I realise, this might be a controversial topic: the famous/infamous “nh”.
And I realise, too, that people who use to compliment every winning hand, only intend to be polite.
I accept every bad beat philosophically and even laughingly - I am used to them - but I must honestly say, I can’t stand the obligatory “nh” following a donkey play.
Don’t people realise that they are being polite towards the winner, but VERY impolite towards the player who lost to a bingo player?
Besides, even considering all the nuances recurring at the tables – nh, vnh, vvnh, vvvnh etc. – a compliment, which should actually praise a good hand, becomes meaningless, if made as an automatic gesture. Well, at least in my eyes.
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I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been on the losing end of a miraculous runner runner or river hand, and instead of booing the player who made the bad call or the bet and got luckier than luck itself, they start praising them with nh and vnh, and I stand speechless, not because I lost the hand, but because of how bad the winner played.
An occasional nh or vnh when there is merit (when the hand is nicely played and is actually a nice one) are harmless and nice to hear or say every now and then. But sometimes they become constant at some tables, and repeated for every hand. It actually feels like winning with a royal flush is the same as winning with pair 3’s.
I know it’s coming from a good place, but I agree that a compliment should not be overused otherwise it loses its value.
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I agree with the above quote and think that you’ve both made very valid points, I myself tend to throw out a vnh for a full house, a vnh for a flush or a straight and now and again just a n or vn to give encouragement if it’s a fairly new player, however, … when I do that, I’m not praising a bad player/good player… I’m simply saying that (for instance) a Full House IS a very nice hand in itself… if you see what I mean! … far be it from me to criticise the way others play, …like yourselves, I’m just another player on a very long learning curve where poker is concerned, No offence to anyone reading this 
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i agree with all of the above.it gets a bit monotonous .especially every hand.should write nh when it truly is
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I gotta admit I have been guilty of saying nh and then realizing that the losing hand should have won.
I see a boat win and just naturally say nh…I don’t always analyze what actually happened and that it was a donk play…I’ll try to pay more attention.
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This is very true. But by “encouraging fairly new players”, we are already placing ourselves ahead of some players on that learning curve, and of course behind many many others.
My point is, when our goal is to encourage other players, the best way is to encourage good play.
When complimenting a player on a hand, you can’t separate the hand from the player and the way it was played. Any poker player or anyone playing poker already knows that a full house, a flush and a straight are very nice hands. Simply reminding them about it even when the hand is won by a bingo play is not good encouragement. For example, if someone goes all in preflop with 2-7 off, and happens to hit a full house and beat pocket aces and pocket kings, even though the full house in itself is a nice hand, praising the player for doing so is bad encouragement.
None of us is. It’s wrong to think that we are better than anyone and in a position to evaluate good and bad players. But I think we can all (or most of us) evaluate good and bad play. A good player can play bad sometimes, and a bad player can make great moves sometimes as well. It’s the hand itself and how it was played that we are complimenting and encouraging. This is just my opinion. I’m always happy to say vnh to a full house when the hand is well played, but you’ll hardly ever see me saying it to a full house or even a royal flush when the hand is a bingo hand and the player just happened to get blindly lucky.
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Some very valid points there Maya, I do agree and this has certainly given me food for thought, I for one shall be more careful in future with my comments at the table, I must admit though, I’m guilty of often having divided attention whilst playing and that is something that I have to try to avoid. nice post
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Thank you 
That’s what I was trying to say…it’s difficult for me to analyze how every hand is played when I go into chill/relax mode…easy to do at ring tables but I do pay close attention to every hand in a tourney.
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I was watching a Hold’em game earlier. Flop was Ah-Kh-5h. Player 1 went all in with Qh-9h (highest flush). Player 2 called with his 5-2 off. Both the turn and the river were 5’s. Player 2 won with quads and Player 1 was out of the game. You couldn’t see the end of the nh and vnh and vvvvvnh and wd after that happened. Fair?
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LOL Maya, that was the perfect example.
Such a bad beat would annoy every player, unless they are saints or yoga masters, and the exclamations of praise at the table might seem in their eyes something like “■■■■■■■■■■■■■” or malicious joy. Certainly unintentional, I’m sure.
In my opinion, for the others there was a middle option between “You lucky donk, go and play Monopoly”, as the winner actually deserved, and “nh, vnh, vvnh”: to remain silent.
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I’ve been busier than normal during the days and don’t have undivided attention when I’m playing…good one way, not so much the other. I am guilty of being chatty and I will use the acronyms IF it on a friendly table, g1, gh, nh, vnh. At the same time I may or may not give out one to donk play. I’ll also use gb, nb wd wp. If I am in a good mood I may poke the bear with a “what a bluff”…“might as well show us that million dollar hand”…didn’t see the cards, obvious bluff." I’ve had people get aggrivated, but I mean it light hearted and even though it’s typed, you can’t see the sarcastic smile or hear the voice intonation or inflection.
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You were watching me? LOL Had that happen in games, might not be “fair” per se’ but it is poker…
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Signpainter, of course all is fair in love and poker, and everybody play as they want.
The point is, though, if it is right to compliment such a bad play, and annoy even more the already annoyed victim of a “lucky donk” (maybe not in general, but certainly in that specific case).
In my opinion, it would be ten times more polite and appropriate to remain silent. But well, it seems all have a different opinion of politeness at the poker tables.
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I understand, and point taken. A lot of times what may be polite where I’m sitting, isn’t where another is sitting. Many more times than not, I have remained silent after donk play rivered a winning hand…I’ve been the victim of lucky donks more than I’d care to remember.
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I agree re: saying NH only when a player has played it well - or it is special. I also almost always say it if a player shows his/her cards as a thank you for exposing their hand instead of mucking.
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agreed- I use it when I am shocked at the content of the winning hand! an unusual hand.
yes a well played hand
Actually a great topic. In general agree. I only use nh or vnh when someone has beaten me. I never use it in hands which I am not involved. The only exception is if someone gets a truly “nice hand” such as two days ago when one of the players at the table got a Royal Flush. I did use vnh in that case. Interestingly enough, I was the only one who did. In the end, I will continue on as I have in the past - after all, I’m Canadian. LOL
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