Moral Dilemma

[Girgy85]

The old saying is 'You pay to learn' and its his money to what he wants with! I wouldnt feel guilty about taking anybodys money because they certainly wouldnt care if they took mine! Its clear to see that his GF doesnt like him playing and i would find it hard to play with somebody watching over me and was scared if i lost money i couldnt afford to lose! If he couldnt afford to lose it then thats his own fault!

What did the others have to say about you scaring the fish away from the tank??

[cia260895]

if you were playing online and there was someone playing who clearly didnt have a clue what they were doing would you still sit there and take their money? if the answer is yes then surely the same should apply to a live game.

People also download music illegally online, but wouldn't even consider stealing a CD from a shop.

Not quite the same though

[Rookie (Rodney)]

FFS Compo, I told you to keep quiet about it.

And Ling wasn't crying at the cash desk, she had something in her eye.

[kinboshi]

if you were playing online and there was someone playing who clearly didnt have a clue what they were doing would you still sit there and take their money? if the answer is yes then surely the same should apply to a live game.

People also download music illegally online, but wouldn't even consider stealing a CD from a shop.

Not quite the same though

They are analogous though.  Many people have no qualms about taking stuff online as they feel as though it is 'victimless' or at least they can't see the victims.  Taking something from someone physically is often viewed differently.

[kinboshi]

FFS Compo, I told you to keep quiet about it.

And Ling wasn't crying at the cash desk, she had something in her eye.

[action man]

You can sit down at Luton with under 20 big blinds?

I've found that a player who sits down with his girlfriend sat behind him watching will always be a bad player - they never seem to know what they're doing.

You should have taken his money and chatted up his girlfriend - 'I'm Compo, from the television, don't you know'.

+1

If his GF was in tears over him wasting the money you should tell her to leave his sorry arse.

I have been in a similar situation once in Holland in a poker game at the bookies (private game after hours) where I did take the guys money and, behind his back when he went to find more money, gave it back to his GF who was clearly upset at him gambling and looked a decent enough person...just told her to keep it for herself as she'll need it to buy new furniture when she moves out.

Before it makes me look too generous, it was a small amount.

she was in tears because he took his degenorate ass to the casino, instead of taking her to the cinema. Id be crying to if i had to spend a night in the G-casino luton.

[Singheee]

If this player who didnt no what he was doing managed to somehow win a few pots and take all ur money what would have thoughts been then? I dont think he would have felt guilty about taking your money.

[action man]

He sounds like an idiot who wouldn't listen to any advice anyway - I'd say take his money and if you want to give advice to anybody give it to his girlfriend to dump him.

he's an idiot because he lost money as a novice player? you gotta pay to learn in this game mate. Or were you born a winner?

[doubleup]

This isn't a moral dilemma, it is just a personal choice about why you play poker i.e. not entirely for money.  

When I played as a amateur I would regularly play high stakes online, because I liked the challenge and losing within reason wasn't crucial.  I now attempt to make a living from the game, so it is rediculous to play when I don't think I have an edge.  The character in the OP is just another player that can be beaten, the only difference between him and someone not as bad, but still bad, is the time it will take them to lose.  Also I'm not sure that it is really your right to have the player removed.  If you felt unhappy about playing. then you should have left the game.

[WarBwastard]

Poker by its nature is a predatory game though - you make money by picking on the weaker players no?  You don't want to have to wade through a table of Doyle Brunsons every evening.  As long as he wasn't so p*ssed that he didn't even know he was in a casino, he's really the kind of person you want at your table isn't he?  He may have been absolutely loaded anyway and just been buying in for small amounts cause he had no idea what he should be buying in for. 

Its also possible his girlfriend was crying cause, well, she's a woman.  They cry for all sorts of reasons, I read it in Cosmo.  She might have had sore feet from new boots, been watching Bambi earlier in the night and had a delayed reaction, had some awful cheap contacts in....many many reasons - but anyways, you did more than most by asking someone to have a word with him - once said word has been had and he chooses to continue playing, he needs relieving of his money.  Who was it who said never give a sucker an even break?  That wasn't in Cosmo, it was on Rounders though.

Morals and poker never the twain shall meet.  Or something.

[FuglyBaz]

Dave, I think I would do the same thing as you did.

Online though, they can play at the smallest limits without any financial risk. if they chose to donk off at $2/$4 online I wouldnt feel as bad because it's their problem. I would still feel uncomfortable though.

Its what somebody else said earlier, its harder to take something off people in the flesh.

[Digger]

I'm sorry, but my sympathy level would be quite low here, his money is worth the same as anyone elses...

It's never the guy I feel sorry for. People can burn their money for all I care. It's the GFs in this case.

But if him spending £100 in casino sends her to tears, theres a lot more wrong with the relationship than just this...

Maybe he'd promised her an diamond ring!

Morals.....huuummmm..... tuff one this, but I'm of the opinion that he has a responsibility to himself & his lass, if he chooses to 'gamble' which is what he is clearly doing here then that is his choice.....he could have just as easily walked up to the roulette table & put the cash on Red & it drops in Black. He fancied his gamble on the poker table!

If he'd been on his own would you feel differently?

[Laxie]

The whole thing smells of a lad who was in need of 'paying the rent' and thought he could do it the quick way...only he didn't.  It's a tough one.  I might have even pulled him aside and had a quiet word, but at the very least, it was absolutely right to point it out to management.  It's all fine and well to say he's just another fish at the table, but he's playing at a level he doesn't belong in and obviously doesn't have the means to afford a loss.  Maybe I'm just another softy, but I couldn't sit at a table with someone like that.  Drunks...yes.  A hard luck tale trying to recover...not a hope.  Read a poem last night that Red had posted about looking in the mirror.  I wouldn't be impressed with what I saw if I took the lad for his last penny.  And that's why I'll never be rich.    

[AlexMartin]

I dont see the dilemma. Id go and have a chat with the guy, obv away from the table and say if he sits back down he will lose the lot as he is quite obviously new to the game and lacking in ability. Id tell him to go play smaller stakes tournaments live and low-stakes online cash and read up before playing live cash. Only because the kid obviously has no money which is why his gf is crying. If it was a random 40yo with a huge wad of fifties, a jag outside and a smiling face i wouldnt be so kind.

also, how does he sit down in a £50 min buyin game with so little?

[TightEnd]

It was a £25-100 game at outset I believe.