What's the Proper Poker Decorum?
Poker is a psychological game and some players will purposely try to get into your nerves to distract you so that you will commit errors of judgment in your play. These players will make subtle comments carefully calculated to provoke you and put you in a tilt. Don't return the favor by making nasty comments yourself because the game could degenerate into a taunting match that could get one or both of you ejected from the game and result in the forfeiture of your chips. Don't take the bait if you encounter this kind of a player at the table. Act as if you heard nothing at all and don't lose your cool and focus. By being staid and emotionless, you reverse the situation by making him feel frustrated which could either put him on tilt or get himself ejected from the game.
Always be a good sport and don't be a sore loser. Don't be cocky when you win but gracious instead in victory. Don't make condescending remarks or taunts when you win the pot or eliminate even the most unsavory of opponents from the tournament. Remember that poker is not only a psychological game, but a game of addition as well. Your graciousness and deportment during the most trying and difficult moments in the game could win even the most hardened and incorrigible player to your side.
If you think splashing the pot makes you look cool, you're dead wrong. Other players don't cherish the idea of having to worry that you tossed in fewer chips. Be cool and present your bet in a neat stack---after all, chips were designed to be stacked neatly in a pile so that counting them from a distance would not be difficult.
Don't be a Prima Dona by making people wait on you when it's your turn to act. Always keep your eye and mind on the action. Nothing could be more annoying than a player who doesn't act quickly enough on calls that they don't have to think about.
When you fold your hand, place them face down on the table and keep them hidden from view of other players. While it's not against poker rules, revealing your cards while a hand is going on breaches the unwritten rules of poker decorum. By doing so, you might give one player an unfair advantage over another player which could cause undue resentment at the table.
Don't play drunk or horse around at the table. Nothing spoils a great evening of poker than some clumsy fool spilling some drinks on a perfectly good table or knocking over some neatly stacked chips.