What Is a Fish in Poker?

The poker world is saturated with its own terminology – much of which is as old as the game itself – but the insult of being called a fish is quite likely the most recognisable term for those outside of the poker community.

So what exactly is a fish? For those who haven’t been around the game for long, you’re probably familiar with the term “recreational player”.

Well, that’s the modern day, politically correct way to describe a player who is lacking in skill. Fish is what those players were called back in the day – the worst of the worst.

Defining a Fish in Poker

To be more descriptive, we can further define a fish as a player who is unskilled and prone to making poor strategic decisions.

Usually, a fish will be inexperienced, lacking a robust grasp of even the most basic fundamentals, such as pot odds, position and basic pre-flop hand selection.

Typical post-flop mistakes made by a fish include calling too much with a weak hand and chasing weak draws with poor pot odds.

They are also completely unable to adapt to the changing tactics of the various player types who populate the tables.

As mentioned above, the term fish eventually became viewed as too derogatory and the more friendly term of recreational player was born.

Some view this as an unnecessary shift, arguing that a skilled player being a shark and fish being the weak players is a perfectly natural description – but here we are.

The first step in not being a fish is to be aware of what a fish is. So now you know!

How to Identify a Fish in Poker

Another shift in the poker world over recent years is the banning of HUDs (heads-up display) on various online poker platforms.

This has made it much tougher to identify who the fish are at your tables, or even if there are any fish present.

You’ve all heard the saying before: if you can’t spot the fish at the table in the first few rounds, then it’s you!

Spotting who the fish are quickly is crucial to success in poker. These players can donate all of their chips randomly in any given hand, and you want them to be sending them your way.

Without a HUD to rely on, spotting a fish at your table requires careful observation. This means every single hand at the table, even if you are not involved.

Fish come in all kinds of different varieties and it’s of the highest importance that you correctly tag each player, else your exploits be completely wrong.

Here is a short list which describes various faults that a fish may display.

• Chasing draws with poor odds: When you see a player showdown a hand which called a weak draw for two streets against large bet sizes and poor implied odds, you can be sure that this is a weak player. An example might be calling the flop and turn for a pot sized bet with a gutshot straight draw, or even just two overcards.
• Playing too loose: One of the more reliable signs that a player is a fish is when you see they’ve opened a weak hand from an early position, such as a combo normally only opened on the button or in the small blind.
• Ignoring position: A fish will consistently display a complete lack of positional awareness, often highlighted by them being unable to distinguish between early position and late position ranges.
• Being predictable: Fish will often tailor their bet sizes to the strength of their hands, making them extremely easy to read. This includes only raising with nutted hands.

This is far from a comprehensive list of fish traits, but recognising these at least will allow you to begin adjusting to your table environment.

Strategies for Playing Against a Fish

Every poker player who wins over the long run gets almost all of their profit from playing against fish.

For this to happen, you must learn effective tactics to exploit your opponents.

• Widen your range where appropriate: It is beneficial to play more hands against fish, even if this means open raising hands in a position where you wouldn’t normally do so as a default play.
• Value betting is key to success: Missing value bets against a fish is a crime. Make sure to make your strong hands pay.
• Don’t bluff fish who don’t like to fold: Self-explanatory really. Don’t worry about playing fit or fold against bad players.

How to Avoid Being a Fish Yourself

Poker is one of those disciplines where people are prone to overestimating their abilities. Although many players feel that they know how to spot a fish, they aren’t always as adept at not making similar mistakes themselves.

If you’re worried that you might be displaying the traits of a fish yourself, then the following advice will set you off on the right path.

• Master poker’s basic fundamentals: Hands selection by seat, pot odds, and basic betting patterns are mandatory learning for any improving player.
• Utilise correct bankroll management: Don’t play in games that are too big for your bankroll. Also, don’t linger in games that are too small to maintain interest and motivation.
• Learn about the mental game of poker: Tilt remains one of the biggest challenges of a poker player’s career. Poor emotional control is a disaster for a poker player.
• Review every session: Without reviewing the hands that you play, there is no opportunity to grow as a player. Embrace mistakes as a path to future success.

Each of these steps will slowly help you to gain confidence and shed your own fish label over time.

Things That Only Fish Say at a Table

While observing patterns of each player’s play is crucial to understanding how to exploit them, just listening to the things they say will help you gauge how new they are to the game.

They will quickly reveal their experience through verbal queues, sometimes offering a glimpse into their mindset.

An all-time classic is “I had to call, I was already in for too many chips.” This is the sunk cost fallacy that hinders players from getting away from hands that are clearly second best.

Another could be a comment about a player’s lucky hand or just luck in general. Fish often rely on gut feelings rather than logic.

“Why should I fold when I might hit my draw?” is another quip heard in card rooms around the world on a daily basis.

Verbal tells will confirm if a fish is present, but be careful about correcting them during play, or even mocking them. The old cliché used to be “don’t tap the glass”, akin to upsetting real fish by banging on the side of the fish tank.

The Importance of Fish in Poker

Fish are an integral part of the poker community, and we were all one once. But even though the informed openly discuss the traits of a fish and how to destroy them at the tables, it is important that we do not foster an environment that potentially discourages new players from taking up the game.

Remember to put out a sense of humility to promote a positive culture to outsiders.

All poker rooms and online poker sites rely on fish to come and lose money, keeping the games running around the clock, where even other fish can come along to have a good time themselves.

These days, all the relevant information to improve at poker and translation from a fish to a shark is out there for everyone to take advantage of.

It’s just a matter of regular study and before long you can grow from a novice to a competent player in no time at all.

If you’re pondering over your own burgeoning poker career, embrace the challenge and enjoy the strategic depth that poker offers us all.

• Get the best rakeback deals
• See the best poker promotions
• View the latest poker news
• Get the best No Deposit Poker Bonuses
• Benefit from the biggest poker bonus
• Calculate your rakeback with the rakeback calculator

Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, please visit www.begambleaware.org.