Sour grapes are much more then the active ingredient in Ripple, Boonsfarm, or any other wine that is fermented in a plastic milk bottle and aged using an egg timer. Sour grapes is also what happens when somebody losses a bundle on a hand to an opponent whose cards were not worth the cardboard they were printed on. Obviously most of us are aware that we should watch our tempers when playing poker, and not verbally abuse others, but what happens when someone who is melting down is going way over the top? What should our response to their abuse be?
Anybody who has spent any time watching football or hockey will see the occasional weasel sneak in a punch on their opponent when they think nobody is watching. The player who has just gotten a five finger salutation will invariably turn around and try to turn their tormentors nose from an outie to an innie. It is usually the retaliation that the referee sees, not the original infraction. While it is hard for the powers that be in any poker tournament or casino not to see a guy jumping up and down and calling his opponent a ninny (or worse…usually worse), someone who retaliates puts themselves in the same disciplinary position as the original offender. It is just silly to let somebody else get you in thrown out of the tournament or casino.
There are remedies for an abusive player. While most people seem hardwired to avoid being a tattletale, you are probably doing everyone a favor if you bring the misbehavior of another player to the attention of the whoever is in authority. In a tournament situation, not only may you be dealing with a tormentor in an adult and mature manner, but the penalty may work in your favor. A player can be forced to sit out a hand or an entire round depending upon the severity of the infraction. Fewer people fighting over a pot can only be an advantage for you.
