Eating at the poker table: should it be allowed, or not?

[anasslaaleg]

poker games are a game of patience, you have to have a lot of patience and you also have a full stomach, personally I tilt a lot when I'm hungry, but you have a good diet

 

[78mariusz]

I think it is better toeat a snack than to fall asleep during a long tournament in a late phase. Poker is supposed to be a fun in every aspect, so if your behaviour does not cause consternation to other players then enjoy the game and eat

 

[najjah166]

In my opinion and as in some sports, eating a banana or a candy bar or drinking a drink is completely acceptable and normal, on the other hand eating food should be forbidden because it is unhygienic the player can touch both the food and his cards.

 

[natsgrampy]

I think yes it should be allowed. That being said, you should NOT be allowed to have any food or drink on the table. Having a small TV tray type table between players or even behind would work. Drinks should be in the cup holders, if so equipped, or, on the players lap.

I had an incident during the Collosus where I was in seat #9 and Seat #1 was BB. It was folded to me and I raised 2.5X and BB called.
After the flop I looked at his stack and thought I had him out chipped by alot so I made about a 1/2 pot bet and he raised about 3X pot.
I looked around the dealer to see he had me well covered and about 3/4 of his stack was out of my view due to a water bottle on the table.
I folded but lost almost 1/4 of my stack because I didn't see all his chips.

Food and drink shouldn't be allowed ON the felt.

 

[santosh saini]

Not according to me because when you are playing a game, your attention is completely focused on the game. Yes, you should definitely give a break of 30 minutes to eat.

 

[doom]

I think in long time tourney yes ,but only something like muesli or fruit drinks that you dont eat with hands

 

[barbados]

I think there are special places for eating. Playing at the poker table should remain a full-fledged game without frills. After all, it is unpleasant for you if someone is chewing something in the theater next to you. And it's absolutely incredible if the actors on stage, playing a performance for you, are snacking on hot dogs on the go. But it happens that the game drags on for several hours. Then it's not a problem to announce a break for a while for eating.

 

[ratbat615]

Players should definitely be allowed to eat at the poker table. Now for tournaments not so much because you have breaks for that, but water , snacks , eg. Peanuts , chips. Is ok. Cash games are Different you should be able to eat anything because there’s no breaks . And don’t get any food on the table and chips.

 

[bowserdon]

online- yes,I eat lunch everyday while playing free roll
Casino or home gaME NO

 

[Spielkind]

at blinds 40 min is every 3 level a break of 15 till 20 min--should be enough time to eat

 

[AKQ]

You should only be able to eat
Chips at the table!!!

 

[rock0001]

no ,it would create a lot of mess if players eat food at the table, unless its candy or bubble gum only drinks should be allowed at the table.

 

[ODRAGD3]

I think it is better to eat before the game than during! Because when you eat, you take up concentration when eating, not 100% for the gaming table, many players eat and fill the cards with food. You should definitely eat before playing and only eat during breaks.

 

[balo]

Some easy snacks and drinks should be allowed ,

 

[hyfl]

Drinking for sure should be allowed, eating only if food is not smelly and have a form that is 'safe' in terms of making surrounding dirty. Some fruits or nuts for sure could be allowed, or even served at the table

 

[Smevin1982]

It should be allowed. As with all things, if it's done respectfully there is no problem. I've seen and heard infinitely more disrespectful things at the poker table than anyone eating with their mouth open. If someone does anything out of line at the poker table THEN it should be dealt with. This should also apply to how people eat OR drink at the table. I've played at tables where I have been the only one not drinking alcohol. This is far worse, although I will never complain, as I will likely eat those fish up😋

 

[Alket21]

it's a bad idea to eat while playing, in my opinion take a break to eat

 

[gon4iypes]

I find it rather nauseating, to be honest. Some people have absolutely no table manners and chomp and slurp in a most disgusting way. Their greasy fingers soil the cards and chips......YUKKK
As many have said above though, some nuts or a candy bar is fine.....doesn't make a mess. I am diabetic and need a bite of something once in a while, but I am always careful not to offend anyone else.

