Table Talk

1. Verbal discussion at a poker table, usually in the middle of a hand.

Simon Says STFU

Table talk is generally frowned upon during tournament poker (TD Matt Savage believes it's unacceptable even in headsup situations), and it is generally accepted in cash game situations.

Part of the reason for why table talk is frowned upon in tournaments is that the lines between what is an appropriate level and what is not are often blurred.

For instance, in a headsup situation, it is clearly not cool for someone who is not in the hand to say anything about the action or the tendencies of the players involved. In an environment that is very permissive to table talk, this is the exact type of inappropriate coffeehousing that might occur.

Talk Talk, Top Top

Here is the classic example of inappropriate table talk, and it is taking place in a headsup situation, in which Jamie Gold is offering free information to his opponent while simultaneously lowering the overall level of integrity in the tournament: