Why do they play like that?!

You know ’em. You don’t love ’em. What’s up with players who seem to bet excessively or always use up their full clock?

Poker is, fundamentally, a game of attrition. An individual should only worry about their own interests. However, Replay is clear that it’s not good etiquette to deliberately annoy other players in order to personally unsettle them. 

Not all players are playing to win chips. They want to experience the thrills and spills of a card game with no downside. We ask that experienced players show patience with the less capable players.

Excessive betting and raising

Before reporting excessive betting and raising, you should consider the context of the game.

• In a freeroll, the players may be new and inexperienced.
• In a tournament with unlimited rebuys, it’s a common strategy to try to build a big stack by playing very aggressively in the rebuy period, and cannot be controlled.
• In a ring game, a ‘bullying’ strategy will change the dynamic of a game which has been played quite sedately, but there are many acceptable poker strategies available to use. Not all of them are profitable long term. Betting and raising are within the rules of the site.

There are a number of options to counter this style of play and they are covered in detail in our article about players who frequently go all-in.

If all else fails, there is the option to create your very own private table for just you and your friends!

Stalling

Players play poker at different speeds for many reasons. As above, some play fast and loose. Some are more considered in their approach.

Before reporting habitual players who seem to take too long, please remember that opponents may be slow through reasons beyond their control, such as internet lag or personal capability. There are situations we all encounter when it’s reasonable to take a while to consider the options — whether in an important pot in a tournament, or a critical street in a ring game.

• When nearing the ‘bubble’ in a tournament, taking up more of one’s clock time is commonplace and not an infraction of Rules
• Playing multiple tables at once can create situations where important decisions are needed at more than one table almost simultaneously. While Replay allows play at more than one table, we recommend players limit themselves to a number they can easily manage for a prolonged period.

Take a look at our article on slow play and the ways it could be a legitimate strategy.