Traditional poker etiquette and the established rules of online civility, commonly known as netiquette, go hand-in-hand when it comes to playing poker online. Newcomers to online poker sites can make a few common mistakes, and a few guidelines have been set in place in order to avoid potential embarrassment; these rules are established to ensure everyone participating has a good experience. Different poker playing websites have slightly different standards of behavior for their members, but general rules advise beginners to be mindful of their comments to fellow players and to consider if they would say the same thing if they were face-to-face with the other person. Some good-natured ribbing goes on at some virtual poker tables, but others may be more serious; it all depends on the individual atmosphere just as with off-line poker meetings. Trash-talking and excessive curse words are usually frowned upon just as they are in any regular online chat room or discussion board.
The established rule of “one hand, one player” still applies to online poker and it is often considered an honor system since online poker players usually do not see everything that is going on off-line, unless they happen to be playing via a video chat system. A player having a friend giving advice next to him or her at the computer breaks this rule, as does making online comments about other players’ hands. It is also considered proper form to keep the game itself going and not to spend excessive time considering a poker hand; wandering attention is also frowned upon just as at traditional poker tables. Whenever possible, it is advised to use those advanced strategy skills to plan ahead and avoid holding up the game.
Some players feel it is absolutely necessary to discuss a poker hand online, and many feel more free to do this using the chat feature then they would in a casino. If this is a common situation, it is advised to wait until the hand in question has been played by everyone at the virtual poker table. Also, it is considered bad form on many online poker sites to make excessive commentary on a hand that has just been played; some players may have more positive feelings about their poker hands than others. Another component of online poker etiquette is not to cause unnecessary disruptions, which usually has to do with messaging. If one player sends a message to another who is slow to respond, it is considered rude to bombard him or her with additional messages. There are some sites where online poker players have the option to play their hands with the chat feature disabled because it allows them improved concentration.