PokerStars.com Shark Cage Season 2, Episode 13. It’s the final of the PokerStars.com Shark Cage, the poker tournament with a $1,000,000 prize pool and a cage.

The poker shark. The problem with a lot of poker educational material and training these days though is that it focuses on teaching you how to become a mediocre winner. And if grinding out that 2bb/100 win rate for years on end at the micros is your goal then by all means, have at it! Not poker sunglasses, poker eyewear. Established in 2008. Blue shark optics. Your frame with our lenses. Add crystalion-3 to your rx. For online poker. For computer use. Copyright blue shark optics 2020. All the best poker content from the resident OddsShark experts including poker site reviews, news, Hold’em strategy and more. An in-depth look at the top ranked online poker rooms in 2019 and exclusive bonus codes for players who sign up through OddsShark. Learn to play like a shark with a little help from OddsShark.

Fish – A weak player who loses money.
Poker is a game of dominance. For most players, the goal of the game is to win as much money as possible. You do this by identifying where your edge exists, and by maximizing your advantage. On any given hand, you may dominate your opponent by holding superior cards. You can also achieve a more general pattern of dominance by regularly outplaying your opponent, so long as you have the ability to do so. The difference in each player’s style and ability establishes a natural food chain among poker players. The best players are at the top of the food chain and tend to win money from everyone else, while the worst players are at the bottom of the food chain and tend to lose money to everyone. When the players at the top of the food chain engage those at the bottom, it is often a very one sided, unfair fight.
Because of this, the predator/prey metaphor is commonly used during a poker game. In the most commonly used metaphor of this type, the bad players are referred to as “fish,” while the good players are “sharks,” or “card sharks.” Obviously, when a shark engages a fish, it often turns out very badly for the fish. Similarly, when a player with excellent playing abilities engages a player with subpar abilities, it often turns out badly for the bad player.
While it is a compliment to be called a shark, it is also mildly derogatory to be called a fish. There are many derogatory nicknames for bad players, and “fish” is one of the most common. The term was popularized before the advent of online poker, and is therefore used more commonly in brick and mortar settings. Internet card rooms have developed their own lingo, and “donk” or “donkey” is the insult of choice there. The term “fish,” which is roughly equivalent to “donk,” is still used in the chat box, but it has taken a back seat to “donk,” which is now a very popular term. Some other unflattering terms used to describe players who play poorly include, “pigeon,” “muppet,” and “bozo.” A bad player can also be referred to sarcastically as a “genius.”
The predator metaphor can also be extended to other members of the animal kingdom. In addition to a shark, a good player can also be referred to as a “lion,” a “bear,” or a “monster.” A fish who plays exceptionally badly is often referred to as a “whale.” The term “whale” is also used describe any high limit gambler who tends to lose large sums, regardless of which casino games he plays.
Although a fish is typically a habitual loser, he will from time to time go on a rush and have a winning session. Usually when a fish wins, it not because he played any better on this particular day, but because he got lucky on the draw. Since fish often take the worst of it, they are often involved in large pots where they are a significant underdog. Sometimes they get lucky and suck out on a good player with a premium hand. Some good players get upset or offended when a fish beats them with trash. This is a bad thing for a good player to do, and it is bad for the game. It is important to realize that although you may have taken a brutal beat for humongous pot, in the long run it benefits you very much to have the fish in the game playing as he does. If you insult or demean him out of anger, he may not be as inclined to gamble, or worse, you may run him off altogether. If you criticize his play, you might be teaching him how to play better. You have to take a long term view, which means ignoring bad beats and focusing instead how to maximize your lifetime return against the fish. That means never criticizing and never teaching. The best response when a fish puts a bad beat on you is to say “nice hand,” and get over it. It will benefit you in the long run, and the other good players in the game will appreciate it if you don’t have the bad habit of running off the fish.
Usage: What a Fish, The Fish Donked Off Chips, Big Fish In A Little Pond

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Poker Shark

The poker world loves using animals as a way of categorizing players. I’ve written articles in the past on donkeys and nits, and now I’m concentrating on sharks. A shark is the one creature you should aspire to be. They are predators, attacking their prey and top of the food chain. If a fish is a weak player, a beta, then a poker shark is surely the alpha. In this article, we will look at what a shark is, how to become one and more importantly, how to remain one.

Beginner Texas Hold’em Question

What is a Poker Shark?

A shark is a term used to describe an excellent poker player. A shark is a winning poker player that dominate the opposition. They will strategize, plan, hand read, bluff well, use math and play aggressively to win money and tournament chips. Like a shark in the sea, they will exercise patience, circle their prey and know the exact time to strike. At the poker table, this might mean waiting patiently for 2 hours to bust their opponent. A shark is to be feared and respected.

How to Become a Shark

It’s impossible to become a shark poker player upon starting the game. Like the world we live in, one must evolve to become a shark. You need to acquire lots of different skills to become a shark.

It’s worth noting that being a winner doesn’t necessarily make you a shark. You’ve heard the expression “big fish in a small pond”. This true in the poker world. After all, a table with 9 fishes will have someone winning. That doesn’t mean they are the shark. They are simply the best fish of the lot. Put that fish in with larger, dangerous predators and they will be eaten up and spat out with little effort.

To become a shark, one must become proficient in the skills below:

1. Poker Math

2. Hand Reading

3. Bluffing

4. Bet Sizing

5. Emotional Control

7. Value Betting

Poker Shark Tables

8. Hand Selection

9. Table Awareness

10. Patience

11. Bankroll Management

12. Game Selection

As you can see, there are at least 12 skills required to becoming a shark. In certain games, you can skirt by and win by having just a few of the skills above. But how far will that take you? If you are keen to become a shark and to develop the skills, it’s not over. One must maintain that level…

Staying a Shark

As previously stated, poker is like evolution. The only difference is, once you reach a level, it’s entirely possible to go back. It’s logical that if you stand still and others evolve and improve, you are essentially going back. If you’re going back and others are going forward, sooner or later you will get overtaken.

Complacency is a challenge that all poker sharks must deal with. It doesn’t take much for it to set in, hand selection to widen too much, bluffing attempts to be too frequent or an arrogant approach to game selection.

To avoid this happening to you, I recommend something that most professional fields advise – continued professional development (CPD). This is something professions such as accountancy insist upon in order to maintain current level of knowledge. You can do likewise by dedicating time to self-improvement. You could try reading poker books, using poker training services, investing in new poker software or following the best poker blogs. Whatever method you try is up to you, but if it keeps you a shark, then surely, it’s worth it?