The Ethics Behind Poker
It is often believed that in playing poker, all hats are off. Players are capable of doing what the other players are doing in order to win. This may sound a bit twisted but usually this is the only safe guiding principle to play poker with ethics.
Rule of thumb in poker ethics is don't cheat. That is the bottomline after all. In any social circle, cheating is unacceptable. In most casinos, cheating in a poker game could be led to a night or so in jail. It could also mean being banned from that particular casino. In a private party, cheating could also lead to banishment from that social circle or the anger of your good buddies.
Another questionable matter in playing is bluffing. Bluffing in poker is actually considered to be a part of the game. Poker wouldn't be half as interesting had bluffing not been invented. Bluffing occurs when a player bets on his hand to give the assumption that this player considers his hand to be the best during that round. It depends on the player as to how far he may bluff to win the pot.
As to how far one is allowed to bluff during the game is a case to case basis. In some circles, bluffing can go as far as the player announcing that he has a full house when indeed he actually has a pair. It can also be the likes of declaring an improvement in the hand because of the draw. However, to some players, these types of bluffing are unacceptable. Bluffing to them should just be limited to betting and not to the extent of saying things that are untrue.
Bluffing in some way is a means of deception. Rather it is a psychological warfare in poker. Just as announcing before a turn that the player intends to raise the bet when in reality he has no intention whatsoever. Although, this move doesn't really mean a penalty to that player, it can still be considered unethical.
In a similar matter, there comes the term betting blind. Betting blind is when a player bets without taking a look at his cards. The player announces that he is betting blind. There is nothing wrong with betting blind after all this is a risk the player is willingly taking. It becomes unethical when the player actually took a look at his cards and made it appear that he hasn't.
Lastly, partnerships or splitting pots in a poker game is definitely unethical. Poker is a game for individuals. It is a game where every man plays for himself. A wife and a husband may be playing at the same table but they are still going to be betting against each other. An agreement to split the pot instead of a showdown between two players is unethical.
Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. If you check instead of placing a bet in the hopes that someone else bets to set you up for a raise, expect other players to do that as well. Don't take it personally if someone bluffs their way into winning the pot against you. You would have done the same thing. Or you could have been doing it as well, only you were out bluffed.
Just like in any other activity, ethics in poker is subjective. One should be able to adapt to the other players in the game. What is ethical to one person may be unethical to another. With poker being a social past time, it is important to consider ethics in the game. It keeps the game friendly. After all, everyone is just there to have fun.