Internet game rage
The anonymity of the Internet means you can play poker naked if you want. (Just don’t share that information with your online opponents—it may ruin the game for them.) But anonymity also has a dark side. Most online games have chat options, allowing players to type in their thoughts and comments. The fact that they can’t see the other players turns some normally meek, well-behaved people into raging bulls at their keyboards, especially in poker. Their mission in life is to point out the mistakes of everyone else at the table, and they caustically attack their opponents, trying to drive them over the edge.
No matter how good you are, a skillful jab in the right place at the wrong time can throw you off your game. Consequently, a thick skin is critical
to maintaining your cool and managing your game. One of the best ways to keep your focus is to never stoop to the bully’s level. If you’re verbally attacked, don’t retaliate. Instead, be courteous or employ one of the best features of Internet casinos — the mute button, which silences any player at the table.
Online poker players also tend to bluff more, partially because you can’t see their eyes or facial expressions. And the deception involves more than just the cards. The names or pictures of players at your online table may have little in common with the actual person you’re competing against More often than not, SexyVegasVixen, who just cleaned you out in Omaha, isn’t sexy, nor a vixen, nor is sfrefrom Nevada.
