Fish in poker are players who make egregious mistakes in the game that cause them to lose money consistently. They are not skilled enough to beat the game and usually play for fun rather than to win money long term. Often, they are beginner players, but it is possible for a professional player to become a fish in lower stakes games as well.
The most common mistake of fish is betting too often with weak hands, and this can lead to them losing a lot of money. A good poker player will know when to call a bet and when to fold, and they will avoid making bad bets like this in order to maximize their winnings.
Another mistake of fish is playing too passively. They will usually call bets with weak hands, and they won’t raise when they have a strong hand. This leads to them losing a lot of money to better players. In poker, you should be aggressive against fish, and you should raise your strong hands when you have the chance.
Lastly, many fish will not understand basic poker concepts such as outs and reverse implied odds. They may think that every time they miss their draw, it is because of rotten luck. This is a very wrong way to view poker, and it is important that you teach them these concepts so that they can improve their game.
One of the most important things to remember about fish is that they will make mistakes, and this is okay. However, you should never talk to them in a way that makes them feel inferior. You should also not use terms that they don’t understand, such as outs and reverse implied odds. Using these terms will make them feel stupid, and it will discourage them from learning more about poker.
In addition, a fish will typically misapply the information that they have learned. For example, they will try to float the flop too much, and this will give their opponents chances to see more cards. A good player will understand when to float the flop, and they will only do it in certain situations.
A fish will often misread the board, and this can also cost them a lot of money. They will bet too much on the turn and river, and they won’t pay off their draws when they have them. A good poker player will understand how to read the board, and they will be able to extract maximum value from their hands.
Fish are an important part of the poker game, and they can be a great source of profit if you know how to take advantage of them. The key is to be able to spot them, and once you do, it is easy to make money by exploiting them.