Etiquette For Online Casino Novices
Many online casinos and poker rooms have a 'chat facility' where you can chat with other players. However, even online casinos have the player that no-one wants to sit next to - make sure it isn't you with these simple tips.
Ask many experienced UK gamers why they prefer to gamble online and they will tell you it's the ability to play on their own terms in the privacy of their own home.
But just because you're wearing your dressing gown and slippers, rather than standing elbow-to-elbow around a crowded roulette table, you don't suddenly become exempt from basic rules of player etiquette.
Online gaming may not carry the risk of accidentally dropping cigarette ash into your opponent's drink or being disciplined for touching your chips at the wrong time, but there are plenty of other ways you could make yourself the most unpopular player at the table.
Which is why, if you're a newcomer to online casinos, it makes sense to learn the basics of gaming etiquette.
Friendly Chat
Be considerate and courteous to other players - remember, in online chat you don't have the advantage of body language to show you're not as serious as your harsh words seem to imply. Trying "I was only joking" after verbally assaulting a fellow player probably won't be enough.
The chat feature is easily abused - writing ALL IN CAPS is hard to read and often implies you're shouting. Any typed message is like a loud voice in a silent room - so cursing, making dubious jokes, or advertising your business will inevitably come across as crass.
People who stay silent probably enjoy being able to play anonymously - let them stay that way and don't pester them.
Stick to English unless you're in a foreign-language setting: if two poker gamers suddenly start chattering in Italian, no matter how innocently, other players are likely to suspect collusion and cheating.
Machine Methods
If you and a friend or family member like to play at the same time in the same place (say, one person on the computer in the home office, the other using the one in the living room) you should avoid playing in the same game.
Warn the casino if you plan to use a different computer from your usual one, or if two account-holders like to use the same computer at different times - casinos often match account details to computer details to prevent fraud, and it's wise to avoid causing confusion.
Protocol In Play
Before you start playing, make sure you know the rules of the game. Online casinos offer a lot of support to players, but mid-spin of the wheel is not the time to go off and read the FAQ page. Instead, practice on the free version of the game beforehand.
Don't slow the game down unnecessarily. Online gamers often like the fact that internet play is faster than a land-based casino and, while no one will criticise you for needing time to think, it's a courtesy to keep the speed up.
Conversely, if someone else is slowing the game down and you feel the need to prompt them, do it politely - they may have a slow connection and not know it.
If you need to disappear for a few minutes when you're playing a turn-based game such as online poker, look for an option to "deal me out" or "sit out". That way, you avoid returning from a trip to the bathroom to find your opponents have been twiddling their thumbs while the game prompts you to bid.
Poker and similar games are plagued by players who forget to ante or post blinds until they've been prompted a couple of times. Save everyone's patience by enabling the feature that does this for you automatically.
Nice One!
Finally, when the deal's gone the other guy's way or you've simply been outplayed, it doesn't do any harm to recognise this with a laconic "NH" - typed shorthand for "nice hand" - even if you have to do it through gritted teeth.
