Fish Are Not Your Enemy

You wouldn’t believe how many e-mails I get and conversations I have with poker players who are upset about the fish in their poker games. It’s very common for me to hear people say they don’t like to play online because there are so many fish who call down with crap and suck out on them.

It’s understandably frustrating at times to play against fish but remember that the fish are not your enemy. The fish are your friends. These are the people that make poker a profitable game for those of us who play it more than just recreationally. The fish are your entire source of profit. Without fish, poker would be a highly unprofitable waste of time.

Getting Sucked Out On

When you play in fishy poker games, it’s true that you get sucked out on more often. There are more players calling your bets and chasing their draws so you’ll see more suckouts. It might sound crazy but that’s actually a good thing! You want people to chase their draws against the odds and make stupid plays. The math eventually catches up to them and it sends their money in your direction.

Sure, you have to deal with suckouts in fishy games but that’s made up for the fact that you win bigger pots more often. In fishy games, you get more action on your strong hands. In non-fishy games, people are more likely to fold to your bets. I can’t think of many other ways to win money in poker other than to get people to call your bets.

The Schooling Effect

Sometimes there is so much fishiness in a game that it actually creates a schooling effect. What that means is when enough players chase draws at the same time, it becomes mathematically correct for them to call because there is so much money in the pot. It’s sort of like the fish are accidentally colluding with each other to give themselves the right odds to make the calls they make.

This does not mean you shouldn’t bet your hands. On the contrary, you should bet your strong hands even more aggressively when lots of players are calling. With strong hands, you want to build big pots and win lots of money! Yes, you will get sucked out on occasionally but that’s how poker goes. As a serious poker player, it’s necessary for you to learn how to shake off bad beats.

Moving Up to Avoid the Fish

I also hear a lot of players say that they feel like they should move up in stakes to where the opposition knows how to fold. This is a flawed idea because you make money in poker by getting players to call when you have strong hands. Every time you move up in stakes, the competition gets a little tougher. These players are less likely to call when you have strong hands.

On top of that, you should never move up in stakes if you can’t beat the stakes at which you play now. If you can’t beat the stakes you play at right now, it means your game isn’t quite ready for you to move up in stakes. The only thing moving up will do is put strain on your bankroll.

How to Beat the Fish

Before you can learn how to move up in stakes and beat the players there, you need to learn how to beat the fish at your current level. The fish are the easiest players to beat but don’t feel bad if you’re having trouble beating them. Everyone has to start somewhere. The first time I played poker, I barely knew which hand beats which.

In order to beat the fish, you need to play a tight, patient and straightforward game. Bluffing is pointless in games where nobody folds. Just sit back, wait for strong hands and bet them when you get them. That’s all there is to it.

I still sometimes hop online and play micro stake games and if you watched me, you’d laugh at how straightforward I play. All I do is sit back, wait for strong hands and then bet when I get them. That’s all there is to it. Anyone who knows basic poker strategy can beat small stakes games. It’s not so much a matter of knowledge as it is a matter of discipline and patience.

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