Getting eaten alive by sharks at the poker table is a real risk, but if you can snag some fish for dinner, consider yourself lucky. Recreational players, or "fish" are easy to spot with these obvious tells, but you'll need the right bait to hook them. So sharpen your hooks, cast your lines, and get ready to reel in those winnings.
Fish make tons of mistakes so you can score big wins by taking advantage of their bad plays. It’s like playing poker with American Pie’s Stifler — easy pickings. They’ll call too much, bet weirdly, and play hands they shouldn't.
As Daniel Negreanu “If you want to make money playing poker, find a game with a few suckers, fish, donkeys, live ones, or whatever you choose to call a bad player. Just don’t let that sucker be you.”
But how can you tell if you’re up against a real fish or a pro just pretending?
Just keep reading to find out!
Fish in poker is a term used for novice or bad players who lack the skills to win a game. They are not much of a competition for experienced players.
You might hear’em say: Wait, what’s the difference between flush and a straight or Stop picking on me with your big stack or I knew you had that — after they call and lose.
Identifying a fish helps you maximize your profits and optimize your table position. It gives you a strategic edge at the table. Here are 7 ways you can spot a fish at the poker table.
Watch for players who make huge bets or go all-in without a logical reason. This usually means they either don’t understand hand strength or are trying to make up for their lack of skill.
For example, a player who is dealt 8♦️ 9♦️, after a couple of raises, decides to shove all-in before the flop. This move is a sign they’re overcommitting with a hand that’s not strong enough for such a risky play.
Look for players who are too aggressive or don’t adjust their strategy based on their stack size or the stage of the game.
Imagine a player with a medium stack of 25 big blinds, holding 7♠ 8♠, who raises big from an early position. They’re ignoring the fact that their chip stack is vulnerable and that raising so much with a marginal hand can backfire.
Keep an eye out for players who play hands they should fold, especially from tough spots. For instance, if someone is holding a hand like 5♦️9♦️, and decides to call a large bet or even raise from a late position, it’s a clear sign that they are missing the essential strategic concepts of the game.
Players who consistently overvalue their hands and struggle to gauge what their opponents might have are your prime targets for making money.
A player might call a hefty bet with Ace-Queen, only to get kicked out by someone with a stronger hand. Misreading opponents can cause them big time.
After a bad beat, a player immediately jumps into another tournament or makes wild plays out of frustration. Look for players who let their emotions dictate their moves. It’s easy to win against a player who thinks from his heart, not his mind.
You can spot a fish from miles away with their bad post-flop strategies. For instance, they may make a big bet on the flop with a hand like pocket eight. But then the turn brings a higher card, and someone else raises significantly, and they quickly fold. This shows they’re not comfortable with post-flop play and don’t really know what they are doing.
They often fold to any aggression, not knowing how to handle the pressure after the flop. Plus they tend to have predictable patterns — betting big when they have a pair and checking when they miss. Spotting these habits means you can adjust your strategy and take advantage of their weaknesses.
To spot these fishy players, pay attention to those who frequently call bets with weak hands or unlikely draws. These are the folks who will chase a flush or straight with only a slim chance of hitting it, and they’ll do it repeatedly. They’re often losing over time because they don’t fully grasp the odds or the true strength of their hand relative to the table and their opponent’s actions.
In poker language, both fish and donkey describe bad players, but they highlight different types of bad play. Basically, every donkey is a fish, but not every fish is a donkey. Donks are those aggressive and reckless players who make wild, often dumb bets without much thought.
Fish, on the other hand, are just generally bad and passive, losing money continuously with weak skills.
Once you have identified the “fishy” players, the next thing you gotta do is turn the game in your favor. Here’s how you can make the most out of weak players (aka fish) with a few secret techniques.
Don’t waste your time bluffing. Fish rarely fold, so focus on betting big when you’ve got a strong hand.
Fish often overvalue their hand, so widen your calling range. They’ll call with junk, giving you a chance to win pots you might normally fold.
When you hit a monster hand, make your bets count. Fish don’t pay much attention to betting size, so take advantage and rack up the value.
Fish often give away their hand strength with physical tells — like getting too excited or fidgeting with chips.
Watch their bet sizes. Fish often have predictable patterns — bet big with weak hands and small with strong ones.
In short, aggressive play tends to be more successful. Continuously applying pressure can force mistakes from these players. Play with class and skip the showboating.
Avoiding nicknames like fish or donkey is considered a more ethical approach in poker as they label players as poor or wasteful. No matter how recklessly a player plays his hands, you shouldn't call them fish. After all, they are your golden ticket to winning more and increasing your bankroll. If you do spot a fish, don’t present yourself as a pro poker player. Just act natural — unless you want to scare them off like a deer caught in headlights.
You know it’s really embarrassing when someone asks “Will that guy be joining us?” and you realize that you’re the fish at the table. Ouch! So, to avoid being the punchline of poker jokes, make sure you brush up on your basics before sitting down.
Learn the game rules, watch how the pros play, avoid getting all-in with your grocery money, and adjust your strategies as the game unfolds. After all, nobody wants to be the fish that’s served up on the platter.
Now, you know how to spot a fish at the poker table. It’s not that tough right? Just look through these obvious tells mentioned in the article and avoid becoming the fish yourself.
Fish often play a high percentage of their hands, and are passive, rarely raising pre-flop.
They also make fundamental mistakes, like calling when they should fold or checking when they should bet, and tend to go all-in frequently, especially when they lack post-flop skills.
A friendly reminder – Don’t call anyone a fish — it’s a surefire way to annoy them and drive them away from the table — and you don’t want that to happen, right?
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