 

[Mortis]

Yes, it should be allowed, but some foods should be banned. No cheetos at the poker table! lol

 

[hexplore35]

Should be allowed to eat at the table because it helps you stay focused

 

[IrishinSpain]

Should poker players be allowed to eat at the table? Explain your answer. If yes, can it be any kind of food or only specific foods?

I really don't like seeing players eating at a table it ruins cards. In most tournaments the break is long enough to eat. In cash games, if you really need to eat then just sit out

 

[pescaofish]

Only snacks as peanuts, cookies, not main food, otherwise it will be a potential mess!

 

[ageloss]

Well i wouldnt eat while playing poker because that whould break my consetration.
However if an opponent wants to eat while playing that benefits me because he will not be concetrated!
So eating is ok for me as long as that happents on hand or legs without food touching the poker table!
I think poker table should be clean, having only the nessasary for playng poker and not being a restaurant table!!

 

[BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch]

I played mostly cash games and was lucky because I played at a casino that if I didn't like something could just get up and go to another table and be able to play the same cash game stakes, lol.

I wasn't playing at a 8 table poker room that closed at 11pm or something for the cleaning folks. I would just take a walk or go to the farthest table away, far away, if I didn't like the smell or something happening at the table, lol, far away.

Never experienced "greasy" chips before but had spoken to people and heard tales about that but I always carried something like wet napkins, and tissues and of course the easiest thing would be to just exit to the bathroom and wash your hands so no big deal there if playing cash games.

I rarely if never had to wait to wash my hands at a casino so that was an option as you just tell the dealer "sitout" and they watch your stack until you get back.

As for getting food on things, the cards get a hole punctured in them and go to the gift shop and the chips would get washed anyway. I never had something "nasty" on them to the point I would have to ask the dealer to switch it out cards or chips because of that.

And to be honest, if you ever go to a public bathroom and see how many people come out of a stall and don't wash their hands then worrying about food or something would be the last thing on my mind, lol. I would never, ever touch my face during a session, lol.

Nastiest thing, where you're in a really nice casino bathroom (not like a truck stop bathroom where some trucker is washing their feet in a sink, lol) and you have clean floors with the soft music in the background and the sinks, soap and towel dispensers are automated so you don't have to touch them and I would STILL see people come out of a stall and exit without washing their hands, lol. JUST FOUL.

As for the tourn folks, I'm thinking there is no way you could tell the tournament players they couldn't eat at a table and I was never a tournament player.

They would not have the time to transverse the poker floor and the casino floor then wait in a line, wait for the order, sit down to eat then walk aaaall the way back to their table outside of a dinner break. And heaven forbid there is a wait at a casino restaurant, (sarcasm) lol.

So they would have to order at the poker table or eat what they brought along and eat there or miss hands and that's the last thing anyone wants to do with big blinds and antes going around later in a tourn.

And a lot folks want to use that dinner break not to eat but to go to the bathroom, relax, unwind, take a nap, meditate or talk to friends on what's going on during a tourn. Wasting time traversing a crowded casino floor looking for food would be the very last thing on my mind even though its called a "dinner break".

Even if you play local daily tournaments or weekend tourns that finish the same day there are instances where those tourns will start late morning or 12pm and still go early into the morning hours while the dinner break was waay back at 6pm or something so people need to be able eat and drink at the table.

If the sight bothered me then I would look at the felt/their hands if they're right across from me or would add a hand towel to my bring along bag so I could put my head in my hand with the elbow on the table so I don't smell it so much but overall I would just understand that some people need to eat and cut them a break.

You have to be able to eat and drink small meals at a table to keep going during a long session whether its cash games or tourns and you also don't want to just load up at break time then get all sleepy and tired from eating a large meal when you have to play for another god know how many hours until the tourn concludes or if the cash game is going good.

And again, break was early last night and its 3am the next day and you're playing to a conclusion or a high roller just sat down to your table after having a losing table game session and wants to play poker and you haven't eaten in awhile and the tourn director or dealer is going to say you can't eat? And you're playing for how much money? lolololol yeah.

Tourn director/dealer should be asking how folks are and asking if anyone needs a menu, lol.

 

[ace2flop]

I think drinks are fine. but I don't think you should eat food that can spill crumbs on the table. Whether it's cash or tournament