Gamblers' Manners

I have found that many players have different attitudes about socializing in casinos.

There are some games where conversation among gamblers is very common -- at craps tables and poker tables for example. It's not unusual to strike up a conversation with the players around you. Of course, craps is almost a community game -- with many of the players cheering together at some point.

I don't play roulette so you'll have to tell me if roulette players talk about the wheel and what numbers are coming up.

Live poker is another game with conversation. I play poker at several casinos and the conversation can range from sports to the news, to bad beats, to fashion and cars.

But I found when it comes to Video Poker you will find two kinds of players -- those who are conversational and those who think their seat is in a "cone of silence" that also makes them invisibile.

What kind of player are you at the various games? If you meet up with me, please feel free to strike up a conversation because I'm not a professional gambler -- I'm there for the fun of it. But if you want to be invisible in a cone of silence -- tell us here. And let us know -- when is it okay to chat and when it's not.

I will chat with adjacent players if I get a sense that they don't mind, but I won't push it. Generally, I will keep my concentration on the game. I will NOT converse with a drunk or anyone who smokes next to me. The worst kind of talker at a nearby VP machine is someone who is "coaching" the player, and the coach has no idea what he is talking about.