No, it’s not fish, despite what some of you might think.
Fish are actually the BEST thing about usa casinos – they’re what makes the game so profitable. Think about it.
Poker is a game of numbers, timing, bluffing, cards and chips, but ultimately it’s about your edge over the other players. The worse those players, the greater your edge over time.
Fish (otherwise known as donkeys, newbies, “YOU @%&*Ł$ IDIOT!” amongst other names) are the worst of the worst, hence your edge is highest over them.
Anyway..
Bubbling is the worst. Knowing that had that hand gone your way, had Lady Luck smiled on you just that once, had chance decided to throw you a bone – your life in this tournament would be totally different.
You might still lose and go out later on, but knowing that you hit the top 10% because you were better than the other 90% is a great feeling.
It is equally as great as the feeling of being beaten unfairly or improperly is a terrible feeling, and one that still haunts me.
Still, the bubble is something that we have to live with as poker players. Has there ever been a time when you felt like jacking it all in because of an untimely dismissal from the table?
If Superheros Played Poker
Fake Poker Tells.. Or How To Look Like A Fish!
The art of giving off fake poker tells is a difficult one to master, but the main reason behind doing so is clear: to fool your opponents into thinking you’re either bluffing, not bluffing, or that you’re a moron with no idea what game you’re playing.
Either way, you want them to think the opposite of the truth, so you get a bit more of a headstart over them on the felt. I was reading PokerPlayer today and came across a hilarious letter sent in by Benji Bowen, which I will reprint here.
Benji’s tips on how to look like a fish:
When you sit down at a cash game ask, “What does first place pay?”, followed later by, “When are the blinds going up?”
Ask the dealer if bluffing is allowed. When they give you a weird look and say that it is, rub your hands together and chuckle to yourself.
Ask what the most you can bet is (especially when playing no-limit), and ask it often.
When you go to bet say “raise”, when you go to raise say “re-raise”, and when you check, simply say “call”.
When the flop comes out, clap your hands together, start rubbing them and laughing to yourself. Then stop, look around, and solemnly check.
I was in stitches for almost 10 minutes at the last one, especially when I realised I used to do just that!
Thanks Benji 🙂
