Playing the Fish in Poker Properly

Part and parcel of any successful Poker stragegy is knowing how to deal with the myriad player types in the card room. One of them is the fish, and before you run across them, it is important that you have a firm grasp on the appropriate way to deal with them.

The fish in Poker tables are also called the calling stations, for reasons which will be made clear later. They are usually (but not always) comprised of newcomers to the game, and also included are the casual players, those who play the game only on certain occasions.

Because of this, a lot of players make the assumption that they are easy prey; they are certainly less difficult to contend with than maniacs, loose or aggressive players, but can also cause damage, not through their skills per se, but mainly because people apply the wrong Poker strategies when they play against these types.

What you have to understand about the Poker fish is their mental approach to the game. Because they are new, or seldom in the game, they always want to be part of the action. Therefore, they will never back down from a call or raise (hence the term calling station). It does not matter what kind of hand they are holding.

A lot of players make the mistake of trying to bluff them, and that is an error. These players are all about being in the game. Most of the time they have no idea of what kind of hands they are holding. In other words, they will not fold even if they have A3 off suite on the river.

Another thing that you have to understand about Poker fish is that they do not know much about pot odds, value betting or player reading. If you attempt to play them using these techniques, then you can get into trouble, because they will not respond in the manner that can be expected of a seasoned Poker player.

The way to play these guys is to simply keep it simple. Play on the good cards and try not to do anything fancy. By resorting to the usual tight aggressive style you will emerge unscathed.

Soon enough, they will make several mistakes and throw money in the pot. A lot of times you will win mainly through their folly. Just stick to the basics and you will beat the fish.