Make environment welcoming for recreational players

If you are playing poker for profit, whether you are a professional or just a serious recreational player you must win money from the people that lose. These players are of weaker skill than you, usually have less patience and in general are just at the casino to gamble. They are playing to derive enjoyment from the game. You should treat these people like they are your customers because if there were no losing players there could be no winners.

I never understand the professional players that are rule sticklers against the amateurs. It is just ridiculous to call string bets and pull other angles when the amateur player had no intention of gaining any advantage with said actions--but players do this kind of all of the time. We should all make these losing players as comfortable as possible at the table. Banter with them. Let them have fun. They are here to blow of steam, get away from their wives, etc. There is no reason to make the table an environment where people don't want to come back.

This concept is a lost art on a lot of younger players especially those who started out on the Internet. These guys come in with their backpacks and hoodies, put on their headphones and don't interact with anyone. There is a very big social aspect to live poker and proper behavior should be learned just like proper poker skill. Why do you think that guys like Antonio Esfandiari get invited to some of the biggest, juiciest games in the world? It is because he is well liked and a lot of the huge whales want to play with him. He makes it so that the big donators have a good time while still quietly taking most of their money.