TYVM

Every now and then when I’m feeling a bit ornery at the online tables I’ll stoop to offer the odd comment in the chatbox. Take it a general rule to avoid such applesauce, but sometimes I’ll permit myself a pithy observation on the proceedings. Even though I know better.

For example, say I’m in a PLO hand and flop top set on a board with a couple of hearts and no obvious straight draws -- a board of K72 or something. I bet pot and get the one caller. Turn is a non-heart ten and my buddy again calls my pot-sized bet. The river brings the crummy heart, I check, and the chaser quickly bets pot.

“Congrats,” I type. Then fold.

If a bluff, my praise is genuine. Usually, though, this ain’t a bluff, in which case I suppose the “congrats” is meant to have a sardonic edge, with special emphasis on the last syllable. RAAAAATSSSSS . . . .

What’s interesting is that once in a while I’ll get a “ty” in response. The first couple of times that happened, I unthinkingly decided that “ty” confirmed my impression of the player as less than savvy, someone incapable of appreciating either pot odds or derisive irony.

Then I began to wonder. If it were a bluff, the reply would have been as genuine as the compliment, yes? Finally I began to consider whether my opponent’s gratitude might also be sarcastic, the polite equivalent of a smarmy “lol” fired back at the petulant loser . . . ?

That’s when I decided it doesn’t matter what the “ty” means. A fun little metagame, I guess, indicating something or other about our at-the-table negotiations.

In any event, I thought today would be a good day to say “ty” to all of you for coming around here to Hard-Boiled Poker.

I once took a shot several months back to describe this here poker bloggin’ world. I called it “a complicated, overlapping set of communities where (one might argue) we all eventually get around to hearing from each other.” And I concluded that “for the most part, it seems to me to be inhabited by a lot of pretty cool, smart, & funny folks.”

Still feel the same. It’s been a hell of a year -- a blast, really -- getting to play along with all of youse. Thanks for keeping them blogs and forums and podcasts a-rollin’ on. And thanks very much for all the great feedback you’ve given me.

And I mean it.