Do you ever feel guilty winning in cash games when playing live?

Scenario: working for a couple of months at a place, couple of guys in the office invite me to a private game after hours. They are very bad. I leave with a profit, and actually softplay them so I don't win more than 2x or 3x my buy in.

I stopped going to the game after the third time.

I used to play a game at the casino every 3rd of the month that I felt guilty about. 3rd = Social Security day for those that don't know. It also was the only day an O8 game ever actually started at the casino closest to me.
Anyway every month I'd go up there and do the same routine. for the first hour or two play the "I don't know this game" routine and drop $100 or so. Then I'd tighten up and play good O8 and leave a few hundred up every month. Always felt guilty about winning at that game.. no matter how I tried to make it seem okay with thoughts like "They were there to lose it anyway" and such.

What can I say, I have a soft spot for old people :P

Taking someone's paycheck doesn't bother me, but it's just.. they're so damn old!

 

Originally Posted by Niclamus

What can I say, I have a soft spot for old people :P

Taking someone's paycheck doesn't bother me, but it's just.. they're so damn old!

Tell us some good stories about big hands you played man. I always take the same approach you do in soft cash games. Lose money early and then just come storming back with my extraordinary skills. It's quite the hustle.

 

Originally Posted by Niclamus

No real good big hand stories really, I mean the occasional double scoop. It's a 4/8 half kill limit game. so scooping a 4/8 and then a 6/12 pot against those guys usually is like +200 in 2 hands. lol.

I was just kiddin dude I think you are full of cukka.

I mean I've won 10k+ pots off people live that can't afford it. Sometimes its off kids who are near busto taking shots. I always tell myself, if I were in their situation and they were me, would they feel bad? And the answer, truthfully, is no, no matter what they might say. It's their own fault for making bad decisions, it's not like I'm there targeting them, I just play my game. If you're feeling guilty over taking someone's money at the poker table, then stop playing as this game is not for you. Bigger games feed off people that don't belong in them, that's why the disciplined good players make a profit and rise to the top. If you bought a house that went into foreclosure do you feel guilty that you profited off someone else who is now homeless or living in a shit hole? No. Casinos don't feel guilty taking billions from people every year in slot machines. Point is let people make their decisions, and you make yours. Just make better decisions yourself and let them make theirs. If you don't take their money, someone else will, and its not like what you're doing is illegal and shouldn't be immoral in any way. Keep on grindin.

 

Originally Posted by Frank1The1Tank

I mean I've won 10k+ pots off people live that can't afford it. Sometimes its off kids who are near busto taking shots. I always tell myself, if I were in their situation and they were me, would they feel bad? And the answer, truthfully, is no, no matter what they might say. It's their own fault for making bad decisions, it's not like I'm there targeting them, I just play my game. If you're feeling guilty over taking someone's money at the poker table, then stop playing as this game is not for you. Bigger games feed off people that don't belong in them, that's why the disciplined good players make a profit and rise to the top. If you bought a house that went into foreclosure do you feel guilty that you profited off someone else who is now homeless or living in a shit hole? No. Casinos don't feel guilty taking billions from people every year in slot machines. Point is let people make their decisions, and you make yours. Just make better decisions yourself and let them make theirs. If you don't take their money, someone else will, and its not like what you're doing is illegal and shouldn't be immoral in any way. Keep on grindin.

100% this. People get angry when you take their money all the time when they realize they shouldn't have been putting all their scratch in play. It's not your responsibility to interrogate each player at each table you sit down at regarding their financial circumstances and not play pots with them if they can't afford to lose to you... in fact, that's why we play. If there's no dead money, poker isn't profitable...

If you grind cash in vegas and you don't play extra long sessions on social security day, welfare day, pool tournament week at the Riviera, etc, you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice.

I'm not sure the OP understands the definition of "hustling", unless there's something I'm missing about the live games you play.

 

Originally Posted by 88_mustang

Do you ever feel guilty winning in cash games when playing live?

Why would you feel guilty about live only and not online? You're doing the same thing it's just not face to face.

There is one game that makes me feel guilty every time I play. My father has a group of friends that like to play poker and every now and then I get invited. They have no idea what they are doing. They play really soft. Everybody limps in then when I raise they all loook at me like I'm not supposed to do that. It is so easy to tell if the have a hand. If the bet or raise(which is rarely) they have at least top pair. I always walk away with a good profit. They have actually asked me to join their game full time but my dad and I both thought that it was a bad idea. My dad is pretty good himself and he has felt the backlash from winning all the time.

Setting aside the apparent misuse of the word "hustling", does anyone feel good when they lose at poker? If you feel bad when you lose and you feel guilty when you win, why in god's name would you play. You could stay at home and bang your head against the wall.

Might feel bad if someone was angle shooting against these people. FYI stay away from Doug Lee!

ive never felt guilt from winnin in any game. if people cant afford to lose the money thats their problem. playin in home games we're all pretty relaxed and none of us use money we cant afford to lose so i have no problem takin their money. maybe im just a robot, i dont know!