Fish
The term “fish” is used to describe those players in a game who have little or no chance of winning. They are the fish in the sea of sharks and they (or their stacks) will be devoured. Now in any game there may or may not be any fish. Sometimes players of near equal strength and ability play and the cards determine the winner. Also a shark in one game could easily be the fish in another. And from one day to the next your status at the table may change based on many factors including whether or not you show up with your best game each day.
The point about “fish” is that they provide food for the sharks and without them the games collapse. Sure at one time or another we all were fish and some players never stop being the minnows, guppies or bait but there is a cardinal rule about fish that some players violate. You may have heard someone utter the immoral words: “Don’t tap on the glass.” Basically, it means that you don’t want to scare the fish away from the game. Some ignorant players will berate the less skilled players at the table, either because they have made bad plays that resulted in the inevitable suckout win or because the loudmouth is simply a boorish oaf. Whatever…
The one thing you never want to do in a poker game is to scare the less skilled players away. You should never berate their play nor correct them at the table. In fact, what you should do is berate, deride and muzzle the idiots who do scare the fish away. The object of poker is to win chips and increase your bankroll. Anyone who aids you in that quest should be encouraged and anyone who detracts from that goal in any way should be avoided. Fish are to be treasured and the Omega-3 oil is good for you too!
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #65
