Question of the Day - 19 September 2021

Move on to a new machine is certainly the obvious. Done that. But if I'm feeling playful, I mimic the behavior of the rude next to me that is annoying to me & most others. Well, short of smelling bad or smoking. For example, banging the buttons to hard? Do the same. Someone talking loud, foul language? Talk loud yourself. Swear a bit. It's actually entertaining & I've found one will get 1 of 2 reactions, besides friends with me laughing:

1.) A dumb blank look

2.) The person will get it and calm down. 

Sometimes I get confused and wonder if 1.) is actually 2.) and I'm reading it wrong but hard to say. Some people just aren't too bright. This technique also works with loud phone talkers in public. Instead of getting irritated, I will sometimes put my phone to my ear, start talking as loud as the other person close to them, and the response is really entertaining. And often works, the person shuts up, so I figure I did my public service for the day and got some entertainment value. :)

Unfortunately us poker players don’t always have the luxury of just moving seats, especially at tournaments 

I blogged about a particularly unpleasant smelling player a while ago http://ayecarambapoker.blogspot.com/2018/11/i-only-need-to-win-one-hand.html?m=1

Dingers, players that hit the single play button five times really distract me. I wear Shure 545 earphones with Sensaphonics custom molded sleeves that are advertised as sound isolating. Use Otoferm sealant when inserting and you are in your own world with your Xm app music, not the casinos music or the dinging next to you. I also use a mic app if I need to talk to someone. Or use a pair of your noise canceling headphones. Sensaphonics owner Dr Santucci here in Chicago says he made custom earphones for many musicians including The Rolling Stones but I was his first customer to use them in a casino. Your audiologist can make the mods and ship them to Sensaphonics. I bet the taliban has a “cutting edge”way to deal with dingers.

This is a question I've wanted to ask for years. All of these things drive me CRAZY. And it's true - you don't always have the option to move. Button pounding is the worst, but coming close to that is hitting the "bet one credit" button 5 times. What drives me crazy more than that? Hitting "max bet" EVERY SINGLE HAND. A rapid "Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding" to begin every hand. I break out in hives just thinking about it. I want to lean over and politely say, "You know that hitting mx bet every hand slows your play down? Just hit Deal/draw instead." I could rant about other things... But it will just make me more upset! 😂 I'm leaving for Vegas in 30 hours, so I don't want to get all worked up. 

I usually smoke cigars when I play VP. I'll make sure the smoke goes their way. Even take a few extra puffs to generate plenty of smoke.

I simply stop playing and stare intensely at the player and their motions. I mean, an icy, non-relenting stare. If they ask why I'm staring, I don't answer but just continue to stare. They usually move to another machine within a few minutes. 

hitting the bet one button multiple times is annoying? Hitting the play max coins button is annoying? You people are nuts! I thought the object of casino betting WAS to slow down since the house has an advantage. (Don't talk to me about 100% plus machines. There aren't enough of them in the world to accommodate all of you who say that's all you play). But if hitting the play one button (not pounding, tapping) bothers you, your concentration isn't good enough to...aw, never mind. You'll rationalize that, too. Pounders? Yes, that's aggravating. Loud? Yes, that too. Smelly or smoky? Sure. But tapping the keys one at a time? Wow!!

I walked up to a craps table.  The player to my left was the shooter and immediately 7-ed out.  He blamed me.  I must've had a bad aura or the air turbulence I created affected the roll.  It was funny because I had not even placed my Don't Come bet yet.  It was unpleasant and may have been intimidating for some, but I rolled with it (pardon the pun) and he eventually left the table

Should note that moving often isn't an option.  The place where I used to play had 3 9/6 JoB machines in the entire casino, right next to each other.  So the only option was to stop playing, moving wasn't one.

What was, not so much annoying, but worthy of a quick grin was seeing so many people using the only three good machines in the casino to play some 98% game or video blackjack paying even money on naturals.  More just a sad feeling that one or two of the only three decent machines in the place were being used to play really bad games! :-)

I was in the back of a casino, all alone, when a smoker comes and sits right next to me.  Now, I don't mind smokers if they blow the smoke up or away from me, but this person was blowing it directly in my face.  So I did what any normal person would do.  Lifted hind leg, and dropped the biggest silent but deadly fart ever.  It took them about 30 seconds to cash out and move on.  I think I made my point.  

Unfortunately I (and many others) have a condition called Misophonia which 'is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds or their associated stimuli that has been characterized using different language and methodologies. Reactions to trigger sounds range from anger and annoyance to activating a fight-or-flight response' (thank you Wiki). So of course this bothers me. I've come to the conclusion that these people are so addicted that they need more than the visual, auditory and emotional aspects of gambling but they also need their sense of touch involved. Needless to say due to having misophonia I will usually move. 

I like how the question is "IF the player next to you was totally annoying...," as if there isn't a virtual mathematical certainly of sitting next to someone annoying within about four visits to any casino in the world. :)

Yes, there's nothing magical about a "lucky" machine. So, don't stay for that. Either move or take some other appropriate action (calling security if the person is harassing, ignoring the person who is talking too much and see if they quiet down, etc.). 

