Are You A Fish Or Shark? Find out What Kind of Poker Player You Are!
In the realm of online poker, you are either a fish or a shark. There is no in-between. The analogy alone should give you a good idea of what you want to be!
You might be surprised just how many online poker players think they are sharks, when in reality, they are fish. They think their aggressive nature makes them predators of the virtual tables, but in fact the sharks are lurking in the depths waiting to make their move. Fish are simply prey waiting to be devoured, whether they know it or not.
Below, we’ll define both types of poker players, fish and sharks. Perhaps you’ll learn something about yourself while reading this article, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you are not among the school of fish, simply awaiting a shark’s attack on your bankroll.
Are You A Fish?
A fish is a poker player that that is careless; one who bets too often, raises too high and doesn’t know when to fold. Most novice poker players are fish simply because they haven’t acquired the experience to know any better.
How often do you fold your cards before the flop, without making any investment into the pot? 50% of the time? 25% of the time? Less? There is no way you can be receiving a premium starting hand even 50% of the time. In fact, tight poker players fold about 90% of their hands! If you’re paying to see the flop with marginal holdings at best, you are a fish type poker player.
The idea is not to only move on with a premium starting hand, like pocket Jacks through Aces or high suited connectors, but to obtain and use knowledge of your opponents’ behavior to know when a less than premium starting hand is worth betting on. Stealing blinds from late position, for instance, or bluffing when you know your opponent has you pegged for a tight strategist; these are opportune moments to bet without an excellent starting hand.
Are You a Shark?
A shark is an opportunist. These types of poker players have no qualms with folding a hand when the odds are not in their favor. And sharks actually take the time to calculate those odds, not playing on crossed fingers and instinct alone.
As mentioned above, sharks will fold way more hands than they choose to invest in. Aggression has nothing to do with the actions of a shark-type poker player, despite the name. A shark may choose to play aggressively, pouncing on its prey to evoke a fold, or hunt silently with less noticeable wagering to draw as many chips into the pot before revealing a monster hand.
Either way, you most certainly want to be classified as a shark. Not only does it mean your are a better poker player, but your opponents will catch on to your supremacy and grant you the respect you deserve. When other poker players fear you, you’ll be able to get away with a lot more bluffing and semi-bluffing techniques on the virtual felt.
-
Recent Tips for Real Money Poker Players:
