try not to push people right to the wall. Of course, if you know the people very well, you may turn an advantage by pushing their buttons to get a rise out of them and have a little fun while throwing them off their game. As poker often goes along with parties and get togethers, you’ll want to make a conscious effort to limit your drinking if you want to win, as the sober player will probably always come out on top. Of course, if you’re just there for a good time, throw the rules to the wind, bring your own drinks and enjoy yourself.