Considering all the annoyances in casinos, if someone hitting the button hard is the most annoying thing that every happened to the person posing the question, they should consider themselves rather fortunate. 😀

...please 

I add to the “complaints list” something which probably affects slot players more than it does VP players, but which still annoys each of us now and then:
Some people raise the level of the sound (on their Lightning Link or their Invaders From the Planet Moolah or whatever) to intolerable levels. I’ve taken to carrying two foam earplugs with me and deploying one or both as other players’ machine volume, button-smacking and senseless blather demand.
Dr. Don’s smoke-‘em-out approach sounds highly effective. Let Jorge Padron and Arturo Fuente help get the job done!

So far, no one has mentioned just talking with the person. I think that your first try (as with anything in life) should not be confrontational, because that construct does not have the greatest chance of accomplishing something. To the contrary: being the person's opponent or enemy is likely to make them NOT want to stop. You could crack the ice by saying, "Neighbor, is something wrong? You're really intense." That might trigger some self-realization in the guy; but if not, he will probably ask YOU something, like "You mean that I'm being loud?" Without reprimand, and maybe with a smile, you can say, "Yeah, it's kind of noticeable." He might now get the thought that he's bothering you, but if he doesn't actually say something like that, you can add, "You know, I really need to concentrate in order to play correctly, but loud speech [or "pounding the machine"] makes it really hard for me to do so." Instead of making it be about him being a culprit, you make it about you being a victim.

To you guys who questioned or put down the folks who are irritated by people who tap the "Bet 1 Credit" 5 times: Understand that people simply are very different. Example: To me, about the most irritating thing in the world is a crying baby. (I'm not blaming the baby; he/she probably can't help it; I'm just sharing what irritates me.) But most of the time, the mother is clearly NOT irritated by the crying baby, but is smiling. We are miles apart, but that's just how it is with people. Players who tap the "Bet 1 Credit" button 5 times are mildly irritating to me, not so much because of the actual sound, but because it's stupid: They could be just hitting "Deal" once. Some of them may not know that they can just hit "Deal" once, but I think most of them believe that doing the 5-tap will produce better results. (It won't.) Same thing with people in slot tournaments who continuously slap the "Spin" button as fast as a woodpecker pecks a tree. Stupidity just irritates me.

"I usually smoke cigars when I play VP." LOL. Plenty of people consider smoking a cigar there to be annoying behavior. 

Many years ago, late at night, I was the *only* player at a long row of VP machines at the Trop in AC.  A big guy with a BIG cigar sat right next to me and puffed away. 
I politely said, “Excuse me, sir. Would you please move or put out your cigar?  I’m very sensitive to 
smoke and it’s making me sick.”  He refused, told me to move to the non-smoking section.  I explained that this game/pay table was not available in non-smoking.  After that, he deliberately blew the smoke in my direction.  

So I sneezed on him.  Twice. 

He moved. 

Not nice but drastic situations call for drastic measures.  Don’t think I’d do that today. Never know what nutcase might have a gun. 

Move. 

If they will not stop if asked politely and you have to move, pull out that spray can of "ass fart spray" you can get at walmart,  couple of squirts and sit at a distance and see their reaction, if any!!

Winner of the Internet today!!! 😂

I hate smoke so I have a USB fan with me when I play VP or tables. Since the pandemic I also have a small spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and a touch of lavender. If someone is annoying me blowing smoke in my face or just making a nuisance I can turn the fan add them along with the occasional misting. 

Just negotiate with the person by communicating regarding the issue in a non-threatening approach. If he or she makes the desired adjustment, when the cocktail server comes by, treat that person to drink by tipping the server for him or her. If he or she doesn’t make the desired change, still offer the drink or just move. Understanding is the main thing on this planet Earth, but common sense ain’t too common in these United States of America. We are not responsible for how others react around us; however, we are responsible for how we react to them. Get over the mindset of entitlement, my fellow Americans.

I was playing an end machine, whole row was empty.  This lady was walks by and stares at me, I ignore her.  She doesn't say anything.  She walks by, again and on the third pass stops directly behind me.  After a minute or two she moves, I chalk it up to her wanting to learn the game by observing.  When suddenly she plops down in the seat next to me, proceeds to play and start to smoke.  Cigarette in right hand to ensure the smoke drifts in my face.  And she keeps staring at my machine.  The light went on!  She wanted to play my machine.  She lit and other cigarette, mostly to let it burn.  My suspensions were confirmed as my credits hit zero, she immediately cashed out.  What did I do?  Stared directly in her eyes as I inserted another $20 bill.  She took off never to be seen while I played on!! 

what these slappers are like in bed, or driving a car in traffic, or filling out tax forms. The bed thing, I don't even want to know, but I would hate to be involved in a road rage incident with one of these jokers.  I also imagine them filling out their tax forms and pounding figures into a calculator and going nuts because the calculator keeps spitting out numbers they don't like, and somehow pounding on the buttons will change the outcome.

Nowadays, all one needs to do is clear your throat, cough a little, suppress a sneeze, and try to catch your breath several times.
Most can't leave fast enough.

When considering any “active countermeasures” against someone who does something annoying, especially if it’s egregious, never forget that you’re both On Cameras. Plural. Escalation can get very expensive,

From personal experience, I like to light up a big stogie. It doesn't work if they guy is banging on the machine with a big stogie in his mouth though. Worse, he may start to talk to you too about what cigar you're smoking. 

Very entertaining QOD, thanks to everyone!

Some of us who play slots are annoyed by those who find it necessary to slime up the screen of the machine.  This is really crazy-making with Covid!  Consider yourselves lucky the auditory annoyances and your biggest concern in addition, of course, to impolite smokers, who drive all of us nuts.