Other Regs Annoyed

Don't change your game, but self deprecation goes a long way, and light humour; practice being social

- "I'm starting to dislike youy" -> "You're probably not at the level of my spouse/mother etc."
- Saying "I got lucky"
- "Great Call" when they're ahead

Nobody will care about your playing style or personality if your losing.
Everyone will love you if they take lots of money off you.

Thats it.

Don't worry about any of what you mentioned.
You playing super aggro keeps them out of pots but who cares.

If you were raising blind every hand and giving money away,
they would love you.

I sometimes think of playing poker like running a little store. Some opponents are customers. Some are competitors. The competitors don't like it when it feels like you're getting more from the customers than they are.

I wouldn't worry too much about the regs' annoyance, so long as the recs aren't put off by your presence. Just do your best to make the recs feel welcome. If the regs want to find another game or place to play, let them.

As for answering your specific questions:

• How do you manage table image when you’re the one driving action?

I make chit-chat with others at the table - what's your name, where you from, what do you do, have you had that mole checked out, got any pics of your girlfriend, would you like to see some, that sort of thing. I go out of my way to say "nice hand" or "good bet" whenever anyone wins a pot.

• Do you ever “cool it” to keep peace, or just let people be annoyed and use it to your advantage?

I'll reign it in if I think the table sentiment has coalesced and turned against me, such that more of my raises are getting multiple calls, and especially if it seems like players are rooting for other opponents to beat me.

But, again, I'm mostly concerned about the recs, not the regs. If there's one or two regs at the table who aren't capable of maintaining emotional equilibrium, screw them. That's their problem to solve, not mine to solve for them.

• Any good tricks for handling comments from regs without it getting awkward?

The most analogous experience I've had was when a young grinder reg sitting on my direct left took to muttering criticism about me and my play, quietly, yet clearly loud enough that it was obvious he wanted me to hear.

In game, I just ignored him, believing his tilt would lead him to make mistakes against me, so it was +EV. After the game, I seethed about his audacity, and wished I would have called him out on it, even though I doubt it would have helped the situation, or made me feel better, much less play better.

If regs were frequently making the sort of comments they seem to be making towards you, I'd try to make an objective self-assessment of my demeanor, to see if they may have a point, and if I thought they did, I'd make an effort to be more sociable.

What I would NOT do is soft-play them or anyone else, for the sake of soothing their bruised egos.

I built my bankroll in a game where I was so disliked that the other regs started a bounty pool for whoever could stack me.

You have to be able to ignore that stuff.

+1, imo

GcluelessgoodvibesnoobG

I very distinctly remember one time a guy I was on the left of and had been talking to for a couple of hours explicitly saying "I seemed like a nice person and it was nice having me in the game" ... I might have spoiled it by pointing out I'd recently given him $600, and most people liked me when I did that.

There are things you can do to create a more "fun" atmosphere, suggesting bomb pots or a round of straddles or even trying to patch in extrovert software and tell jokes or whatever. Those will probably make the game better too.
You can also point it out when you bluff and get called, and/or talk **** to people when they win a hand (this needs reads though, as enough people will say the worst **** possible but get angry as soon as you say anything).

For fun home games with friends I bring nice donuts, and have paid for the buyin for the hot woman at the office who's never played before (main home game is at an office, after hours). You can also alter the game easier in a home game to make it more fun/gambley.

In a casino what CMV said is mostly true, although it might be better if everyone doesn't hate you (if only to be invited to games).

Also I don't know you etc. ... but it's worth pointing that a combination of aggressively putting money in with bad hands and running like god tends to be the most annoying combination (but also wins piles), and that close to 0% of poker players think about altering their ranges when they are winning.

My guess is it's beneficial to have a bounty on you.

Say I have an overpair and I'm all in on the flop, and someone has a flush draw with 33% equity, but the pot odds for the opponent are not there normally, but they are with the bounty.

From your standpoint you want him to make the call because its +EV for you, but the bounty has made it +EV for him too.

Don't act slowly where it's not called for. Tank over a large pot sure. Don't be the slowest to act in ordinary normal situations and you probably won't get noticed as much.

Oh it totally was beneficial. The point is how I was so disliked that they set it up, not whether it was bad for me in point of fact.

I was friendly with one or two of the regs and one of them would point out spots where he thought the bounty got me action.

Yeah, would be interesting to see what adjustments you should make. The obvious one is not making many (if any) bluff shoves against players that cover us.

Only time I've adjusted my play is heads up or short handed where they were playing way too tight and I didn't want to make it overally obvious their strategy was wrong by raising every hand.

That wasn't to appease them though it was to keep them playing/keep them from adjusting.

the only table talk you should engage in regarding strategy is pure trolling. Always agree with whatever they say but take it to the next level. Reaffirm their terrible thought processes. As for changing gears; dont. Just keep doing whatever is working, which should ideally be properly identifying their range and playing accordingly. It doesnt matter if you are the nittiest player at the table and everyone correctly puts you exactly AA, if someone calls you preflop then play AA the way it wants to play vs whatever you think they might have. Maybe you end up betting $10 into a $100 pot for value, or maybe you just 1.5x pot jam turn because you think they cant fold a combo draw.

I used to buy in for the minimum at 2/5 and play tight. The other regs got annoyed, but I won that way, so I wouldn't worry. If they are annoyed, it is probably working.

There is a lot to this. When you state you're playing slowly, you are playing really slow to everyone else. You should already know what you're going to do as your next action if some checks or raises before they do it.

Throw headphones on and keep taking their money

Few people ever sit at a table with strangers for five hours. It’s not socially normal. People sit at tables with their friends, family, and colleagues. And now you’re supposed to try to take money from these strangers and also get along? People fight all the time at the table. Why would you expect otherwise?

And in poker, you are on display. Strangers are watching you. It’s not like on a plane or a restaurant, where you are close to strangers but everyone is minding their own business.

It’s not socially normal, and people will say mean and stupid things.

It’s terrible but I love escalating conflict with Degens at the table so long as most players and the dealer are on my side. I know it’s an angle, but getting degens all emotional just makes them play bad.

I think you just have to be yourself. In some ways it’s like being an avatar in a video game, nothing personal, just playing poker. Don’t get stuck in your mind about what other people think of you or what you think of other people. Just be yourself, play hard & have fun!