Chat Tips for the Poker Rooms

Virtually all poker room software permits players to interact with each other in real time. This communication is called "chat," by metaphor to online intant messaging systems popular in social networks. Generally, though, it is best to be stingy with words, at least at the beginning, until you get a feel for how "chatty" the other players are. Some are downright tightlipped. Others may enjoy "talking trash" to keep from getting bored. Occasionally someone may be playing multiple tables and will get the chat screens confused. Almost anything is possible in the chat bubbles, so it is just good advice to start slowly and feel your way.

Chat Rules and Etiquette

Every online poker room will have rules about chat. Some of them are really obvious. Of course, it is important to maintain a calm and friendly atmosphere in cyberspace. Some players may take advantage of the physical separation to vent emotions or be unkind. This is sometimes called "flaming," and it is definitely a bad practice. Beyond that, the card room's "floor manager" will be selectively monitoring table chat and will enforce the rules against a scoff law, first by a warning, and then by kicking him or her off the site. In rare circumstances, a player may want to lodge a complaint via contact with customer service.

These are the norms that you will usually encounter:

General Civility

• DO NOT bully anyone into leaving a table.
  
  
• DO NOT threaten anyone.
  
  
• DO NOT insult anyone or his/her mother.
  
  
• DO NOT use vulgar, obscene, profane or offensive language.
  
  
• DO NOT make ethnic, racial or religious slurs.
  
  
• DO NOT speak in a language other than English (or the agreed table language).

Poker Issues

• DO NOT slow down the game with chat.
  
  
• DO NOT use chat to collude by coded communication.
  
  
• DO NOT reveal any information about cards in an active hand.
  
  
• DO NOT discuss anything about a hand in progress.
  
  
• DO NOT agree to check a hand down when a third person has gone all-in.
  
  
• DO NOT use chat to lead a player to act in a specific way with respect to a hand (bluff crutch).

Chat Terms

To make communication quicker, lots of abbreviations have been adopted by the online community. Some are obvious, others come from real life, and others may be quite obscure at first. The list of terms has been divided into three sections. The first is the most important, as it deals with communications about playing poker. (Example: nc for "nice card".) The second table merits study as well, as it contains terms more generally applicable to the courtesies of chat communication in general, without necessarily being linked to poker. (Example: 10x for "thanks".)

The third list is a large sample of more obscure abbreviations often used in the larger world of online messaging, and may find their way into poker room chat from time to time. (Example: ymmv for "your mileage may vary," used to mean "your experience may be a little different from mine.") One stylistic tip: Using all capitals is often considered SHOUTING in chat, so it is best to stick with lower
case. Most people do not care too much about spellings, punctuation or capitalization, either, and it would be bad form to comment on such short cuts.

Poker Terms